Embracing Divine Love: The Spectrum of Mothering

Devotional

Day 1: God as Our Loving and Near Father

God is not distant or detached, but desires a close, loving relationship with each of us, inviting us to address Him intimately as “Abba”—a word akin to “Papa” or “Daddy.” This nearness is not based on biological paternity but on the deep, nurturing relationship God offers, one marked by love, intimacy, and trust. No matter our earthly experiences with fathers, God’s fatherhood is perfect, welcoming, and always present, offering us the comfort and assurance that we are truly His beloved children. [41:40]

Matthew 6:9 (ESV)
“Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’”

Reflection:
What does it mean for you personally to address God as “Abba” or “Papa” in prayer today, and how might this change the way you approach Him with your needs and hopes?

Day 2: The Power of “Our”—Belonging in God’s Family

The Lord’s Prayer begins not with “my Father” but “our Father,” reminding us that faith is not a solitary journey. These two words challenge every form of exclusivism and call us to recognize all people as our brothers and sisters, breaking down barriers of race, class, gender, and nationality. When we pray “our Father,” we are invited into a community shaped by God’s love, where we belong to one another and to God, and where every person is welcomed as family. [42:59]

Galatians 3:28 (ESV)
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Reflection:
Who in your life do you find it hardest to see as a brother or sister in God’s family, and how can you take one step today to extend belonging or kindness to them?

Day 3: The Weight of Words—How Our Image of God Shapes Us

The words we use to speak about God are not just descriptions; they shape our hearts, our theology, and our lives. If we see God as distant or harsh, we may become fearful or closed off; if we see God as loving and near, we are shaped into people of compassion and trust. Each time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we are invited to let its words form us into the children God has always hoped for us to be, allowing God’s image to create us anew. [34:31]

Proverbs 18:21 (ESV)
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

Reflection:
What is one word or image you most often associate with God, and how has that shaped your relationship with Him and with others? Is there a new word or image you sense God inviting you to embrace?

Day 4: God’s Parental Love—Both Father and Mother

Scripture uses both masculine and feminine metaphors to describe God’s love: God is a stronghold and a rock, but also a mother who comforts her child and a hen who gathers her brood. God’s love is fierce in protection and gentle in comfort, offering us a fuller, richer understanding of who God is. Embracing these images allows us to experience God’s care in all its depth, especially when our earthly experiences of parents are complex or painful. [32:42]

Isaiah 66:13 (ESV)
“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”

Reflection:
In what area of your life do you most need to experience God’s comforting, nurturing love today, and how can you open yourself to receive it?

Day 5: Hearing God’s Delight—You Are God’s Beloved Child

When we truly pray the words of the Lord’s Prayer, we are invited to hear God whisper to us, “What a gift it is to have a child like you.” No matter what we may have longed to hear from our earthly parents, our heavenly Father already delights in us and calls us beloved. This assurance gives us the courage to live as God’s children, secure in His love and eager to share that love with others. [46:53]

Romans 8:15-16 (ESV)
“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”

Reflection:
What is one way you can remind yourself today that you are God’s beloved child, and how might living from that truth change the way you interact with others?

Sermon Summary

Today’s gathering was a celebration of the wide spectrum of mothering, honoring not only biological mothers but also adoptive, foster, step, and spiritual mothers, while also acknowledging the complexity and pain that can accompany this day for many. The community was invited to hold space for both joy and grief, recognizing that God’s love encompasses all experiences. As we moved into worship, we were reminded that our words—especially the words we use to speak to and about God—carry deep significance and shape our understanding of the Divine.

The focus turned to the opening words of the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father.” On a day dedicated to mothers, it was important to recognize that God transcends gender, and that both masculine and feminine metaphors are used in Scripture to describe God’s character. God is depicted as a rock, a light, a mother hen, a she-bear, and a comforting mother. These images expand our understanding of God’s nearness, protection, and tenderness.

The word “Father” itself is layered with meaning. For some, it evokes warmth and intimacy; for others, it may bring pain or absence. Jesus’ use of “Father”—and more intimately, “Abba” or “Papa”—invites us to see God not as a distant creator but as a loving parent who desires closeness with us. The story of the orphan girl and her guardian illustrates that true fatherhood (and motherhood) is found in relationship, not just biology.

Equally significant is the word “Our.” The Lord’s Prayer is not a private prayer but a communal one. There is no “I” or “my” in its words. By praying “Our Father,” we are reminded that we belong to a family that transcends all boundaries—national, racial, social, and generational. This challenges any sense of exclusivity and calls us to see every person as a sibling, equally beloved by God.

Ultimately, these two words—“Our Father”—reshape our relationship with God and with each other. They invite us to rest in the assurance that God delights in us as beloved children, and they call us to extend that same love and belonging to all. In praying these words, we are shaped into the people God has always hoped we would become.

Key Takeaways

1. God Transcends Gender and Our Limited Metaphors God is neither male nor female, but beyond all human categories. Scripture uses both masculine and feminine images—rock, light, mother hen, she-bear, comforting mother—to help us grasp different facets of God’s character. These metaphors are not literal but are meant to draw us into a deeper, more expansive relationship with the Divine. [28:14]
2. The Power and Complexity of “Father” The word “Father” can evoke a range of emotions, from comfort to pain. Jesus’ use of “Abba” invites us to experience God as an intimate, loving parent, not just a distant authority. True fatherhood (and motherhood) is found in relationship, presence, and love, not merely in biological connection. [34:54]
3. “Our” Means We Belong to Each Other The Lord’s Prayer is intentionally communal—there is no “I” or “my.” By praying “Our Father,” we are reminded that all people are our siblings, and that God’s love is not exclusive. This challenges us to confront and dismantle barriers of race, class, nationality, and any other “ism” that divides. [42:18]
4. God’s Nearness: The Glory in the Ordinary God chooses to dwell with us, even in the most humble places and people. The story of God confining the divine presence to a single square yard in the tabernacle is a powerful reminder that God’s glory is found in nearness, not grandeur. No matter how insignificant we may feel, God’s presence is with us, honoring us as beloved children. [39:19]
5. The Invitation to Be God’s Beloved Child When we truly pray “Our Father,” we open ourselves to hear God’s affirmation: “What a gift it is to have a child like you.” Even if we have longed for such words from earthly parents and never received them, our heavenly Father already believes them to be true. This assurance grounds our identity and calls us to extend that same love to others. [46:31]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[04:21] - Mother’s Day Greetings and Acknowledgments
[06:00] - Announcements and Community Life
[09:18] - Lighting the Christ Candle
[11:05] - Opening Worship Song: Every Praise
[14:06] - Mother’s Day Litany: The Wide Spectrum of Mothering
[17:35] - Hymn: For the Beauty of the Earth
[19:02] - Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
[21:32] - Worship Song: Closer to Your Heart
[25:16] - Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer Series
[27:40] - Addressing “Our Father” on Mother’s Day
[28:14] - God Beyond Gender: Metaphors for the Divine
[34:54] - The Meaning and Weight of “Father”
[39:19] - God’s Nearness: The Tabernacle Story
[42:18] - The Communal Nature of “Our Father”
[43:47] - Story: Homeboy Ministries and the Gift of Belonging
[46:31] - God’s Affirmation: “What a Gift to Have a Child Like You”
[48:17] - The Greatest Commandment and the Lord’s Prayer
[49:01] - Hymn of Response: Sweet Hour of Prayer
[51:12] - Benediction and Sending Forth

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 6:9 — “Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…”

2. Isaiah 66:13
“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

3. Luke 13:34
“How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”

Observation Questions

In the opening of the Lord’s Prayer, what two words does Jesus use to address God, and why are these words significant? ([26:42])
What are some of the different metaphors and images used in Scripture to describe God’s character, according to the sermon? ([28:14])
How does the word “our” in “Our Father” change the way we think about prayer and our relationship with others? ([42:18])
What story did the pastor share about the orphan girl and her guardian, and what point was he making with it? ([36:27])

Interpretation Questions

The sermon mentions that God is described in both masculine and feminine terms in Scripture. What does this suggest about how we should think about God’s nature? ([28:14])
When Jesus uses the word “Abba” (Papa/Daddy) to address God, what kind of relationship is he inviting us into? How might this differ from how some people experience the word “Father”? ([39:35])
The Lord’s Prayer uses “our” instead of “my.” What does this communal language say about who belongs in God’s family? ([42:18])
The story of God confining his glory to a single square yard in the tabernacle was shared. What does this teach us about God’s desire for nearness with us? ([39:19])

Application Questions

The sermon acknowledged that “Father” can be a comforting or painful word depending on our experiences. How does your own experience with the word “Father” affect the way you relate to God? Is it easy or hard for you to see God as a loving parent? ([34:54])
The pastor said, “God is neither male nor female, but beyond all human categories.” How might expanding your view of God beyond gender change the way you pray or worship? ([28:14])
When you pray “Our Father,” do you tend to think of it as a personal prayer or a communal one? How might it change your perspective to remember that you are praying as part of a global family? ([42:18])
The sermon challenged us to see every person as a sibling, equally beloved by God. Is there a group or individual you struggle to see this way? What would it look like to pray for them as a brother or sister? ([42:41])
The story of Father Gregory and Moises at Homeboy Ministries highlighted the longing to hear, “What a gift it is to have a child like you.” Have you ever longed for affirmation from a parent or authority figure? How does it feel to imagine God saying those words to you? ([46:31])
The sermon said that God’s glory is found in nearness, not grandeur. Where in your ordinary, everyday life do you sense God’s presence most clearly? ([39:19])
The Lord’s Prayer is meant to shape us into the people God hopes we will become. Is there a specific way you feel challenged to grow in love or belonging this week as a result of this message? ([43:14])

Sermon Clips

We know, don't we, that God is not a man nor a woman. That God is beyond all such biological distinctions. And because God is beyond our ability to comprehend, the best we can do is talk about God in metaphors. [00:28:06]

Scripture says that God is a sure foundation, is light, is a stronghold, is the rock of our salvation. We don't believe those things literally as if when we turn on the light and the lights come on suddenly God is now present with us because scripture said God is light. [00:28:32]

But there is something about God that is as sturdy and unmoving and unchanging as a rock. And while metaphors for God are often depicted in scripture in masculine terms like king or warrior or shepherd, we cannot deny the fact that God is also portrayed in scripture in feminine terms. [00:31:08]

God is depicted like a mama bird who gathers her own under a wing to protect them. That's what was on Jesus' mind when he lamented over Jerusalem. And he said, "How often have I desired to gather you and your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wing." [00:31:41]

From a she bear on a rampage to reclaim her cubs to a gentle, comforting mother. These are images that add value to our understanding of who God is. I remember with great fondness as a young child, my own mother when I was worn out or sick or just plain exhausted coming in, sitting on the edge of the bed and rubbing my back until I calm down, till I fell asleep. [00:32:42]

And all of this matters as we begin to dive into the meaning of the Lord's Prayer over the next several weeks because words matter. Words have weight. The words we use to talk about each other matter. The words we use to talk to each other matter. [00:33:26]

And if that's true about the words we use to talk about and to each other, then it's doubly true for the words we use to talk about and to God. Richard Roar has said it like this. He says, "Our image of God creates us." [00:33:54]

Each Sunday morning when we pray the words of this prayer together, we are not only talking about who God is, but we are also talking to God. Which means each Sunday when we pray this prayer, we are inviting its words to be the image of God that is shaping us to be God's children. [00:34:09]

Like mother, the word father is a complicated word and generally speaking it has two distinct meanings. In in one sense, the word father is about paternity. It's about the person who is responsible for the birth of a child. But we know that a man can be a father of a child in a biological paternal sense and never even lay eyes on that child. [00:35:41]

Fatherhood describes a relationship of love and intimacy and trust between a father and his child. The rabbis used to tell the story of an orphan girl who was brought up by a a good guardian, a guardian who had adopted her into his home. [00:36:19]

When Jesus teaches us to pray our father, he is in the first place trying to move us past our notions of God as one who simply begat us and into the sense of the fatherhood of God, which is all about the nearness of God to us. [00:37:24]

So God chose to confine his glory to one square yard in order to be near his children. Which means that God is our father and we are God's children. Even in the humblest home, even in the littlest, barest church, even in the most unimportant person, God's glory is there. [00:39:19]

Do you remember when God revealed God's name to Moses on the mountaintop? He's at the burning bush and the voice of God says to Moses, "Out of the bush, take off your sandals, Moses, for the place you're standing is holy ground." [00:40:11]

Have you ever noticed that the words I, me, my, and mine don't appear anywhere in the Lord's prayer? As if you can make some kind of exclusive claim on God. We don't pray my father but our father. The very use of the word our challenges and ends all ideas of exclusivism. [00:42:11]

Nationalism and racism and classism and sexism and agism and all other isms are condemned in the two words that open the Lord's prayer. Our father. And God with those words redefes our relationship with both God and with each other. [00:42:38]

When we pray these two words in the manner that Jesus intended, then our image of God shapes us into the children our Abba has always wanted us to be, always hoped for us to be. [00:43:04]

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