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Call to Worship:  –    

Map of portion of the Shimane Prefecture Japan

  On the fourth day of our recent cruise around Japan, our port of call for the day was Sakaiminato which you can see in the top right-hand corner of this map.  It is located on the lower part of the western side of the main island of Honshu.  One of the sites that we visited during the day’s excursion was the Adachi Museum of Art, which you see in the lower middle of the map.

  The museum was opened in 1970 by a retired Japanese businessman, Adachi Zenko, who devoted his retirement to collecting contemporary Japanese paintings and ceramicware.  Another of his passions was Japanese gardens, of which there are four on the property:

the Dry Landscape Garden

the White Gravel and Pine Garden,

the Moss Garden, and

the Pond Garden.

  “A garden is thought of as a living canvas”, so said Adachi Zenko.

  The brochure for the Museum states:

“when combined with the exhibited Japanese paintings, they give a graceful atmosphere, the garden aesthetics can heal visitor’s minds with every step”.

  There are a number of areas within the museum building and outside of the museum where you can view each of these gardens at your leisure and to contemplate their beauty.

The Dry Landscape Garden over the four Seasons

 I purchased this souvenir for a friend, which wonderfully displays portion of the Dry Landscape Garden over the four Seasons of the year.  You can imagine people returning to the Museum throughout the year to sit and take in the beauty of the garden as it changes over the Seasons.  But there are two considerations pertaining to the gardens at the Museum which are not emphasised at the Museum nor in any literature available at the Museum.

Firstly, although the gardener can be justly proud of the beauty of the garden that is the direct result of their efforts and skill, they are but making use of the beauty which God had already put into the plants when He created them, for we read in the Genesis Creation account:

“Then God said, ‘Let land produce vegetation: seed bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.’  And God was pleased with what He saw.”  (Genesis 1: 11 & 12) 

.  As well, the continuing beauty of the plants over the Seasons of the year, are, again, due to the manner in which God originally created plants.

  And the changing of the Seasons is, again, something which God controls and manages, as Daniel writes:

“Praise be to the name of God, … He changes Times and Seasons.”  (Daniel 2: 21) 

“consider the lilies of the field, (which God clothes in splendour), yet they are here today, and tomorrow are thrown into the fire”  Matthew 6: 28 to 30

Secondly, the splendour of the plants is, but, transitory, for all plants are subject to the decay and rot which is part and parcel of the curse upon God’s Creation as a direct result of Adam and Eve’s sin.  The skill of the gardener is measured by how well they prune and trim and encourage new growth to counter the decay and rot which occur.  But, again, the gardener is only making use of that which God originally created as part of the plant which responds to the work of the gardener.

  To make the claim that “the garden aesthetics can heal visitor’s minds” is an empty statement if it is isolated from praise to God for the manner and functioning of His Creation.  To only praise the work of the gardener is, equally empty, without greater praise to God for His greater work of Creation, upon which the gardener is but basing all of their work.

  It is worthwhile visiting a garden to admire the creative work of a gardener.  But, how much more worthwhile is it to offer praise and worship of God, the Creator and Sustainer of all that grows on Earth.  As we gather here today, may we be earnest of our worship and praise of Almighty God, Creator of Heaven and Earth and all that exists in them.

Prayer of Praise    

Life giving and sustaining God, we are grateful and thankful today for mothering,
for the feminine touch of parenting, for the special connection of Mother and child.

We give you thanks for the gifts women bring, for the caring love that is given, for their cradling of children, for their willingness to give and not count the cost, for their tenderness and warm embrace, for their encouragement and support.  We thank you for their words of wisdom, and acknowledge that our lives are the richer because of their influence and example.

Thank you for those who have been Mothers to us in nurturing our faith, who have helped us know and experience Your love. 

We honour them this day and ask that you would help us follow the example of love they have shown.

Strong and compassionate God, like a Mother you tenderly care for your children.  You pick us up when we fall over.  Your face smiles on us, you sing songs to us of your love. 

Like our Mothers, you feed us from your hand, you search for us when we are lost, you bind up our wounds, you comfort us when we are hurting.

May all of us have the comfort of knowing that your mothering love is constant, that your understanding is perfect, and that your compassion is never-ending. 

This we pray in the name of Jesus, who spoke of himself as a mother hen who seeks to gather her chicks under her wings).  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn “At Calvary”

A link to a YouTube clip is provided below:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWSlM9sjNc0&ab_channel=ReawakenHymns

Verse 1 of 4

Years I spent in vanity and pride,

caring not my Lord was crucified,

knowing not it was for me He died

On Calvary.

Chorus

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;

pardon there was multiplied to me;

there my burdened soul found liberty,

at Calvary.

Verse 2 of 4

By God’s Word at last my sin I learned;

then I trembled at the Law I’d spurned,

till my guilty soul imploring turned

to Calvary.

Chorus

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;

pardon there was multiplied to me;

there my burdened soul found liberty,

at Calvary.

Verse 3 of 4

Now I’ve given to Jesus everything,

now I gladly claim Him as my King,

now my ransomed soul can finally sing

of Calvary.

Chorus

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;

pardon there was multiplied to me;

there my burdened soul found liberty,

at Calvary.

Verse 4 of 4

O, the love that drew salvation’s plan!

O, the grace that brought it down to Man!

O, the mighty gulf that God did span

at Calvary!

Chorus

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;

pardon there was multiplied to me;

there my burdened soul found liberty,

at Calvary.

composed by William R. Newel

arranged Nathan Drake

Prayer of Confession   

God of all living and loving, we pray of our sorrow for families that do not express amongst themselves the love that you have for us.

We acknowledge that mothering is hard, and not all are able to do so as they would like. 

We acknowledge that we all fall short in life and love, and that mothers are no exception in this. 

We confess our faults and fragility, we confess those times when we seek to judge and not to understand or to offer compassion.

For those times when we do not live together in unity.

We express our sorrow and regret.

For those times when we do not sincerely express our gratitude for the gifts of life and love.

We express our sorrow and regret.

For those families who do not experience the noise of laughter but only the silence of sadness.

We express our sorrow and regret.

For those families who do not find it a sanctuary from danger and judgment.

We express our sorrow and regret.

For those families where words of love and openness are not the rule of their life.

We express our sorrow and regret.

For those families where violence and rejection are living realities; where hearts are broken, and dreams are shattered.

We express our sorrow and regret.

We grieve for families, where walls of protection become fortresses of isolation, where language is a weapon of destruction and hate.

We express our sorrow and regret.

We grieve for those mothers who suffer but whose suffering is covered up.  We grieve for those mothers who have been humiliated, harassed and stigmatised and who dare not tell. 

We express our sorrow and regret.

Help us to understand the ways of loving, parenting, partnering and working together for peace.

This we believe: that love is stronger than hate, that hope is stronger than despair, and that good is stronger than evil.  In the name of the One who is Loving and Living.

You, O Lord, have called us to watch and pray.

Therefore, whatever may be the sin against which we pray,

make us careful to watch against it,

and so have reason to expect that our prayers will be answered.

In order to perform this duty aright,

grant us grace to preserve a sober, equal temper,

and sincerity to pray for your assistance.  Amen.

A Prayer if Susanna Wesley

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from Acts 11: 17) 

Peter spoke to those who had gathered in the house of Cornelius, a Roman Centurian, saying:

“Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ will have their sins forgiven through the power of his name.”

Let us, too, rejoice in this Good News, as did Cornelius and the others, and trust that God has seen our faith, that God has heard our confessions, and that God has forgiven our sins.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer of illumination 

O Lord, Heavenly Father, in whom is the fullness of light and wisdom,

enlighten our minds by your Holy Spirit,

and give us grace to receive your Word with reverence and humility,

without which no person can understand your truth.

To your glory we pray.  Amen.

John Calvin

Bible Readings

Luke 18:

18  A Jewish leader asked Jesus,

“Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?”

19  “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him.  “No one is good except God alone.  20  You know the Commandments:

Do not commit adultery,  (Exodus 20: 14, Deuteronomy 5: 18) 

Do not commit murder,  (Exodus 20: 13, Deuteronomy 5: 17) 

Do not steal,  (Exodus 20: 15, Deuteronomy 5: 19) 

Do not accuse anyone falsely,  (Exodus 20: 16, Deuteronomy 5: 20) 

Respect your father and your mother.  (Exodus 20: 12, Deuteronomy 5: 16)  ”

Mark 3:

20  Then Jesus went home.  Again such a large crowd gathered that Jesus and his Disciples had no time to eat.  21  When his family heard about it, they set out to take charge of  him, because people were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

31  Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived.  They stood outside the house and sent in a message, asking for him.  32  A crowd was sitting around Jesus, and they said to him,

“Look, your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, and they want you.”

33  Jesus answered,

“Who is my mother?  Who are my brothers?”

34  He looked at the people sitting around him and said,

“Look!  Here are my mother and my brothers!  35  Whoever does what God want then to do is my brother, my sister, my mother.”

Luke 4:

38  Jesus left the Capernaum Synagogue and went to Simon’s home.  Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they spoke to Jesus about her.  39  He went and stood at her bedside and ordered the fever to leave her.  The fever left her, and she got up at once and began to wait on them.

Luke 7:

11  Soon afterward Jesus went to a town named Nain, accompanied by his Disciples and a large crowd.  12  Just as he arrived at the gate of the town, a funeral procession was coming out.

The dead man was the only so of a woman who was a widow, and a large crowd from the town was with her.  13  When the Lord saw her, his heart was filled with pity for her, and he said to her,

“Don’t cry.”

14  Then he walked over and touched the coffin, and the men carrying it stopped.  Jesus said,

“Young man!  Get up, I tell you!”

15  The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.  16  They all were filled with fear and praised God

Luke 18:

15  Some people brought their babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them.  The Disciples saw them and scolded them for doing so,  16  but Jesus called the children to him and said,

“Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  17  Remember this!  Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

John 19:

25 Standing close to Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  26  Jesus saw his mother and the Disciple he loved standing there, so he said to his mother,

“He is your son.”

27  Then he said to the Disciple,

“She is your mother.”

From that time the Disciple took her to live in his home.

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn

 “Now thank we all our God” 

[TiS106  AHB14  MHB10]

 A link to a YouTube clip is provided below:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR6Kajdtt3M&ab_channel=MartijndeGroot

Verse 1 of 3

Now thank we all our God

with heart and hands and voices,

who wondrous things has done,

in whom His World rejoices;

who, from our mother’s arms

has blessed us on our way

with countless gifts of love,

and still is ours today.

Verse 2 of 3

O may this bounteous God

through all our life be near us,

with ever joyful hearts

and blessed peace to cheer us.

And keep us in His grace,

and guide us when perplexed,

and free us from all ills

in this world and the next.

Verse 3 of 3

All praise and thanks to God

the Father now be given,

the Son, and Him who reigns

with Them in highest Heaven:

the one eternal God

whom Earth and Heaven adore,

for thus it was, is now,

and shall be evermore.

Martin Rinkart

translated by Catherine Winkworth

Sermon

In an effort to understand the origins of Mother’s Day, I made an enquiry on the matter in ‘the font of all knowledge’, Google.  I will read portions of articles from three websites.

  In 1858, Ann Jarvis, a young Appalachian homemaker, organized “Mother’s Work Days” to improve the sanitation and avert deaths from disease-bearing insects and seepage of polluted water.

  In 1872, Boston poet, pacifist and women’s suffragist, Julia Ward Howe, established a special day for mothers –and for peace– not long after the Franco-Prussian War.

  In 1905, when Ann Jarvis died, her daughter, Anna, decided to memorialize her mother’s lifelong activism, and began a campaign that culminated in 1914 when Congress passed a Mother’s Day resolution.

  Each of these three woman, and all of these events, have contributed to the present occasion now celebrated on the second Sunday in May.

  The cause of World peace was the impetus for Julia Ward Howe’s establishment, over a century ago, of a special day for mothers.  Following unsuccessful efforts to pull together an international pacifist conference after the Franco-Prussian War, Howe began to think of a global appeal to women.

“While the war was still in progress,” she wrote, she keenly felt the “cruel and unnecessary character of the contest.”  She believed, as any woman might, that it could have been settled without bloodshed.  And, she wondered, “Why do not the mothers of Mankind interfere in these matters to prevent the waste of that Human life of which they alone bear and know the cost?”

  Howe’s version of Mother’s Day, which served as an occasion for advocating peace, was held successfully in Boston and elsewhere for several years, but eventually lost popularity and disappeared from public notice in the years preceding World War I.

  For Ann Jarvis, also known as “Mother Jarvis,” community improvement by mothers was only a beginning.  Throughout the Civil War she organized women’s brigades, asking her workers to do all they could without regard for which side their men had chosen.  And, in 1868, she took the initiative to heal the bitter rifts between her Confederate and Union neighbours.

  The younger Anna Jarvis was only twelve years old in 1878 when she listened to her mother teach a Sunday School lesson on mothers in the Bible.  “I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial mother’s day,” the senior Jarvis said.  “There are many days for men, but none for mothers.”

  Following her mother’s death, Anna Jarvis embarked on a remarkable campaign.  She poured out a constant stream of letters to men of prominence — President William Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt among them — and enlisted considerable help from Philadelphia merchant John Wannamaker.

  By May of 1907, a Mother’s Day service had been arranged on the second Sunday in May at the Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, where Mother Jarvis had taught.  That same day a special service was held at the Wannamaker Auditorium in Philadelphia, which could seat no more than a third of the 15,000 people who showed up.

  The custom spread to churches in 45 states and in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Mexico and Canada.  The Governor of West Virginia proclaimed Mother’s Day in 1912; Pennsylvania’s governor in 1913 did the same.  The following year saw the Congressional Resolution, which was promptly signed by President Woodrow Wilson.

(https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/resources/commemorations/history-of-mothers-day/)

  But it was not until 1924, following the losses of World War I, that Mother’s Day was first held in Australia.

  Sydney woman Janet Heyden started the tradition after becoming concerned for the lonely, forgotten aged mothers at Newington State Hospital where she regularly visited a friend.  She successfully campaigned for local schools and businesses to donate gifts to the ladies.

  “There were so many mothers who were no longer mothers, so many wives who were now widowed because of WW1, and there were also so many women who never had the prospect of becoming mothers or wives because a whole generation had been wiped out in the trenches of the Western Front,” Emeritus Professor of Australian History at Sydney University, Professor Waterhouse said.

  It was during the 1920s that Mother’s Day became commercialised in the United States, with card companies like Hallmark and florists marketing gifts.  Cards and postcards became popular Mother’s Day gifts.

  Anna Jarvis was outraged and spent the rest of her life campaigning against the commercialisation of Mother’s Day, dying penniless and in a state of dementia in a sanatorium in 1948.

(https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-13/history-of-mothers-day-from-civil-war-to-family-reunions/8517898)

  Mother’s Day has endured.  It serves now, as it originally did, to recognize the contributions of women.  Mother’s Day is a chance for families to celebrate the mothers in their lives, to show your mum just how much you appreciate and love her for everything she’s done for you.  Mother’s Day, like the job of “mothering,” is varied and diverse.  Perhaps that’s only appropriate for a day honouring the multiple ways women find to nurture their families, and the ways in which so many have nurtured their communities, their countries, and the larger world.

(https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/resources/commemorations/history-of-mothers-day/)

  Now, I find such a background intriguing, because I have not previously heard anything of the impetus for the founding an annual “Mother’s Day”.  I find it intriguing that, originally, the concept of “Mother’s Day” was associated with an advocacy for reconciliation and peace within communities, and, more broadly, between Nations, an advocacy of a philosophy that held that disagreements on all and every level need to be settled without resorting to violence and warfare.  There was also an association with an advocacy for disease prevention and for improving social conditions.

  And the tragedy is that the “commercialisation” of “Mother’s Day”, from the 1920s to the present day, has altered this original impetus for celebrating this day.  The modern concept of celebrating the day as a way for showing our appreciation for “everything that a mother does for you” and to highlight “the value of mothering”, though honourable in itself, falls far short of what appears to be the original motivation for the day as expressed by Ann Jarvis, Julia Ward Howe, and Anna Jarvis.

  And I find it interesting that “by May of 1907, a Mother’s Day service had been arranged on the second Sunday in May at the Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, where Mother Jarvis had taught.”.  Now, why was it felt necessary to commemorate Mother’s Day with a worship service?  Unfortunately, I did not have the time to investigate this further, and the website that mentions this regular worship service on “Mother’s Day” did not seek to explain why Anna Jarvis sought for it to be held.

 In last weekend’s The Weekend Australian, in the Inquirer section of the paper, on page 39, is an article, originally from The Times newspaper, by a Damian Whitworth, on Robert

Harris, the author of the book Conclave, which is the basis for the recent movie by the same name.  In this article, Robert Harris is quoted as saying:

“The ultimate irony is, the last person that Pope Francis was photographed with was J D Vance (the USA Vice-President), who comes to Europe and lectured us on Christian ethics.  It looked to me like the Pope was quite aware of who he’d got in his room and was pretty keen to see the back of him.

Trump and Vance have launched an all-out assault on everything that the Christian message is.  I find it extraordinary that they say that we have turned our backs on our Christian heritage (which is) for the welcoming of strangers, the nurturing and nursing of the poor and the sick and the vulnerable.  We’re preached at by billionaires and tech bros without any apparent sense of irony.”

  Now, my aim today is not to talk about any statements by J D Vance or Donald Trump.  However I did find it interesting that, during the week, a MAGA influencer and political commentator, Laura Loomer, wrote a series of posts on the social platform X last Thursday, strongly criticizing the recently elected Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Prevost, in which she is quoted as stating:

“THIS IS THE NEW POPE!  His name is Robert Prevost.  He’s the first American Pope.  He is anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro-open Borders, and a total Marxist like Pope Francis.  Catholics don’t have anything good to look forward to.  Just another Marxist puppet in the Vatican,”.

(https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/marxist-pope-maga-rages-against-new-pope-for-being-critical-of-trump-s-policies/ar-AA1Eqgqv)

  It is slightly disconcerting that someone would label a Pope a Marxist, for in one of his publications Karl Marx wrote:

“Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.  The abolition of religion as the illusoryhappiness of the people is the demand for their realhappiness.”

(from the introduction of Marx’s work A Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right.)  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_of_the_people)

  So, it is incongruous that this Laura Loomer is calling the World leader of a Christian denomination a Marxist, when classical Marxism calls for the “abolition of religion”.  How can Pope Leo XIV, a religious leader, call for the abolition of the very position to which he has just been elected and which he has supported his whole adult life?  But I will let Laura mull that over in her conscience, and debate that with God on the Day of Judgement.

  What caught my attention in this article in the Weekend Australian was the way that Robert Harris brought up the two subjects of Christian ethics and the Christian heritage of welcoming, nurturing and nursing.  I thought that it would be worthwhile to look at Mother’s Day in the light of these subjects of Christian ethics and Christian heritage, specifically, what examples can we find in the Gospels of the teaching that Jesus gives about mothers, and what examples can we find in the Gospels of Jesus interacting specifically with mothers.  In this way we may gain a glimpse at a Christian perspective on Mother’s Day, specifically, showing our appreciation for “everything that a mother does for you” and highlighting “the value of mothering”.

In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke we have the incident of Jesus interacting with “the rich young ruler”.  In Luke’s account as we read in the Good News Version, he is called “a Jewish Leader”, who we read is “very rich”.  He comes to Jesus, we gather, with honesty and earnestness, because Jesus does not rebuke him nor criticise him.  He comes to Jesus seeking guidance on what he must do “to receive eternal life”  (Luke 18: 18)  , that is, to get right with God and live with the confidence that he is obeying God and worshipping in all that he does.

  Jesus instantly replies, “You know the commandments”.  (Luke 18: 20a) 

  Jesus then lists five of the ten Commandments.  He does not mention the first four Commandment which deal with the worship of God, because it is apparent that the man is a devout Jew, and there is no doubt that he worships God as these Commandments stipulate.  Jesus does not mention the tenth Commandment, which is about coveting what belongs to your neighbour, because it is apparent that the man is very rich and would have no cause to desire anything that belongs to anyone else, for his wealth enables him to obtain whatever he desires. 

  Jesus, in listing the five Commandments, is stating that obeying them leads to one living a pious life, one aligned to the will and purpose of God for your life.  And one of these relates to “respecting your father and your mother”.  Jesus is stating that “respecting your father and your mother” is a central aspect to living a “godly life”, obediently following God’s path of life, which was also the message of Moses  (Exodus 20: 12, Deuteronomy 5: 16)  , of the writers of the Proverbs  (Proverbs 1: 8, 6: 20, 23 22 & 25)  , and, later, also of Paul  (Ephesians 6: 1 – 3, Colossians 3: 21)  .

We have an account in Mark’s Gospel where the family of Jesus hear that he and his Disciples are so pre-occupied with the teaching and healing ministry of Jesus that they have “no time to eat their meals”  (Mark 3: 20)  .  So concerned is his mother, Mary, that she and the family journey to Capernaum to talk some sense into Jesus to take better care of himself.  When they arrive at the house in Capernaum at which Jesus is staying, they find it so full of people listening to the teaching of Jesus that they cannot enter.  So they pass in a message to Jesus informing him that they are waiting outside seeking to talk with him.

  Now, have already stated that “respect for your mother” is central aspect of living a godly life, one would expect that Jesus would have respectfully gotten up and ventured outside to respectfully converse with his mother.  But he does not!  He continues with his teaching.

  Does that mean that he is intentionally being disrespectful to his mother, in hypocritical contradiction to what he had previously said was so important for people to do.  No, for the message that he is conveying to his family, as well as to those listening to him, was that the need to obey God and to fulfill God’s call to you to preach about the Kingdom of God and to lead others to a clearer understanding about the Kingdom of God, may override any social or cultural or familial responsibilities.

  And, so Jesus states, that in the situation in which he was, at that particular time and place, those who were eagerly listening to his teaching had a higher priority for his time and energy than even conversing with his own mother.  Mark’s account does not inform us as to whether or not Mary and the family remained at Capernaum until Jesus had finished his teaching, at which time they could then speak with Jesus.  But, never-the-less, this may have been a tough lesson for Mary to learn, and would only have added to the anxiety she would have felt as to the unknown future which her son faced.

  But, this highlights a lesson for us, that the things of God outweigh the things of the World, that if we stop doing the things of God so as to obey the call of the World, obeying the social and cultural and familial expectations people have for us, we do so at our peril.

We read that during his ministry in Galilee, Jesus lived in Capernaum, in the house of Simon Peter and Andrew  (Mark 1: 29)  .  Matthew, Mark and Luke all record the occasion when Jesus returned to the house one day to be informed that Peter’s wife’s mother was so ill that she was confined to her bed  (Luke 4: 39a)  .  I prefer to refer to her as Peter’s wife’s mother and not as Peter’s mother-in-law, because doing so reminds us that Jesus interacted on a day-to-day basis with many people other than the twelve Disciples.  Included among these many other people were Peter’s wife and Peter’s wife’s mother.

  Three things are notable about this account.  Firstly, we see the compassion of Jesus.  This woman’s fever was severe that she was bedridden.  Upon being informed of her illness, Jesus didn’t defer taking any action so as to put his feet up for five minutes and rest after the effort of healing the man in the synagogue  (Luke 4: 35)  .  No, we read that Jesus acted immediately upon hearing the news, showing compassion for her need.

  Secondly, we see the power of Jesus.  Luke’s account reads that Jesus “ordered the fever to leave her, and the fever left her”  (Luke 4: 39b)  The healing was immediate.  Jesus demonstrated his unquestioned divine control over Creation by restoring her health.

  Thirdly, we read how complete was her healing, for “she got up at once and began to wait on them”  (Luke 4: 39c)  .  Now reading this may raise some concerns.  Why was she being allowed to do housework so soon after suffering such a severe illness?  Even at work you are allowed two days off without a Doctor’s certificate so as to allow yourself to recuperate

after an illness.  Why wasn’t Peter’s wife’s mother allowed to recuperate for a couple of days before she recommenced her housework?  The reason is that she didn’t need any time to recuperate because her healing was so complete.  She was rejuvenated in body, mind, and spirit, such that she immediately had the energy and vitality to recommence her household duties.  And this highlights what Jesus had accomplished for her.  Jesus didn’t just heal her illness, Jesus, in healing her so completely, had then enabled her to fulfill her familial and social and cultural responsibilities.  Jesus had enabled Peter’s wife’s mother to again feel useful, to again play her part in the nurturing of those in her household who were under her care.  How vital it is for a mother to undertake those duties for which she feels responsible and which enable her to contribute to the nurturing of those under her care.

On another occasion we read of Jesus and his Disciples and some other followers entering the town of Nain, to come face-to-face with a funeral procession.  The only son of a widow has died and was being taken to the cemetery for burial.  How did Jesus know this detail?  Perhaps he just did.  Perhaps he asked a bystander.  What is important is that Jesus not only saw her deep grief, but also her deep need.  Her grief was apparent for here was a mother who had experienced grief in the past when she had to bury her husband, and who was grieving a second time because she now had to bury her only son.  Her need may not have been as apparent, for, without a son, who was going to care for her in her old age?

  I believe that this was the reason why “his heart was filled with pity for her”  (Luke 7: 13)  .

  Did Jesus just look on, saying “Well, that’s the way things happen in the World in which we live.”?  No, Jesus saw a need and acted upon it, by raising her son from death.  Jesus saw the immediate grief and restored the close loving relationship between mother and son.  Jesus saw the future need and restored to life the one person who would take upon himself the duty to care for his mother in her old age.  The immediate need and the future duty are alive today as much as there were in the time of Jesus.  How much should we value the close loving relationship we have with our mother?  How much should we accept our duty to care for our mother in her old age, such that she received the same care which she has lavished upon us in our lifetime.

Matthew, Mark and Luke also record for us the brief account when some young children were brought to Jesus for him to bless them.  The Good News translation reads “some people” brought them along.  The King James version reads “they” brought along.  John Carrol, in his Commentary on Luke’s Gospel, writes that the word which is translated as people or they does not actually occur in the original text, being an “unexpressed subject of the verb”, meaning that the word does not occur in the original text but is inferred as being read into the text because the verb used in the text makes sense only if the word they or people is included in what is being read.  (John Carroll in Luke  A Commentary p361) 

  What this means is that mothers and fathers were bringing their children to Jesus before Jesus for him to bless them.  The passage involves the Disciples inappropriately being caught up with the common understanding that Jesus should not be bothered with socially insignificant children when there were other more important people upon which he could focus his limited time and energy.  There is also the focus on the need for our faith to be simple and uncomplicated, for our affection for God at work in the World to be as straightforward as the affection a child has for a parent.

  But there is a third consideration which is pertinent for Mother’s Day, in that Jesus was recognising that the mothers who were there with their children, were desiring something for their children that only Jesus could give to them, a blessing of divine goodness upon their children upon their future.  How could Jesus not respond to this desire of the mothers for their children to receive the best that they provide for them? 

  And do not mothers today also desire what is best for their children?  Do not mothers today seek God’s divine blessing upon their children, hoping for the best that they could provide for their children’s future?

At his crucifixion, Jesus had one last Earthly task to fulfill.  Being the eldest son, it was his duty to care for his mother, Mary.  Recognising his impending death there was an urgent need for him to pass this responsibility onto someone else.  And, so, we read of Jesus saying to Mary of John, “He is your son.”, and of saying to John of his mother Mary, “She is your mother.”  In doing so we see the affection that Jesus had for his mother, Mary, and the desire for her future care to be assured.  We also see Jesus fulfilling his social and cultural duty as a son.  May we, as children, display just such affection for our mothers, and do all we can to assure their care into the future.

  So, we gain this understanding that Jesus Christ, in his teaching and throughout his ministry, professed that value of welcoming, nurturing and the nursing of mothers, of showing our appreciation for “everything that a mother does for you” and to highlight “the value of mothering”.

Here is a poem that I read during the week.

“Of all the Earthly things God gives

there’s one above all others:

it is the precious, priceless gift

of loving Christian mothers.”

anonymous author

quoted in “Magnets and Mothers” by Richard De Haan

 in Our Daily Bread 10 May 2009

  May this be our inspiration today, on Mother’s Day.  Amen.

A Mothers Day Creed

(from South Yarra Presbyterian Church, author unknown)

  I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God who was born of the promise to a virgin named Mary.

  I believe in the love Mary gave her Son that caused her to follow Him in His ministry and stand by His cross as He died.

  I believe in the love of all Mothers, and its importance in the lives of their children.  It is stronger than steel, softer than down, and more resilient than a green sapling on the hillside.  It closes wounds, melts disappointments, and enables the weakest child to stand tall and straight in the fields of adversity.

  I believe that this love, even at its best, is only the shadow of the love of God, a dark reflection of all that we expect of Him in this life and the next.

  And I believe that one of the most beautiful sights in the world is a Mother who lets this greater love flow through her to her child, blessing the World with the tenderness of her touch and the tears of her joy.  Thank God for Mothers, and thank Mothers for helping us understand God!

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn “Sing praise to God who reigns above”

[ Tis 110  AHB27  MHB415]

A link to a YouTube clip is provided below:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEGQnIHHC_k

Verse 1 of 4

Sing praise to God who reigns above,

the God of all Creation,

the God of power, the God of love,

the God of our salvation;

with healing balm my soul He fills,

and every faithless murmur stills:

to God all praise and glory!

Verse 2 of 4

What God’s almighty power has made,

His gracious mercy keepeth,

by morning glow or evening shade,

His watchful eye ne’er sleepeth.

Within the Kingdom of His might

lo’ all is just and all is right:

to God all praise and glory!

Verse 3 of 4

The Lord is never far away,

but, through all grief distressing,

an ever-present help and stay,

our peace, and joy, and blessing;

as with a Mother’s tender hand

He leads His own, His chosen band:

to God all praise and glory!

Verse 4 of 4

Thus all my toilsome way along,

I sing aloud His praises;

that men may hear the grateful song

my voice unwearied raises.

Be joyful in the lord, my heart!

Both soul and body bear your part:

to God all praise and glory!

Johann Schultz

translated by Frances Cox

altered by Honor Thwaites

Offering

Offering Prayer    

Almighty God, as our response to your unending love we offer these gifts to you.  Bless and guide their use so that the message of your promise of reconciliation with God and fulfilment in life may be shared around the Globe, and give hope to those mired in desolation and despair.  To your glory we pray, Amen.

Prayers for Others

Gracious God, we express our grateful thanks for those Mothers who raised us, who held us and fed us, who cared for us and kissed away our pain.

We pray that our lives may reflect the love they have shown us.

We pray for Mothers whose children are grown,

grant them joy and satisfaction in how their children’s lives unfold.

We pray for those with adult children, but whose lives are still shaped by their children’s needs and cares,

grant them strength, patience and wisdom.

We pray for new Mothers experiencing changes they could not predict,

grant them rest and peace and confidence as the days unfold.

We pray for pregnant women who will soon be Mothers,

grant them patience and good counsel in the coming months.

We pray for Mothers who face the demands of single parenthood,

grant them strength and wisdom.

We pray for Mothers who enjoy financial abundance,

grant them time to share with their families.

We pray for Mothers who are raising their children in poverty,

grant them relief and justice.

We pray for the challenge of blended families, and those who take on the care of other’s children,

grant them patience and understanding and love.

We pray for Mothers who are separated from their children,

grant them faith and hope.

We pray for Mothers in marriages that are in crisis,

grant them support and insight.

We pray for Mothers who have lost children through illness, or death come too soon,

grant them comfort that their children are held in divine embrace.

We pray for Mothers in developing countries who die in childbirth due to inadequate maternal health care, or whose children die too young,

grant that generosity may abound, that money will be released for resources, and to attract skilled personnel who can support these women and children.

We pray for Mothers who gave up their children for adoption,

grant them peace and confidence that the children will be held in good care.

We pray for adoptive mothers,

grant them joy and gratitude for the gift of life entrusted to them.

We pray for women who think about being Mothers,

grant them wisdom and discernment.

We pray for women who desperately want, or wanted, to be Mothers,

grant them grace in their particular and often private sense of loss and grief, and hope.

We pray for all women who have assumed the Mother’s role in a child’s life,

grant them joy and the appreciation of others.

We pray for those people who are grieving the loss of their Mother in the past year,

grant them comfort, and confidence that loving continues in how we live our lives.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil,

For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,

Now and forever.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Hymn ‘Leaning on the everlasting arms’. A link to a YouTube clip is provided below, as well as the words:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pJQREGkVAs&ab_channel=TheVillageChapel

Verse 1 of 3

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,

leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,

leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

 Chorus

Leaning, leaning,

safe and secure from all alarms;

leaning, leaning,

leaning on the Everlasting Arms.

Verse 2 of 3

O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,

leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

O how bright the path grows from day to day,

leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

Chorus

Leaning, leaning,

safe and secure from all alarms;

leaning, leaning,

leaning on the Everlasting Arms.

Verse 3 of 3

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,

leaning on the Everlasting Arms?

I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,

leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

Chorus

Leaning, leaning,

safe and secure from all alarms;

leaning, leaning,

leaning on the Everlasting Arms.

Leaning, leaning,

safe and secure from all alarms;

leaning, leaning,

leaning on the Everlasting Arms.

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.

Anthony J. Showalter and Elisha Hoffman

Arrangement by: Zach White

Benediction    

Mother is a word called love and all the world is mindful of

the love that’s given and shown to others is different from the love of Mothers.

For Mothers play the leading roles in giving birth to little souls,

for though small souls are Heaven-sent and we realize they’re only lent,

it takes a mother’s loving hands and her gentle heart that understands

to mould and shape this little life and shelter it through storm and strife.

So mothers are a special race God sent to Earth to take His place,

and mother is a lovely name that even saints are proud to claim.

And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you always.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Benediction Song.

“May the grace of Christ our Saviour” 

Hymns and Songs number 45  AHB373  TiS777

A link to a YouTube clip of the song is provided below:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdWpddjTsmw&ab_channel=ChetValleyChurches

Verse 1 of 2

May the grace of Christ our Saviour

and the Father’s boundless love

with the Holy Spirit’s favour

rest upon us from above.

Verse 2 of 2

Thus may we abide in union

with each other and the Lord,

and possess in sweet communion

joys which Earth cannot afford.

John Newton