Presented by Rev’d Dr Emma Pennington at St Mary’s, Garsington on 6th March 2016.
Readings: Colossians 3:12-17, John 19:25b-27.
Today has become a day on which we thank our mothers for how much they love us and show this love in very practical ways. It is Mother’s Day!
But traditionally today had a slightly different meaning. It is Refreshment Sunday, a break from the Lentern fast and a chance to have the day off to go to your home or mother church. It is Mothering Sunday.
We often speak about the members of the church as being a family. In our gospel reading Jesus emphasizes this when he actually redefines the role between Mary and the beloved disciple. They are to become mother and son. Jesus wants us a mother church to be like this to each other – a family.
Paul gives us an image of what we are to be like with each other so that we can walk the path of faith together. Let’s think about this a little deeper.
Invite the children to come up the front and ask them to use their imaginations and imagine the nave aisle is a road, the road of faith. Invite them to go down the road in any way they wish, running, dancing, backward etc. Point out how we are all individuals on the path of faith.
This is great but we are quite separate and we can bump into each other. Let’s see what happens when we add a little love that binds us all together.
Then tie the children’s legs together in a three legged fashion and ask them to walk down the path again.
Now the children are walking together, they go a bit slower but are much more aware of each other because they are bound to each other by cords of love. When someone falls over they have someone to help them up and are more aware of when they slip each other up.
So we thank our mothers today for all they do for us and we renew our commitment to walk as a family in Christ. Amen.