Description
Book SynopsisIn BIRTHING GOD, forty women relate Spirit-filled moments: a grieving pastor walks a labyrinth and rediscovers the Rock of her existence; a human rights advocate re-encounters Allah in an intensely visceral moment in the sun; a teacher, moved by an ancestral vision, launches a global tree-planting project to heal the wounds of slavery; a revolutionary awakens from a coma and realises that all of life is infused with Spirit; a peasant woman under fire discovers within herself the God who gives her courage and a disabled doctor, embraced by Shekhinah, turns her heart to rabbinical studies. Grounded in raw experience and ideal for spiritual seekers and leaders of all faiths, these engaging and powerful stories invite you to consider the origins of your own spirituality and to deepen your relationship with God.
Trade Review"An excellent study of women's personal experiences across various faiths.... Will appeal to readers with an interest in women's spirituality, feminist spirituality, ecofeminism.... A good choice for reading groups." * Library Journal *
Table of ContentsForeword ix Part I Divine Love and Love of Self 1 Esperanza: Great Courage within Me 9 Lindsey: Where We Find God 16 Lori: Rocking in the Mother's Arms 21 Hyun Kyung: From the Palms of God into the Vortex of Becoming 26 Susan: Worthy to Stand Here with God 34 Sridevi: Rooted in the Divine Feminine 40 Arisika: The Body as Gateway to the Divine 44 Rachel: The Sacred within Me 53 Anna: Circling into the Womb of the Mother 58 Alice: Resonating like Home 64 Sarah: Hanging Out the Wash like Prayer Flags 70 Ann: Seeing Ourselves with Love 75 Rhina: The Church of the Open Door 81 Part II Divine Connection 87 Jeanette: Dropping into the Hands of God 93 Irma: A Mother's Embrace 99 Kimberly: Welcoming Occasions to Know God 106 Elena: Celebrating the Mother's Diversity 112 Belvie: Who Can We Become Together? 119 Malisa: Seeing the Divine in Each Other (Namaste) 128 Sadaya: The Womb of God through Which We All Come 134 Carolina: Light and Love in All Beings 140 Debbie: Experiencing the Divine in the Multitude 147 Teresa: God among Us 152 Susan: Appreciating the Sacredness of Life 157 Marci: Like Family 162 Emily: Seeing the Glory 165 Alison: Restoring Our Sense of Interconnectedness 172 Judith: Swirling in the Mandala That Connects Us All 177 Part III Divine Change 181 SaraLeya: Under the Wings of Shekhinah 187 Lucy: Embracing Our Imagination 192 Ayesha: Madly in Love with God 198 Allison: Not Fearing Death 204 Viviana: All of Us Spirit 210 Zoharah: Who Am I and Why Am I Here? 219 Kristin: Listen to Mother Earth—She Has a Lot to Tell You 228 Dionne: Drumming to Heal the Mother 235 Stacy: Climbing into Her Branches 242 Virginia: Stirring the Ashes 250 Jann: Let Justice Roll Down Like Water 256 Katie: Would You Hug Me, Jesus? 261 Epilogue 266 Acknowledgments 268 Meditations and Visualizations 269 The Interview Questions: Eliciting Spiritual Stories 278 Notes 280 Suggested Resources 28
