“Mothering God, you gave me birth in the bright morning of this world.”  With these words Jean Wiebe Janzen (1933-2024) began her thoughtful poem.  Over the years some have associated her text with “feminism” and expressed discomfort with her imagery. It may come as a surprise that the inspiration for Ms. Janzen’s text came from the writing of a 14^th century English mystic.  When she first read these words, she was reportedly astounded. 

The English mystic was Julian of Norwich (c 1342-1416).  Julian lived a life of prayer and solitude in the midst of the violence of medieval England during the Hundred Years War.  Julian sought refuge and peace in the church.  Scholars have called her a very warm and intelligent woman, who wrote with both precision and gentle humanity.  History tells us that in 1373, when she was deathly ill, she experienced a series of visions, where she saw Jesus Christ as our “true mother.”   

It was Julian’s writings that inspired Ms. Janzen when she was asked to contribute some new hymn texts for a 1992 Hymnal: A Worship Book of the Mennonite church.  A mother herself, Ms. Janzen wove the metaphor of God as a nurturing mother into a hymn text describing the Holy Trinity.  Her text challenges contemporary singers to form a renewed understanding of the nature of God.

“Mothering God, You Gave Me Birth” is sung here by the choir of First Plymouth Church in Lincoln Nebraska. This hymn beautifully connects God’s nurturing nature with motherhood, honoring both earthly mothers and the feminine aspects of divine care.

I hope you enjoy this rendition.

Judy