For Feminist Days (After Christmas)

I’ve been sharing some feminist musical resources in the days surrounding Christmas this year, and last year did the same … check out these links if you want more!  Today brings one last offering from Rev. Jann Aldredge-Clanton’s work on Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians, this time recorded by Vocal Divine at herchurch/Ebenezer Lutheran in San Francisco.

Here are some of the lyrics:

Come to our world, O Christ-Sophia, Wisdom;

our hearts are longing for Your peaceful way.

Lead us from fear and bondage into freedom;

with You we labor to bring Your new day.

 

Transform our world, O Christ-Sophia, Wisdom;

the poor and wounded await healing days.

Give us the power to sound Your call to freedom;

as equal partners, we show Your new way.

 

Led by Your Truth and Life within us growing,

we follow You on Your pathways of peace.

Filled with Your grace, Your loving kindness showing,

we share our gifts and our visions release.

 REFRAIN:

 Our weary world still longs for new creation,

for peace and justice coming to the earth.

Hope springs anew; we sing in celebration;

O Christ-Sophia, blessed be Your birth;

O Christ-Sophia, blessed be Your birth.

About the lyrics, Jann notes:

“Christ-Sophia” is a biblical symbol of the Divine, making equal connections between male and female, black and white, Jewish and Christian traditions, thus providing a foundation for communities based on partnership instead of domination. Sophia, the Greek word for Wisdom, is a biblical female divine image that opens new possibilities for justice, liberation, and new life. New Testament writers link Christ to Wisdom, a feminine symbol of God in the Hebrew Scriptures. Wisdom (Hokmah in Hebrew) symbolizes creative, redemptive, and healing power. In their efforts to describe this same power in Christ, the apostle Paul and other New Testament writers draw from the picture of Wisdom. The apostle Paul refers to Christ as the “power of God and the Wisdom (Sophia) of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24), and states that Christ “became for us Wisdom (Sophia) from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Vocal Divine creates music for the worshipping and serving community of herchurch, whose mission states in part:

 “Our mission is to embody and voice the prophetic wisdom and word of the Divine Feminine, to uplift the values of compassion, creativity and care for the earth and one another. Our purple church is home to a diversity of spiritual traditions and perspectives that are woven together to create a strong, stretchy fabric that provides everyone with ample room to grow.  We are committed to acts of justice and peace as we help shift the worldview from domination systems to mending and caring for the web-of-life.”

May peace and compassion carry you into the new year!