She Who Dwells Among Us

This sermon challenges the pervasive idea that God is somehow only or mostly masculine, arguing that versions of the Bible read today have been intentionally stripped of the feminine over time. This removal, the Pastor Dan suggests, was not accidental but a strategy tied to empire and power, particularly after Christianity became the imperial religion of Rome. Hebrew terms describing God and divine attributes, such as Elshadai (originally meaning “she of many breasts”), Elohim (majesty), Ruach (spirit), Chokma (wisdom), Rahm (womb love), Yahweh, and El Shakina (“she who dwells among us”), originally had feminine meanings or associations that were changed or replaced with masculine ones in later translations and interpretations.

Pastor Dan contends that removing the feminine from scripture makes it hard for women to see themselves and find their place in the modern church. Citing the story of the Daughters of Zelophehad in Numbers 27, the sermon highlights how these women stood before male leaders in a highly male-dominated space to protest unfair inheritance laws, and God affirmed that they were “right”. This story is presented as evidence that patriarchal interpretations have missed opportunities to “get it right” because they haven’t listened to women. The Pastor Dan concludes by stating that silencing women’s voices, wisdom, and the “spirit of God” they carry is a significant loss for the church and goes against the original intention.