Hi everyone,
Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers, all you who have mothers, and all you who wish to celebrate this day! For the rest of you… um… hi.
I don’t know if I’ve ever shared with any of you this, but Mother’s Day brings me stress. I know, I know, it’s not about me, but that is exactly the part that stresses me out. Not because I need it to be about me, but because I’m afraid that I won’t/can’t/am unable to properly show enough appreciation for the mother of my children, my own mother, and all those who exude these motherly qualities and help to make the world a better place.
But as one of you mentioned to me today, “it’s always Mother’s Day… every day”. And it’s true, we needn’t wait for a specific day to show our appreciation. We needn’t reserve this time only to treat our mothers special. We needn’t wait for this kind of reason to display our love and affection.
Rather this mutuality in respect and regard is part of us. As a community, as a church, as a people of God. This kind of love joins us together and gives us life. This is how our joy is made complete.
So let us remember our mothers (both biological and otherwise), let us remember those who care for us and help to shape us to be who we are, let us remember those we love and who love us. Not just on Mother’s Day, but everyday.
Here are the readings for next week:
Ezekiel 37:1-14
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Acts 2:1-21
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
Next week is Pentecost Sunday, when we remember and commemorate the Holy Spirit entering our lives in a very flashy way. Those of you who are very well versed on the Lectionary that we follow will see that these are actually the alternate readings for the day, instead of the regularly prescribed readings (which is just the addition of Romans 8:22-27, you can still read that if you wish). I chose the alternate readings (which is basically just the Ezekiel passage), because there is something about that life being breathed in death that really screams “Pentecost” to me.
Because Pentecost is about life. The Spirit is about community. Our faith moves us to serve, to life for the other, to love as we have been loved.
While Mother’s Day isn’t really a Christian holiday, it does remind us of these principles that we are taught and are a part of us. The idea of respect, appreciation, and love as we have been loved is a very Christian idea and one that is held up on this day. This is the Spirit moving through us, connecting us, and strengthening us to be God’s people in the world.
So on this Mother’s Day, on this day that reminds us how we can treat others every day, let us be reminded of our mothering God who lifts us up, breathes life into us, and joins us together as a community.
Thanks be to God! Have a great week, everyone!
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash