I think we had a pretty laid back simple Mother’s Day combined with Pentecost themed Sunday Worship today. Before the we ended with the blessing, I got all the mothers present to come forward for a present and prayer of appreciation.
Uncle Long our most senior member of the church and also my father in-law gave away the gifts to all the moms!
I know we do this every year, and maybe we always scratch out heads to figure out what to get for the mothers and how we show our appreciation. But no matter what, I believe it’s an important ritual. And this year, it’s unique and special since it coincided with Pentecost Sunday!
During my sermon I incorporated this liturgy which I thought was awesome from Worship Ways, United Church of Christ entitled "Radical Mothers’ Day,". Here’s the liturgy we used. Many thanks to Ann L. Hanson, Minister for Sexuality Education and Justice,
Justice and Witness Ministries, a Covenanted Ministry of the UCC, who wrote the liturgy.
The Year 2008 is the 150th anniversary of Mothers’ Day in the United States. Coinciding this year with Pentecost, it is a moment to remind ourselves of the radical roots of Mothers’ Day, which began in rural West Virginia as a social change movement . Anna Reeves Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker, organized a day to raise awareness of poor health conditions in her community, a cause she believed would be best advocated by mothers. She called it "Mother’s Work Day." She continued organizing throughout the years of the Civil War, working with women on both sides of the conflict to encourage more adequate care for all the wounded, and later working for reconciliation between Union and Confederate neighbors.
Fifteen years later, Julia Ward Howe, a Boston poet, pacifist, suffragist, and author of the lyrics to the "Battle Hymn of the Republic," wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation” calling for a “Mothers’ Day for Peace,” to work for peace and disarmament.
Leader: On the day of Pentecost, followers of Jesus gathered,
including many women:
All: Mary, the mother of Jesus,
Mary Magdalene, Mary and Martha,
Salome, Susanna, Joanna,
the Canaanite woman and her daughter,
the Samaritan woman, Philip’s four daughters,
Peter’s mother-in law,
women who had been healed or touched by Jesus and many, many more.
Leader: As the Spirit fell upon them,
all hearts were opened and they began to prophesy:
All: Some used the utterance of wisdom,
another the gift of knowledge,
others became healers and interpreters of tongues.
All used their gifts for the common good.
In the presence of the Spirit, in the power of Pentecost love,
they proclaimed a vision of God’s shalom.
Leader: Today, we remember the women of history
who have been moved by the Spirit
to proclaim and live out God’s vision of peace with justice:
(Let us lift up the names of women who have worked for justice and peace to honor on this Mother’s Day)
All: May your daughters prophesy justice and your sons dream peace!
Leader: On this Mother’s Day, let us lift up the names of women
in our own lives who have mothered us and
witnessed to us the power of love and the Spirit:
(you are invited to lift up the names of women who have nurtured your life
and educated you in faith)
All: May your daughters prophesy justice and your sons dream peace!
Leader: As it happened on the day of Pentecost,
let the Spirit come upon us as we go about our ministry together,
today and always.
All: Amen!
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