Get Your Resume Ready
... and your church will get the U-haul if you do not recognize mothers on Mother's Day!
At least, that's what I've been told.
Mother's Day is a very special day in our church. We take time to honor the oldest (or should I say, the most seasoned) mom and the mom with the most children. A sermon usually commences on the subjects of the glory of God in the gifts of mothers. After the invitation time, we have a Parent-Child Dedication to honor all the new babies and the children who have not yet been dedicated by their parents to the Lord.
What do you do for Mother's Day? Do you feel compelled to preach a sermon dealing with Moms? Do you honor moms in the way I've outlined above? I'd like to hear your thoughts.
I'll post some conclusions I've come to on Monday.
At least, that's what I've been told.
Mother's Day is a very special day in our church. We take time to honor the oldest (or should I say, the most seasoned) mom and the mom with the most children. A sermon usually commences on the subjects of the glory of God in the gifts of mothers. After the invitation time, we have a Parent-Child Dedication to honor all the new babies and the children who have not yet been dedicated by their parents to the Lord.
What do you do for Mother's Day? Do you feel compelled to preach a sermon dealing with Moms? Do you honor moms in the way I've outlined above? I'd like to hear your thoughts.
I'll post some conclusions I've come to on Monday.
posted by Matthew R. Perry at 5/13/2006 11:09:00 AM
3 Comments:
One thing ministers need to keep in mind is that Mothers Day can be a very sorrowful day for couples--especially women--who are faced with infertility. A significant number of women suffer quietly with hurt and anger over the inability to conceive. For many of them, the tired old "oldest mother, newest mother" routine is merely rubbing salt in a very painful wound. There have been some years that my wife has chosen not to go to church on Mothers Day. Others years she has gone and wept as mothers were honored, wishing she could join in with that, too. And some years she has been fine--she never is sure how she will react.
No doubt this year will be somehow different as we've started the process to adopt. However, I think that the average church does not usually think about those who cannot have children and how these yearly ceremonies affect them. I'm not saying we shouldn't have them, but we should be sensitive to the hurts in the congregation and be quick to minister to all those in need. Simple awareness of this can be very helpful. We need to be careful not to communicate that motherhood somehow completes a woman. As significant as motherhood is, some women will have to find fulfillment in other ways.
Here's a link to a poem that my wife wrote expressing her feelings: http://homepage.mac.com/rmansfield/thislamp/cwriting/page14/page14.html
A good, good word, Rick. Last year, we did set aside a special time of prayer for those who are struggling with infertility or with those who have lost children --- and there are a number here in this church. One mother lost her first child six months along in the pregnancy. She did not come for Mother's Day, but we did have a word of prayer for those in her situation.
Sometimes, even those traditions need to be re-evaluated, yes?
I think that's very admirable for you and your church to remember all the women. Yesterday, was one of the most positive Mothers Day services for my wife ever because we have started the adoption process. She said that she has something to look forward to.
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