Loving God, you come to us in all of our different circumstances and address us with your love for us through Christ. Enable each one of us to hear your word for us this day, and bind us together by the power of your Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The cynical side of me has sometimes believed that Mother's Day, and perhaps Father's Day, too, were probably established by Hallmark or Carlton or some other greeting card company (or maybe even by the post office, seeing as it is one of the busiest weeks for mail). However, this year I did a little bit of research into the origins of Mother's Day and discovered that there are more religious connections than you might have thought. The earliest celebrations of Mother's Day are attributed to the Greeks, who held a festival in honour of Rhea, the mother of the gods. However, a Christian celebration was established in the 1600's in England. It continues to be called "Mothering Sunday," and is celebrated on the Fourth Sunday in Lent every year. Of course, here we celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May, a practice which comes to us from the United States. It was 1914 when Mother's Day was established as a holiday by presidential proclamation south of the border.

Now, although I will not quibble with the fact that mothers need to be honoured for their work and their service and their love in nurturing their children, it remains a challenging day for preachers. First of all, the readings quite often have little or nothing to do with Mother's Day. Secondly, there is no "one size fits all" message for the day. Some people will be depressed because they miss their mothers or perhaps never even knew their mothers. Others will be sorrowful because they are childless. Others will be exasperated over what to do about their exceedingly difficult mothers, while still others will be feeling thankful and blessed for all the good things that they have received from their mothers. And so how is the gospel of Jesus Christ to be expressed in such a way that every person is addressed where they are?

It seems to me that the key for every person, no matter what their situation, emerges from our readings for today, and that key is to abide in Christ. You can think of abiding in Christ as kind of like being rooted in Christ. One image that comes to mind is imagining ourselves to be planted in the soil with this large, leafy green plant growing up on both sides of us. That plant is Christ and we are both rooted in him and surrounded by his presence and his life. This is us abiding in Christ. Another image might be that of the light of Christ within our soul or our inner being, always exerting his power and energy within us. This is Christ abiding in us. Another image might be imagining ourselves knit together into the body of Christ by the power of the Spirit, and then taking our direction from Christ, who is the head. This is us abiding in Christ and Christ abiding in us.

And so, a word about abiding in Christ for those who find the day to be depressing or sorrowful: You are not alone! You are knit together into the body of Christ. As such, you are connected to all those, living or dead, who are part of the communion of saints. You are not alone in the presence of God. You gather with your brothers and sisters in Christ. As such, in the family of God, you have many mothers and brothers and sisters. Jesus made it clear that "whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother" (Mk. 3:35). He also spoke to those who had left behind their fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers and children for the sake of the gospel. He spoke about how they would have many mothers and brothers and sisters and children because of their participation in the family of God (Mk. 10:29-30). And so those of you who maybe don't have any children of your own - in God's family, you are responsible for many children! And so abide in Christ. You are not alone.

And now, a word about abiding in Christ for mothers. Root yourselves firmly in Christ. Let all that you do flow out of your relationship with God, for the fruit of the Spirit includes love and joy and peace and patience (Gal. 5:22). There will be days when you feel as if you have no strength left. Sink your roots deep into Christ, for there is strength and life and love to be found in him. It is a high office to which you have been called, and the best thing that you could ever pass on to your children is a living faith in Jesus Christ. Certainly, you do this by example, but remember that it is the Holy Spirit who works through you. It is the Holy Spirit who teaches you to abide in Christ, and it is the Holy Spirit who works faith in your heart and in the hearts of your children. And so love as God has first loved you, and let all that you do flow out of loving God above all else. Abide in Christ, and the Spirit will work through you.

And now, a word about abiding in Christ for those who are frustrated with their mothers. Once again, let all that you do flow out of your relationship with God, and root yourselves firmly in Christ. Do what you can for your mother, honour and respect her, but never allow what your mother wants to become more important than the will of God. There is one incident recorded in the gospels where Jesus' mother and brothers and sisters demand to see him and even try to stop him from teaching because they think he is out of his mind (Mk. 3). However, Jesus knows that their demands are actually in opposition to what God has in mind for him, and so his teaching and healing continue to come first. Yet, Jesus, as the first born son, does not neglect his duties to his mother, and makes sure that one of his disciples will look after her following Jesus' death on the cross.

Now, of course, it is not always so easy for us to know what the will of God is in every situation. However, if somebody is causing injury or harm either to themselves or to another person, this is not the will of God. If somebody is treating another person as their own personal slave, this is not the will of God. If somebody is putting their self above all else rather than God above all else, this is not the will of God. Let all that you do flow out of your relationship with God, and root yourselves firmly in Christ. Abide in Christ, and pray for the gift of discernment!

Finally, a word about abiding in Christ for those who know that they have been blessed through their mothers. Above all, be thankful. If you are still able to communicate with your mother, let her know what you appreciate about her. Let her know how you have been blessed through her. And even if you are no longer able to tell your mother these things, offer a prayer of thanksgiving. Keep yourselves rooted in Christ, and be mindful of the good things that you have been given that you are now able to pass on to others - whether to your own children or to the people around you who are in need. Love as God has first loved you, and be a blessing to others, just as you have first been blessed.

And so the message for all of us, regardless of our situation, is to abide in Christ and abide in the love of God. Keep yourselves rooted in Christ, surrounded by his life and his presence. Let the light of Christ shine within you, and shine in such a way that others will give glory to God. Allow yourselves to be knit together into the body of Christ, woven together by the power of the Spirit and directed by Christ, who is the head. Finally, give thanks for the love that God has revealed for us, granting us forgiveness and eternal life through his Son, Jesus Christ. We have, indeed, been blessed and loved in Christ. Thanks be to God! - Oh - and happy Mother's Day! Amen.

Easter 5(B) [Mother's Day] 1 John 4:7-21
May 14, 2006 John 15:1-8
St. Luke's Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison Moore
? 2006 Lynne Hutchison Moore All Rights Reserved