Those
who have been part of the congregation for a few years will know I don’t do
Mother’s Day in church. In the online
discussion groups for Ministers this week, lots of comments about what, or what
not, to do with Mother’s Day as far as worship is concerned.
Then
I saw the reading from Romans – Paul is one of my least favourite writers to
preach on. So I did wonder about finding a cute video of kittens playing –
every Ministers go to for getting out of preaching J - and ignore both Paul and Mother’s Day.
We’ll
start with Paul.
Paul
is writing to a group of Christians he
has not met, he has heard about them, but hasn’t met them. And he writes of how suffering produces
endurance, endurance produces character and character produces hope.
Creative
reading:[from Spill the Beans]
……………….
Paul
writes of Hope – hope that comes from suffering and endurance, this isn’t
hoping for a fine day to get the washing dry, or hoping to lose a few kilos to
fit into an outfit; this is hope in
Jesus, assurance that we are Gods precious people. This isn’t wishful thinking, this is
certainty in the face of persecution,
faith in the face of death. This is hope based on our knowing that we
are reconciled to God. The language of Paul can be difficult for our modern ears,
but one thing to remember with Paul is that he is not writing about justification
from a judicial perspective, but from a
relational viewpoint.
Paul
writes of reconciliation, not retribution or revenge.
we
will now see a video, it starts with an outline of the beginnings of Mother’s
day, then tells some stories of women.
Video 7
minutes
[Mother's Day proclamation and stories from women such as Sojourner Truth]
I
am amazed at the stories of these women, and their willingness to suffer, to
endure, and to live in hope – not hoping for a fine day, but hoping to a world
transformed.
For
me that is one of the great messages of Christianity, that life can be
different, that we can be transformed. Again not an individually focused I want
to be 20 kilos lighter, but a transforming the world to make it a better place
for all people, in spite of the personal cost.
During
Lent we looked at some readings about the Kingdom of God, and what it might be
like – a kingdom of hope, peace, joy and love, a kingdom without poverty and
oppression. A Kingdom where all are loved, cared for, fed and clothed, where
everyone has the opportunity for a healthy life and appropriate work.
While
this video focuses on mothers, it is a reminder of what one person can do, with
some passion and hope – hope that is lived out of a strength that comes from
outside ourselves – we would call it the Spirit.
I am sure
we could think of other examples of people who have placed there hope in something
greater than themselves, who have faced hardship, persecution even, not for
themselves, or even their own family, but for the sake of the world for which Christ
died.
PPT
image : “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious
life?”
― Mary Oliver
― Mary Oliver
