4th Sunday of Lent – Mothering Sunday

Readings: Exodus 2v1-10 or 1 Samuel 1v20-end; Psalm 34v11-20 or 127v1-4; 2 Corinthians 1v3-7 or Colossians 3v12-17; Luke 2v33-35 or John 19v25b-27.

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth, and the thoughts and meditations of all our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer.

A Word: As I prepared, I saw and was inspired by the rich source of readings we have set out before us for this day: the 4th Sunday in Lent, when the UK traditionally celebrates Mothering Sunday. A time when we celebrate our Mother Church, and give thanks for the faith in Christ that was handed on to us.

As I read all of the scripture options appointed for this Sunday, I found I was unable to choose because of the issues they brought to mind.

- In Exodus we hear about the infant Moses being hidden in a basket in the river. This was done by his sister who hoped that he would be found by Pharoah’s daughter. Moses was not only found but also temporarily returned to his mother. Then after Moses was nursed and reared he was sent to join the royal court in Egypt where he was raised in Pharoah’s household. Many years later, after a few false starts, Moses led God’s people out of slavery in Egypt.

- In Samuel, we hear about the fulfilment of a promise made by Hannah many years before when she was childless and desperate to give birth. God gave her a son, and Hannah kept her promise by taking her young son to the House of the Lord and handing him over to the care of Eli so Samuel could lead a life dedicated to the service of God.

- Many centuries later, Luke recalls a time when Jesus was taken as a babe in arms to the temple to be dedicated to God. Jesus’ mother Mary was forewarned by Simeon that her son had a destiny to fulfil that would pierce her soul.

- Jesus’ destiny is revealed in the gospel of John and shows the piercing of Mary’s soul as she maintains her vigil whilst her son hangs dying on a cross.

I believe that these accounts show brave women with enough courage to bear the agony of giving up their sons. I cannot imagine what this was like for them but I do trust that, as written in the letter to the Corinthians, God would have been there with them, helping them to bear their suffering. I also hope that as they were Godly women, that they had the sort of confidence in God that is described in Psalm 34 that says, if we listen to God, God will take care of and bless us. For as it says in Psalm 127, our lives at times of suffering would be pointless without God.

Today we are thankful for brave and courageous men and women who protect, tend, cherish and nurture the young and the old, family and friends, those who are related and those who are not. For through them God is able to shower into the world, God’s gift of mothering for the world.

Let us pray: God of compassion whose Son Jesus shared the life of a home in Nazareth and drew the whole human family to himself on the cross; strengthen us in times of joy and sorrow that we may know the power of your presence to bind together and to heal. Loving God, help us to grow in grace within the household of faith. Amen

Thank you for joining us.