Sunday, May 9, 2021: Mother's Day

CALL TO WORSHIP
Psalm 51

MUSIC
Curated by Nathan Gutzmann
Bethel Music - Raise A Hallelujah
Hillsong Worship - It Is Well With My Soul
Bethel Music - Goodness of God
Bethel Music - Sing His Praise Again

MOTHER’S DAY PRAYER
On this mothers day, we acknowledge that the word mother is… a loaded term.
In all our differences and similarities - we come to this day with a myriad of emotions.

Of course, Mother’s Day can be a day to honour a maternal, resilient love that has shaped so many of our lives. An unquestionable love that forms the soil on which our world blooms out of.

But also, this Mother's Day finds us still isolated as we name that another year has gone by and we live the strain of irretrievable time. We have missed milestones. We have gaps where memories should be.

And still, through the stories of the scriptures, we notice that the term “mother” can carry all of our stories.

Sarah - the trusting mother spent waiting on promises of a child
Hagar - the vulnerable mother, victim to systemic injustices and oppression
Leah and Rachel - the stigmatized mothers burdened with life-altering decisions
Naomi and Ruth - the displaced mothers whose love transcends generations and blood-lines
Mary - the sacrificial mother, birthing the one who showed us just how to live and care for one another.

Wherever you find yourself in these narratives, may you always be met with the knowledge that you are beloved, nurtured and celebrated.

Please join me in a prayer for Mother’s Day. :
Mothering God,
We thank you for the many ways the word mom has found meaning in our lives
A nurturer capable of mending tattered clothes,
and broken hearts when we need healing.
A source of unconditional love
even when tired, reluctant and weary.
An encourager that lifts us up
High enough to shatter the glass ceilings that limit us,
Lord, we give thanks for the ways our mothers show us that helplessness and strength can live in tandem.

Loving God,
We thank you for the many forms a mother takes,
For the aunties, cousins, sisters and friends
who stepped into the gaps when necessary,
For the adopting and fostering moms -
showing us that love, care and presence is what a child has always needed.
For the ones who wear many hats -
The caregiver, protector, teacher and confidant
Lord, we give thanks for the ways our mothers shows us that uncertainty and wholehearted trust can live in tandem.

Comforting God,
We ask for your peace in the lives of so many,
For moms who've experienced loss - may we always honour their motherhood
For the children who've experienced loss - may we always hold them in their grief
For those with strained maternal relationships - may we continue to sustain them through community
For those who chose to redefine motherhood on their own terms - may we we continue to make room for their stories

God our Mother,
Help us to continuously strive towards a world
Where we can care for the next generation in peace
Free from the fear, hunger and violence that threaten the lives of too many.
May this mothers day be a time where love and tenderness thrives,
Where the care you created us with lives boldly in the soul of humanity.

Lord hear this prayer,
Amen.