Oscar Rios Pohirieth specializes in Andean Folk Music, which has been passed down over centuries from the Incan Empire to the present day. The prelude this morning is a piece called Pachamama (Mother Earth) for an Andean flute called the Quena.
Indigenous culture often emphasizes fidelity to place, nature, and to the earth – a characteristic that wasn’t present in settler state cultures whose conquest had little regard for such fidelity. Indigenous music, art, and ritual all reflect this fidelity, and Andean music is no different. Today, descendants of the Incas – the Quechua and Aymara peoples in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile – have deep cultural traditions that celebrate Pachamama – Mother Earth.
In Incan times, Pachamama was considered to be a cruel and demanding deity, but with the influence of the Catholic Church after the arrival of the Spanish, she became somewhat hybridized with the Virgin Mary. In modern times, Pachamama is a cultural representation for Mother Earth, but still retains some of those characteristics – benevolence and intercessory prayer. Many South Americans believe that problems arise when humans do not respect Pachamama, necessitating fidelity to the earth – something we could all learn from.
Mothering God You Gave Me Birth
This hymn is an adaptation by Jean Janzen (1933-present) of musings by Julian of Norwich (1342-1416), whose life fell entirely during the “Hundred Years War.” According to Janzen’s study of Julian of Norwich, ‘Julian saw Christ as our “true mother,” saying, “The human mother will suckle her child with her own milk, but our beloved Mother, Jesus, feeds us with himself.”’
Mothering God, you gave me birth in the bright morning of this world.
Creator, source of every breath, you are my rain, my wind, my sun.
Mothering Christ, you took my form, offering me your food of light,
grain…of life, and grape of love, your very body for my peace.
Mothering Spirit, nurturing one, in arms of patience hold me close,
so that in faith I root and grow until I flower, until I know.
Dear Mother God
Dear Mother God, your wings are warm around us,
we are enfolded in your love and care;
safe in the dark, your heartbeat’s pulse surrounds us,
you call to us, for you are always there.
You call to us, for we are in your image.
We wait on you, the nest is cold and bare;
high overhead your wing-beats call us onward.
filled with your power, we ride the empty air.
Let not our freedom scorn the needs of others —
we climb the clouds until our strong heart sings;
may we enfold our sisters and our brothers,
till all are strong, till all have eagles’ wings.
Womb of Life and Source of Being – text by Ruth C. Duck
We used this hymn relatively recently, but the first verse is particularly fitting for use in today’s service.
Ruth C. Duck is a notable hymn writer with a controversial but effective style regarding gendered language. According to hymn scholar Simon Hill, “When it comes to handling sexist or exclusive language, Duck does not believe that the issue should be solved by eliminating all gender and placing a ban on gendered images. Instead, Duck advocates for the presence of both masculine and feminine imagery and language, creating a space for both traditional wording as well as new wording. She proves that the two perspectives can exist side by side. After all, the Scriptures are filled with metaphors that cover an array of images. Duck sees this as a call for Christians to thoughtfully develop and sing of new metaphors that fully and appropriately convey an encounter with the Divine, a call that Duck takes to heart in much of her hymn writing.
“Womb of Life, and Source of Being” takes on the matter of metaphor, exclusive language, and the Trinitarian formula. The traditional formula is often a subject of debate and theological question in terms of sexist language. Duck believes that because of the exclusive, male-centered language, the traditional formula – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – does not fully celebrate the liberation of new life offered through Jesus, the Christ. The traditional formula also runs the risk of implying a gender-exclusive community, rather than allowing the Trinity to be a model of a loving and all-embracing community. In “Womb of Life, and Source of Being,” Duck makes an effort to broaden the images of the persons in the Trinity and to establish it as a model for a vibrant community.”
Womb of life, and source of being, home of ev’ry restless heart,
in your arms the worlds awakened; you have loves us from the start.
We, your children, gather ’round you, at the table you prepare.
Sharing stories tears and laughter, we are nurtured by your care.
Word in flesh, our brother Jesus, born to bring us second birth,
you have come to stand beside us, knowing weakness, knowing earth.
Priest who shares our human struggles, Life of Life, and Death of Death,
risen Christ, come stand among us, send the Spirit by your breath.
Brooding Spirit, move among us; be our partner, be our friend.
When our mem’ry fails, remind us whose we are, what we intend.
Labor with us, aid the birthing of the new world made new,
ever singing, ever praising, one with all, and one with you.