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Opening Hymn
Left to right: Lori Dick, Virgina Mollenkott, Susan Thistletwaite, Rev. Nancy Wilson and Rev. Kittredge Cherry at the Re-Imagining Conference on Christian Feminism, November 1993. Photographer unknown. Courtesy of the Kittredge Cherry and Audrey Lockwood Collection.
Another difference the congregation grappled with was gender. During feminism’s second wave, gender was largely seen in binary terms with a focus on differences between men and women, and on the oppressive power of sexism. The church and the congregation took feminism seriously and created its liturgies with gender equality as an organizing principle. This included a commitment to using gender-inclusive language when referring to the divine.
“The 23rd Psalm (Dedicated to my Mother)” by Bobby McFerrin, sung by the MCCSF choir. MCCSF Archive, October 19, 1997.
Opening Hymn
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Although in alignment with orthodox Christianity, which affirms that God is not constrained by gender, the use of gender-inclusive language generated bitter debates that almost tore the denomination apart. For many who were raised to refer to God in masculine terms, the revision of language toward gender-neutral or feminine terms was a jarring disruption to faith. But for others, it was an opportunity to re-imagine God in more expansive terms and creatively engage classic texts in order to represent God in more varied ways.
Along with adapting and re-visioning the Christian tradition, MCCSF wanted to expand that tradition by including songs sacred to the gay and lesbian community in its formal worship. Song of the Soul, sung here on April 18, 1993, is an example. It was written by lesbian folk singer and descendent of Methodist tent preachers Cris Williamson, and was on her 1975 album The Changer and the Changed. The album is a classic of 1970s women’s music and the song became a staple at folk and women’s music festivals – a crowd favorite singalong. The congregation included it in its hymnal and sang it together in worship for many years.
Along with adapting and re-visioning the Christian tradition, MCCSF wanted to expand that tradition by including songs sacred to the gay and lesbian community in its formal worship. Song of the Soul, sung here on April 18, 1993, is an example. It was written by lesbian folk singer and descendent of Methodist tent preachers Cris Williamson, and was on her 1975 album The Changer and the Changed. The album is a classic of 1970s women’s music and the song became a staple at folk and women’s music festivals – a crowd favorite singalong. The congregation included it in its hymnal and sang it together in worship for many years.
Cris Williamson sings “Song of the Soul” herself during a worship service. MCCSF Archive, April 24, 2000.