The trouble with pronouns

We are trying out a new study series at LUMC called, "God is closer than you think" by John Ortberg. I am really excited about the possibilities of this study. So many folks in the mainline churches, especially "liberal" ones, have forgotten how to talk about their faith and how to recognize the movement of God in our daily lives. I am hopeful that this series will help us to talk about our faith with others. Ortberg is a good speaker and while he hasn't yet used the term "prevenient grace", there are signs of good Weslyan theology in the study.

While I am excited for this study, I am also challanged by Ortberg's utter lack of concern for inclusive language. He continually refers to God as "He" or "Father." Story after story was about fathers when one could have easily used a story about mothers to make the same point. I sat uncomfortably as we watched the video for the first session remembering the people in the room who have shared with me that they didn't have a lovin father, but an abusive one. It was so disapointing to realize that the pronoun "he" could hinder what otherwise was a good message.

I don't understand the determination of some people to use the masculine pronoun when talking about God. Is it a conservative's way of sticking it to the liberals? Is it that some people believe that God is actually a man? I understand the occasional slip into a pronoun. It does get cumbersome to avoid pronouns and keep repeating "God." But to make no effort whatsoever for inclusive language. I find that troubling.

On one of my first seminary papers I created a written pronoun s/he. It doesn't quite work. Certainly one doesn't want to call God "it." What are we to do?

I sat with a good deal of sadness on Sunday when the 5 girls at our youth group meeting each expressed that they thought of God as a male. When I suggessted that God didn't have a gender some were flabergasted. Then they pointed out that every Sunday I say "Our Father . . ." Ugh. I am part of the problem.

I understand that sometimes refereing to God as Father has helped some people to heal their negative experiences with an Earthly father who has hurt them. I thank God for that. But we need balance. For every story about a loving father, I would like to hear a story about a loving mother. And yes perhaps for every "Our Father . . ." the preacher will have to say "Our Mother. . ."