I am blessed with a husband who reads.
Then, he turns to me and says, "You would love this. Read this."
He is always right...
well, about this.
He introduced me to the writings of John Kleinig (a Lutheran pastor in Australia). I haven't found one that disappointed yet.
This blog post was spurred by one of his writings found here -
John Kleinig's "Mother Zion - Mother Church"
You really should read it, because it is an amazing description of visions in Isaiah. God uses women in so many important roles through His Word. For people who question whether women are given any respect in the Christian writings, I would especially encourage them to read this article. Women and their role since creation are vitally important and held to such a great and mighty position.
There is so much to say about this article and the role of women, but this post is going to be a shout-out to all the nursing mothers of the world. Isaiah (and other passages through the Bible) illustrate the Church and Her members as a nursing mother and her infant.
As a nursing mother, here are ten illustrations to describe why I find this picture so incredibly awesome:
1. A nursing mother provides all of the nourishment needed for her infant.
The Church provides all of the nourishment needed for her members.
2. A nursing mother's milk supply is given at a rate that is needed for her infant.
The Church's Gifts are given to her members as they are needed. A pastor knows his people and feeds them at a rate they are able to handle.
3. A nursing mother and infant need each other. The infant to survive and the mother to avoid pain. They are the only ones who can do this for each other. A nursing mother longs for her infant who has been separated from her. She hurts without her infant.
A church and her members need each other. The members to survive and the church to avoid the pains of an individual church dying. They are the only ones who can do this for each other. The Church longs for her members who have been separated from her. She hurts without her members.
4. A nursing mother's milk can be tainted with what she consumes. She must avoid addictions. She can build a tolerance to substances and think she is giving nutrients to her child. Instead she is giving them drugs and addictions which can kill. An infant has no knowledge of this, and is unable to see the damage being done.
A church's teachings can be tainted with what it consumes in this world. A church must avoid addictions and tolerances that will be fed to her members. False teaching kills. Church members often have no knowledge of the false teachings. They are not able to see the damage being done.
5. A nursing mother's milk carries all the nourishment and vitamins needed for an infant to grow, even when the mother doesn't take in enough. She gives of her own to sacrifice for her infant.
A church's Gifts are given with all the life-saving nourishment needed for her members to live and grow, even when the church is not receiving enough funds to survive herself. She gives of her own to sacrifice for her members.
6. A nursing mother wakes at the call of her infant. She doesn't think about time or location. She feeds when it is needed.
A Church and her pastor wake at the call of the members. She [the Church] and he [the pastor] don't think about time or location. They feed when it is needed.
7. A nursing mother is the lone place of immediate comfort for her infant.
The Church is the lone place of immediate comfort for her members.
8. A nursing mother's milk meets the individual needs of her infant. It acts as medicine and preventative care. It gives antibodies for illnesses that are real and local to her infant.
A particular church and her pastor meet the individual needs of members. The Gifts are medicine and preventative care. The Church dispenses Gifts that fight real and local sins.
9. A nursing mother can give more milk at any time - a matter of supply and demand. She can even give her milk to another baby, not born of her.
The Church can give more Gifts at any time - a matter of supply and demand. There is always enough. The Church can even feed those not born of the Church.
10. A nursing mother's milk can eventually dry up when there is no longer a child to feed.
A particular church's Gifts can eventually cease to be given when there are no longer members to feed. However, the Church lives on and so do Her members.
How awesome are nursing mothers?
So, the next time you get nervous about nursing in the pew -
Just remember, we are all nursing infants.
