Jesus and His Mother
Presented by Brenda Simon on May 8, 2022
Facebook videos can be found here: Jesus and His Mother, Part 1; Jesus and His Mother, Part 2; Children’s Story
We Gather as the People of God in This Place
St. Paul’s United Church, Fairview, Alberta
We Gather Together
Prelude
Welcome in the name of God and on behalf of the congregation of St. Paul’s United church to our service of worship. Come into this physical or virtual space, gathered as a cloud of witnesses.
Come and gather in this sanctuary. Come and join us from your living rooms, your home offices, from your phones, your tablets, and your computers.
Come and gather in spirit and in truth. Let us worship God together.
Adapted from a prayer written by Gord Dunbar.
Gathering Lent/Easter 2021, Page 29.
Used with permission.
As we begin our worship, we acknowledge that are gathered on land that traditionally belongs to First Nations People. Most of us are in Treaty 8 Territory. The Dane-Zaa (Beaver), the Cree and the Iroquois, as well as the Metis lived, gathered and travelled in this place. This land has special significance for them, and we thank them for sharing it with us. We also promise to respect them and live in harmony with them.
Written by Brenda Simon
Sung Introit: Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Give Thanks
Life and Work of the Church
Passing the Peace
One: The peace of Christ be with you
All: And also with you, and with mothers everywhere
Candle Lighting
One: On this Christian Family Sunday, we are called to celebrate relationships: mothers, grandmothers and all who nurture us. Our God is a God of relationship who seeks us out and longs for us to connect with others and with all of creation. Let us gather in the light of Christ to celebrate all of the loving relationships that shape and bless our lives.
Written by Tammy Furgeson.
Gathering Lent/Easter 2021, Page 52.
Used with permission.
Call to Worship
One: Mothering is not confined to women. Many of us have been mothered by others who are not child-bearing people. We cherish and appreciate them this day. Mother Earth is our home and nurturing sustainer, let us honor and care for her with respect. Mother Church gathers us in and feeds our souls, through our community of faith. Mother God invites us into relationship with each other, to know one another as siblings and cousins, as a family committed to care for each other. Today we celebrate belonging to all these families. Let us worship.
Written by Jani Francis.
Gathering Lent/Easter 2021, Page 53.
Used with permission.
Opening Prayer
One: Today, Gracious God, we think especially of what family and home mean to us, and how important is to each of us to have a place where we are welcomed and accepted. We are grateful to you for the invitation you have extended to each of us to make our home with you. Thank you that no one will be refused entry into your family, that each of us is acceptable just as we are. May we be sensitive and welcoming hosts for all those who enter this church home. May we extend a gracious and accepting welcome to all who enter our homes. To you, Gracious God, who has welcomed us unconditionally, we give our thanks. Amen
Written by Fern Gibbard.
Gathering Lent/Easter 2021, Page 53.
Used with permission.
Opening Hymn: M-O-T-H-E-R
Words by Howard Johnson; Music by Theodore Morse; Recorded by Eddy Arnold
Prayer of Confession
One: If we think of God as our mother, here is the kind of divine mother we have. She knows every foible, every quirk, and every oddball part of our personality, but it doesn’t affect her deep, unconditional, and abiding love for us. In fact, every unique part of us she finds endearing, loving us even more. When we ignore her teaching, her instruction or her guidelines, we may knock on her door with fear and trembling. When we do, she flings open the door with joyful abandon, envelops us in a huge hug, and whispers to us with deepest love, “Welcome home!” As we lean into that gift of grace, of forgiveness, of love, let us open our hearts to God’s heart through the intimacy of our prayer of confession. (a time of silent prayer)
Words of Assurance
One: This is the good news: that Mother God’s grace is so overwhelming that it washes away everything else – and we don’t even have to ask for it. It is ours as a gift every day and in every way. Thanks be to God
Words of Praise
One: God is good
All: All the time
One: All the time
All: God is good
We Listen to God’s Word
Gathering Again: The Circle Song
A Time for Children of All Ages
Hymn: If I Were a Butterfly
Scripture Readings:
Luke 2:41-52
Luke 8:19-21
Reflection: Part 1
What kind of a family to you imagine that Jesus grew up in? Does that change, as you consider these stories?
Which of the characters in these stories do you most relate to?
I bring you these words in the name of Jesus, who brings life out of death. I pray that they will be a blessing to each one of you.
The two vignettes that we just read show Jesus as both divine and human in his relationship with his mother (and the rest of his family). They are not part of the Narrative Lectionary for this week, but Mother’s Day, or Christian Family Sunday, seems like a good time to read them and to ponder in our hearts, as Mary did, the relationship between Jesus and his mother. What we see happening between Jesus and his mother may ease our hearts and minds and give us hope in times when our own relationships with our mothers or our children are troubled.
Most of us would like to think that Jesus grew up in a perfect family, with no disagreements, misunderstandings, or tensions. We hope that Jesus and his mother always got along and that they never had any reason to be upset or unhappy with each other. However, that’s not what these stories show us. Several of the articles I read point that out. And I don’t think we’d relate to them as well if they did.
First, we read how, when he was twelve, Jesus’ family went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover; a major holiday in their tradition. Without letting his parents know or asking for their permission, Jesus stayed behind in the temple. It took a day before his parents realized that he wasn’t in the large group they were travelling with. It took another two or three days before they found him. He was in the temple, discussing the Torah or Jewish Law with the teachers. When his parents found him, they couldn’t understand why he would do such a thing. Jesus couldn’t understand why they were so worried and why they hadn’t realized where he would be.
It seems that the misunderstandings persisted when Jesus became an adult. We see that his mother was kind of on the outside, not really part of his ministry. On the particular occasion Don read to us about, she wanted to see him, but couldn’t get to him. For Jesus’ part, he didn’t seem to make any special effort to include her in his work. When someone told him that she wanted to see him, he didn’t go out to her or tell the crowd to make way so that she could come in.
Actually, what he did say could sound rather harsh, as several writers point out. He said, “My mother and my brothers are the ones who hear my words and put them into practice” (as the New International Version of the Bible puts it). One might think that Jesus meant that his mother (and his brothers, who were with her) were not really his mother and brothers.
These stories, which demonstrate some of the tension and misunderstanding between Jesus and his mother, also demonstrate the love and respect between them.
The twelve year old Jesus clearly respected the Jewish faith in which his mother was raising him. He not only went to the Passover celebration, he stayed behind to talk to the experts in Jewish law and custom. His mother and father searched for three days to find him, as loving parents would. When they came and found him, he went back home with them, as a loving son would and continued to grow in the faith. We can be fairly sure that his mother’s influence was part of that growth.
When Jesus became an adult and started travelling around, teaching and healing, his mother didn’t write him off. Although she didn’t get directly involved in what he was doing, she kept an eye on him. Perhaps part of the reason that she hung back in the story we read, even though she wanted to talk to him, was that she didn’t want to interrupt or get in the way of the work he was doing.
Jesus’ comments about his mother and brothers being the ones who heard his words and put them into practice didn’t exclude the mother who gave birth to him or the brothers (and sisters) who grew up with him. The writers who point out how harsh these words could sound also point out that, what Jesus was actually doing was to expand the notion of family. People need not have given birth to him or grown up with him to be part of his family. Listening to what he said and living their lives accordingly was the main thing.
Jesus offered his mother, and anyone who wanted to be part of his family, a way to do that. Listen to what he said and live accordingly. One of the things he said, as Sr. Kristine Anne Harpenau writes, is to love all the people we meet and treat them as family.
So, Jesus’ relationship with his mother was complex. They didn’t always understand each other or agree with each other. They did love each other and offer support and respect and challenge in different ways. Perhaps not perfect; but a pretty healthy way of getting along.
These stories bring us hope when relationships between mothers and children aren’t all that could be hoped for. After our next hymn, we’ll consider some more modern stories of mothers and children who loved each other even though they didn’t understand each other.
Hymn of Response: Who Is My Mother
Reflection: Part 2
Think about times when you disagreed with your mothers? How did you handle it? Did it change the way your related to your children?
Mothers and their sons and daughters don’t always understand each other, just as Jesus and his mother didn’t. Sometimes the misunderstandings seem fairly minor and even laughable. Lynn Johnston’s cartoon strip, For Better or For Worse, has a vignette in which a mother, Elly, and her teenaged daughter, Liz, are shopping for school clothes and supplies together. Several times, Elly points out things that Liz might want or need and asks if she wants to buy them. Every time, Liz shrugs and says “I dunno”.
After two or three rounds of this, Elly finally says, “This shopping trip will end now if you don’t start giving me some “yes” or “no” answers.”
“I was,” Liz insists. Elly gives her a “look” and she tries to explain, ‘If I say “I dunno” one way, it means “yes”; if I say “I dunno” another way, it means, “no” and if I say it another way, it means “I don’t care.”
“How can I tell the difference?” Elly asks.
As you might have guessed, the answer is “I dunno”.
Liz shakes her head at her mother’s lack of communication skills and Elly needs a cup of coffee, but neither of them need deep therapy or an extended cooling off period to get over it. Sadly, that isn’t the case with all mother-child misunderstandings. Sometimes it takes a lot of work to work things out.
There’s a story in a book called Chicken Soup for the Mother and Daughter Soul about a mother who found a way to love her daughter, even when she was having trouble understanding her. The story is called “And baby makes two” and was written by Cie Simurro.
When Cie became a single mother, her daughter, Tiffany, was five or six. Cie decided, then, to be honest and open with her daughter about everything and not to pull rank with “because I said so” or “because I’m your mother”. This worked well for the next six years; their relationship was quite close.
Then, at the age of twelve, Tiffany decided it was time for her to be independent. She would, as Cie puts it, “experience her entire adolescence in as short a time as possible”. She found a new crowd of friends, experimented with cigarettes and marijuana and hung out with boys. She became secretive and withdrawn.
Cie worried about this change in their relationship. She tried to be patient and use humor to bridge the gap. Still, she sometimes got exasperated, trying to deal with “sour faced twelve year old … who certainly didn’t want to be with her mother, of all people”.
One evening, she was sitting outside, thinking about what was happening between her and her daughter. Her daughter seemed to be slipping away from her and she couldn’t figure out how to stop that from happening. It made her sad and frustrated.
A group of young people were walking toward a nearby beach. She saw Tiffany among them. A boy named Thomas had his arm around her. The rest of the group realized that Tiffany’s mother could see them and said, “Tiffany, your mother”. Tiffany eased away from Thomas. Cie called Tiffany over to her.
Tiffany stopped a little ways from Cie, sure that she was in hot water. She seemed to be ashamed. Cie knew that couldn’t be allowed to continue.
“Tiffany, did Thomas have his arm around you just now?” she asked.
“Yes”, was the answer, given as a challenge, although a shaky one.
“Did you want him to put his arm around you?” Cie continued.
“Yes,” Tiffany asserted.
Cie pressed on, “Did you think there was anything wrong with his putting his arm around you until you saw me?”
“No” was the answer.
“Did you want him to stop doing it?”
“No”
Cie kept her tone harsh, “Don’t you ever let me catch you, no matter who is involved, going against what you believe in. Even if it’s me.”
Tiffany stared at her mother, trying to match her harsh tone with her loving message. She melted into Cie’s arms and cried. Then she started to talk. She never again treated her mother like a stranger.
Mother and daughter both had to change before their relationship could be restored this way. Tiffany had to see that Cie was not just an authority figure to be challenged, but a mother who loved her and respected her, even when she didn’t understand her or agree with her.
Before that could happen, Cie had to see that Tiffany was not just a rebellious, uncommunicative wannabe teenager, but a young woman developing her own personality and her own ideas of right and wrong. Cie doesn’t say so, but that level of trust might not have been easy, given some of the things Tiffany had been dabbling in.
Cie doesn’t say this either, but I believe that none of this would have happened if God had not been behind it. Neither Cie nor Tiffany may have been aware of it, but I suspect that God inspired Cie to set a pattern of open communication early on. Without that, Cie may not have been able to trust Tiffany as she did. Without that, Tiffany may not have understood what Cie was saying. Bottom line – God is behind the love this mother and daughter have for each other.
I like to believe that God inspires love between all mothers and their children. There may be exceptions, but I don’t think there are many. That love endures, even when they can’t understand each other. Thanks be to God Amen.
We Respond in Faith
Prayers of the Church
One: Almighty Lord, Heavenly Father, Mothering God, beyond our understanding, yet deep within our hearts. We cry out to you as your beloved children. We bring before you all that we feel: sorrow, pain, hope and joy.
All: Compassionate God: console those denied the chance to celebrate Mother’s Day, those who are abandoned, separated, disappointed, abused; bring us all together as your family of faith. Sustain those who mourn loved ones, for whom today is a day of grief. Comfort us with the wellspring of our memories.
One: Unifying God: inspire us to advocate for peace and guide us to see the part we can play in creating harmony in this world. Reconcile us to each other, that we might embody your forgiveness and live as one.
All: Bountiful God: kindle in us a celebration of the diversity of all families, of all shapes and sizes, of all colors and faiths. Teach us to grow in compassion and understanding, remembering that, even with all our differences, we are still your children.
One: Nurturing God: encourage us to share in the joy and effort of making healthy, peaceful communities. Open our hearts to reach out to our neighbors in charity and acceptance.
All: Mothering God, beyond our understanding, yet deep within our hearts, we reach up to you. Take us up in your arms and heal us. Bend down to us and feed us. Wrap us in your bands of love.
One: Glory to you, O God; your comfort and care know no bounds. May we rest in your abundant love, which nurtures us from age to age. As children, who turn to their mother for hope and comfort, we pray
Written by Gill Le Fevre.
Gathering Lent/Easter 2021, Page 73.
Used with permission.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Offering
Offering Song: What Can I Do?
Prayer of Dedication
One: Generous God, we bring you these gifts, from the abundance we have received from you. We know that you will transform these offerings into precious gifts, in the same way that the dandelions a child brings to a mother become priceless bouquets.
Written by Fern Gibbard.
Gathering Lent/Easter 2021, Page 53.
Used with permission.
God Goes With Us Into the World
Closing Hymn: Would You Bless Our Homes and Families
Blessing Song: You Shall Go Out with Joy
Sending Forth
One: As you leave this time of fellowship and worship, may you find rest, spiritual renewal, and peace as you spend time with those you love, doing what you love; resting in God’s grace as you celebrate the remainder of this day – the Sabbath known as Christian Family Sunday.
Written by Carol Frost.
Gathering Lent/Easter 2021, Page 53.
Used with permission.
Postlude
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Conversion and Calling
Presented by Brenda Simon on May 1, 2022
Facebook videos can be found here: Conversion and Calling; Children’s Story
We Gather as the People of God in This Place
St. Paul’s United Church, Fairview, Alberta
We Gather Together
Prelude
Welcome in the name of God and on behalf of the congregation of St. Paul’s United church to our service of worship. Come into this physical or virtual space, gathered as a cloud of witnesses.
Come and gather in this sanctuary. Come and join us from your living rooms, your home offices, from your phones, your tablets, and your computers.
Come and gather in spirit and in truth to share wonder and excitement of Jesus’ resurrection.
Adapted from a prayer written by Gord Dunbar.
Gathering Lent/Easter 2021, Page 29.
Used with permission.
As we begin our worship, we acknowledge that are gathered on land that traditionally belongs to First Nations People. Most of us are in Treaty 8 Territory. The Dane-Zaa (Beaver), the Cree and the Iroquois, as well as the Metis lived, gathered and travelled in this place. This land has special significance for them, and we thank them for sharing it with us. We also promise to respect them and live in harmony with them.
Written by Brenda Simon
Sung Introit: Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Give Thanks
Life and Work of the Church
Passing the Peace
One: Peace be with you
All: Receive the Holy Spirit
One: Receive the Holy Spirit
All: Peace be with you
Candle Lighting
Call to Worship
One: He is risen!
All: Christ is alive!
One: Saul was called,
All: And he answered, “Who are you Lord?”
One: Ananias was called,
All: and he answered, “Really, Lord?”
One: We are called,
All: And we respond, “Yes, Lord!”
Opening Prayer
One: God who calls us,
All: You took Saul and turned him in a completely new direction. You challenged Paul to become what he hated, and to help others to know a loving God through a risen Christ. Shape us, as we worship together, so that we might be molded to your will. Amen.
Opening Hymn: I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
Prayer of Confession
One: We confess our sins before God and one another. Forgiving God,
All: We spend so much of our time doubting you, doubting ourselves, failing to place our trust in you. Our lack of faith causes us to stumble, and when we fall we fall far. Forgive us our sin and lift us so that we can rise to the challenge of carrying out your mission. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Words of Assurance
One: God is merciful and just. God offers forgiveness for all who ask it. Receive now the entire forgiveness of all your sins and walk with the power of the Holy Spirit, for the sake of Jesus. Amen.
Words of Praise
One: Christ never stops reaching out to us to turn away from our willfulness, from our sin.
All: May we be blinded by the light of divine Love, and may we see with new eyes, with new hearts
We Listen to God’s Word
Scripture Reading: Acts 9:1-19a
Reflection: Part 1
Hymn of Response: Behold, Behold, I Make All Things New
Reflection: Part 2
We Respond in Faith
Prayers of the Church
One: We pray for the church, the world, and all those in need.
One: Your persecutor, Saul, suffered a great shock on the way to becoming your servant, Paul. Shock us, too. Awaken us where we have fallen asleep and shake us out of harmful habits and destructive attitudes. Show us how to fully employ our best gifts to your glory.
Risen Lord,
All: Hear our prayer.
One: Lights may not blind us nor voices thunder in our ears, but the waters of this blue planet are steadily rising, and the effects of our abuse and neglect are unmistakable. Teach us to recognize and heed the warnings while we yet have a chance to be part of the solution in preserving our cosmic home.
Risen Lord,
All: Hear our prayer.
One: Sometimes the unenviable task falls to us, and you ask us to face what we fear most. Give us the courage of Ananias, who though he was terrified, obeyed your command and followed, to the benefit of millions.
Risen Lord,
All: Hear our prayer.
One: Make the scales fall from our eyes and restore us to fullness of vision and strength by your spirit, O God of hope and healing. Send your mercy especially to the people we mentioned earlier.
Risen Lord,
All: Hear our prayer.
One: Following the trail blazed by the earliest carriers of the Good News, we take our place in the line of redeemed saints whose joy it is to praise your name forever.
Risen Lord,
All: Hear our prayer.
One: Mighty and merciful God, you have provided us with everything we need to carry out the work before us. Accept our prayers and fortify us for the days to come. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Offering
Offering Song: What Can I Do?
Prayer of Dedication
One: We often think we know where we are going when you turn us in a new direction. Steer us toward gratitude, compassion, and generosity so that all may come to know you. Accept these gifts we offer to help further your mission. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
God Goes With Us Into the World
Closing Hymn: Amazing Grace
Blessing Song: You Shall Go Out with Joy
Sending Forth
One: God took Saul and turned him in a completely new direction. May the time we have spent together shape us so that we might be molded to God’s will. Amen.
Postlude
Unless otherwise noted, the prayers in this service were found in Clergy Stuff, published by Spirit and Truth Publishing, and adapted.
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