As I headed into choir rehearsal this morning, I knew we were in for some hard work. We were singing two challenging pieces that are new in our repertoire. The mood was serious and people were already humming through the Herbert Howells Te Deum that was going to be part of the Morning Prayer service.

 

Then I picked up the bulletin and glanced at the hymns:

“O worship the King”

“Fight the good fight”

“Lead on, O King eternal”

 

This was clearly going to be one of those Sundays when I spent a good part of the service wondering if it is truly possible to be a Christian and a feminist and a lover of Anglican music. Admittedly most people in my congregation don’t spend a lot of time stressing over these particular issues but I do because I really think they matter.

 

The Latin term, imago dei, means literally the image of God. (I was slightly reassured as I pondered this topic to realize that the word imago is feminine in Latin!) Theologically it refers to the concept that we are made in the image of God and that therefore we can see something of God in each other. The “image of God” has such a nice ring to it until I start thinking about all those images of God that predominate in the Episcopal liturgy. Many of them grow out of patriarchal and hierarchical societal values. I counted and in an hour-long service today we said or sang Father 12 times, Lord 30 times, Son 6 times, King 10 times and kingdom 5 times. To be perfectly fair there were some other images there too – judge, shield, defender, Ancient of Days, Guide. But the images of God that are most prevalent are male. And frankly, on some level they leave me wondering whether or not I am made in the image of God.  

 

I work in an academic community and I have experienced many worship services that have worked to offer other wonderful images for God. I know there are church communities, including one down the street from my church, that make this a priority in their liturgical life. But here is the culture clash for me – I love the traditional hymnody of the church and I am passionate about Anglican choral music. It touches me on a very deep spiritual level. And so I stay and “fight the good fight” and continue to try to find ways to work within the tradition.

 

Those hymns that I mentioned with the patriarchal, hierarchical and pugilistic words in their titles have some beautiful verses. For example, here is the middle verse of “Lead on O King eternal:”

            Lead on, O King eternal, till sin’s fierce war shall cease,

            and holiness shall whisper the sweet amen of peace;

            for not with swords loud clashing, nor roll of stirring drums,

            but deeds of love and mercy, the heavenly kingdom comes.

 

We need more of those deeds of love and mercy and I’m not sure all of these images of battle and kings and judging fathers is going to get us there. I think that we need to find the imago dei through some of the many other images of God that poets and pastors have given us. I think we need some feminine force in our divine.

 

Christianity grows out of patriarchal cultures and traditions. Even through those lenses there is a picture of Jesus as a man who valued the lowly and the downtrodden, the loving and the humble, and women of all sorts. I cling to the hope that the church in the 21^st century will lift up images of God that will lead us to create a more egalitarian society without Lords and Kings – one that more resembles the realm of God as Jesus described it.

 

In the meantime, I will probably continue being a little obnoxious when my identity as a feminist Christian Episcopalian musician just feels oxymoronic!