Kempsey Baptist - Mother's Day

Mother’s Day

Kempsey Baptist Church

Sunday 10 May 2015

Good morning, let us come to God in Prayer.

Creator and maker of us all - bless the words of my lips and the meditations of our hearts - grow thou in us and show us your ways and inspire us to live by your truth.  Amen

Bible Readings: Ruth 1:1-22 (New Living Translation)

Elimelech Moves His Family to Moab

1 In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. ² The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there.

³ Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. ⁴ The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, ⁵ both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband.

Naomi and Ruth Return

⁶ Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. ⁷ With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah.

⁸ But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. ⁹ May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept.
¹⁰ “No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.”
¹¹ But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? ¹² No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? ¹³ Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.”
¹⁴ And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. ¹⁵ “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.”
¹⁶ But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. ¹⁷ Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” ¹⁸ When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.
¹⁹ So the two of them continued on their journey. When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. “Is it really Naomi?” the women asked.
²⁰ “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara,^[a] for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. ²¹ I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer^[b] and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?”
²² So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Prayers for Mothers

O Loving Lord,
You have created mothers in love and blessed them with children.
As they work tirelessly to support their families may they be showered with your blessings?
Give mothers strength to exercise compassion as they live each day under your care.
May those who are joined in your love, support mothers by their fervour of spirit and devotion to prayer.
Amen

We thank you, O Lord, for the gift of Motherhood.
May those blessed with children be granted the gifts of courage, perseverance and good health?
May they face each new day with faith and hope in your abiding love.
May all families find in the strength of your love
The priceless gift of peace
And so bear witness to your glory.
Amen


As Mary was the model of prayer, of love, and of obedience to the will of God, by your grace makes mothers holy and rich with your gifts.
Bind families together in the bonds of peace and safety so that mothers will feel nurtured by love.
May all mothers enjoy good health and spiritual wellbeing to enable them to care for their families?
(Source: Written by Bishop Kevin Manning, Parramatta Diocese).

Today we pause to say thank you to mothers and to shower them with a gift. As I began my search for today, I search the scriptures and especially books of the Bible about womanhood. I selected Ruth as a springboard about Mothers. Today is no more spiritual than any other day but it is a cultural significant day in our community. As part of remembering mothers and motherhood, I will share some experiences as they are exposed to various incidents.

The History of Mother’s Day
Mothers’ Day is a popular practice which originate in America and come to dominate in the general community during the American Civil War when Mrs Anna Reeves Jarvis organised a special day for mothers fighting on both the opposing sides. Mrs Anna Reese Jarvis had been the daughter of a pastor and had taught in a Methodist Sunday school at Grafton, West Virginia.  Jarvis advocated for children’s health and welfare and promoted peace in a community torn by political rivalries. Mrs Jarvis died in 1905. Two years later, Sunday school superintendent of her Grafton congregation Anna to help him arrange a memorial for the woman who had been so influential in that church. This set Anna thinking. It seemed to her that children often do not do enough to show their moms that they appreciate them while they are still alive. The white carnations had been her mom’s favourite flower. Mrs Anna Reese Jarvis is one of three women who wanted to recognize the role of mothers. From that event in 1908 and six years later, Mother’s Day became part of United States observance. On 9 May 1915 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mothers’ Day.

·        These were women that had a strong sense for the pain in the world.  What would they think of the sentimentality of the day they helped create?  They understood pain in the world as only a mother could.  Their sons’ bodies were sacrificed on the altar of war.  Their sons had missing limbs, broken bodies and shattered spirits.  Their sons abused alcohol, wasted their income, their time, and their energy on the promise of an empty bottle. Their daughters lived with terror of domestic violence.  Their sons and daughters died slowly of disease.  They were mothers – not just of the offspring they raised – but of all children.

·        It was in the midst of this pain that they stood.  Out of the ashes of war, out of the shadow of abuse and alcohol, out of the despair of disease, the mothers stood.  They were angry with the state of the world, and wanted a day to recognize the power of mercy and love.  They wanted a day to recognize the power of women – mothers – to make a change in the world.

Here in Australia, Mothers’ Day was first celebrated in 1920 at the Presbyterian Church, Burwood, NSW according to Rev Dr David Beswick – PhD. (social psychology) and retired Uniting Church Minister.
David raise an important question, should the church go along with this kind of community practice? He warns of commercial exploitation which I will mention can occur at Christmas and Easter events, “provided that it is kept in perspective and does not become a burden”.
We are clearly instructed from both the Old & New Testament to honour & care for your mother

·        For God said, ‘Honour your father and your mother,’ and ‘whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ Matthew 15:4

·        Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20.15

·        Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister (aunty), Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciples whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own house. John 19:25-27

Biblical Experience of a Mother (Naomi) Ruth 1
Most mothers in the scriptures are confronted by tragedy and in the book of Ruth amongst the section we refer to as the Hebrew judges. We pick up the story of Elimelech with his wife Naomi and two sons Mahlon and Kilion who was faced with a severe famine.  Elimelech moved his family from Bethlehem in the land of Judah to the country of Moab. Did he have permission from the rulers of Judah to migrate to Moab because of hardship? We do not know.
They have relocated to Moab; settle down to a new life. The sons Mahlon and Kilion married Moabite women Orpah and Ruth. Everything was rosy and travelling smoothly, the famine behind them but tragedy will strict the family. First Elimelech dies, which leaves Naomi with her two sons. Then 10 years on the sons dies and that leaves Naomi with two daughters-in-law Orpah and Ruth.
The effects of the tragedies that struck Naomi were death on death. Her family is almost gone except for the daughters-in-law. Her kinfolks were in Judah and so she set off the journey home with Orpah and Ruth but when Naomi offered them to return to their mothers. Only Orpah accepted to return and Ruth continue with Naomi. We know the story of Ruth who married Boaz and became great grandparents to King David and to Jesus heritage. Out of tragedy came the line for the Messiah the redeemer for humanity.
Naomi understood that her security and care would come from her kinsfolk in Judah. Despite the difficulties experienced and the blessing enjoyed, Naomi remain faithful to her God.

My Experiences
Mother’s Day brings many memories, both good and bad. My first 15 years was spent in either Church or State run children welfare homes which I believe that God predestine for my life but I also experience my biological parent’s interaction at various times through schedule visit. In this time I experienced five house-mothers who had motherhood responsibility on my growing up through guidance, protection in providing a guardian role.
When I reach 15 years old, I entered community life living with foster parents, who were blue collar working family, which both work. A new experience for me experience in adjusting and adaption to a foster mother and father. They provided a new social experience with less regulate lifestyle.
While this adjustment was taking place, I had regular contact through letter writing with my biological mother’s mother and my father’s sister. My biological family has always been around and I felt blessed by God that I had 2 families which provided motherhood over my life.

Other Mothers’ Experiences

Rose in Northern Uganda
As a member of TEAR Australia, I will share a story about Rose in Northern Uganda with a partner organisation, the Pentecostal Assembly of God Kabermaido Mission Development Program.
Rose is an illiterate grandmother who has raised 10 children and has 24 grandchildren. Because of her mothering skills, she wanted to learn how to be a more productive member in society and church. She joined the development program and she had to learn was the sacrifice of time. Rose states that before joining the Functional Adult Literacy classes that she did not know to take care of her family’s health, general family’ hygiene. The training has helped her to influence her family through the literacy learning. Rose is now not only influencing her family but has become a church leader and work for peace in the community.
As a mother she has learnt that there are other mothers also struggling and as a group through planning together they could collect money and buy goats. Her confidence grew in speaking to other people. Learn how to plant fruit trees and sell the fruit in the marketplace. What we take for granted is the toilet and a bathroom, over there she learnt about constructing a latrine, use a rake to keep the latrine clean and a bath shelter.
Her husband was supportive of her learning new skills and they are more a team through the development program. Her relationship with her husband has improved; they planned together as a team.
Rose has gone on to learn about income generation and group’s dynamics. Throughout her learning, Rose central focus has been her family and to pass on the knowledge she has gained.

Debra an Author
Another mother experience recently captures in The Age newspaper on 28 March under the title, the mother of all experiences. The article list 3 experiences and I share one of them an author of novel The Household Guide to Dying name Debra. Debra is a mother of three children reflects on the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 last July when Mo, Evie and Otis Maslin dropped out of the Ukrainian sky. This is a tragedy that left a vast hole forever in their family. Debra states that she is ‘not the only person who wondered how their parents would cope.

·        Debra through her experience writes, “I don’t understand when people say parenting didn’t change them. And I don’t get it when I see parents (yes, often men) who lives indeed seem unchanged. Being a mother changed me profoundly. For the first time in my live and ever since, I understood that I had a truly serious and sometimes frightening responsibility: from the time they were babies, I had to protect these people”.

·        A reflection on the parents who lost the three children I have mention, Debra writes, I kept asking myself this as I watched obsessively, the TV coverage. How did they stand there calm and dignified, talking about their beautiful cherished children who were now gone forever? If my children were killed suddenly in such circumstances – I expect I would still limp on through life, but if they were as young as the Maslins, then perhaps like that other mother I would want to kill myself, too.

Debra reflection as a mother in the midst of this terrible tragedy is to hold her own children tight, all of them at once.

A reflection from an orphan
There was a boy born in the Arabian Desert about 1400 years ago. Let’s call him Mo. Even before Mo was born, his father Abdullah died; so, he never met his father. The only parent Mo knew was his mother, Aminah.  Sadly, her husband’s sudden death threw Aminah into a severe depression. The only light left in her eyes was for her little Mo.
Mo mother died when he was 6 year old and now he is an orphan. He was bounced around between other relatives as his family fell on even harsher times and eventually ended up with his uncle Abu Talib. The extended family took care of him under the tradition of the society which now had to provide both motherhood and fatherhood.
His uncle took him in as a son, instructed him in the family business and taught him etiquette and integrity. Mo sensed that he was called to be radical and revolutionary agent in his society. His uncle protected Mo, like a mother bird. He encourages him to be courageous when he was afraid and to stand up for the weak and vulnerable.
Let us remember also that many of those who mother us are not our biological mothers, they don’t even have to be women. I for one fall into that category as a child I was raised up in institutional care until I was 15 years old.
The orphan child Mo in this story was Mohammad whose motherhood was experience to him by his uncle Abu as his comforter, protector and friend.

On Facebook update from a friend, Elizabeth watching Jack her son 8 years old compete in his first cross country run. He finished in to top half running almost all the way. It was an awesome effort for his first long distance run.

Conclusion
As we remember our mothers today and I pray the experiences mothers endure like Naomi in the book of Ruth, the tragedies of death and the blessing that flowed. Our own experiences and the traditions we have come to accept within our society. The struggle of an illiterate grandmother Rose for a better tomorrow through the help of a development program, which help not only for herself but to her family and community in Northern Uganda. A mother Debra who is an author, which came to terms around the tragedy of flight MH17 where 3 children were lost. Also hearing about a child Mohammed, who became an orphan through the death of his parents and lived with his uncle. His uncle was the substitute mother in his life.
In closing the book Ruth teaches us some basic lessons of relationship with God.

1.     Earthly Spirituality: Because of Naomi relationship with God, Ruth had learned enough to say “Your God will be my God.”  In the ordinary, everyday events of life and relate in the light of the love of God and what we believe. This is commonly referred to the word and deed (action) of our faith. We need to look at our faith through practical eyes and ask ourselves how what we believe should impact how we live. Today we have tended to keep them separate and not joined at the hip.

2.     Obedience: In our practice we tended to add conditions and clauses why not but Ruth obedience to Naomi instruction highlights the pattern of obedience, “All that you tell me I will do.” This should be our model of faith in our life.

3.     Love your neighbour: Boaz looked at a foreign woman whose people (Moabites) were sworn enemies of Israel, and he said, she is my neighbour. Boaz showed it through simple acts of kindness.

Mothers quite often demonstrate earthly spirituality, obedience and love your neighbours in the family unit and strive to protect but as man, today we honour our mothers.
Remember the words of William Wordsworth, “The best portion of a good man’s life, his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.”

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good;

And what doest the Lord require of you

But to do justice, to love kindness,

And to walk humbly with your God?

Let me pray:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for designing families. Thanks for the care and devotion of our mothers, despite their imperfections. We are grateful for the many ways your love and goodness has been shown to us through our mother and mother figures. Help each mum and those who have mothering roles today to feel appreciated and loved, and to grow in their relationship with you. We asked though Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.