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SERMONS.COM
This Week's Sermons
Mother's Day
Romans 16:13
I must candidly confess that when I was in seminary the 16th chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans didn't do much for me. It struck me as being boring nothing more than a long presentation of people's names, most of whom I could not pronounce; I usually skimmed over that part so I could get to what I considered to be the real Gospel. Over the years I have greatly changed my attitude about this particular chapter and I have discovered that there is much more to it than I had first imagined. For example, it is interesting to note that of the twenty-six people who Paul singles out for his personal greeting, six were women. Now that strikes me as being rather interesting, since Paul has frequently gotten a bum rap for being a male chauvinist. I think it also shows us the tremendous influence that women had in the early church. In the male oriented first century Palestine, it is telling that Paul could not describe the church without mentioning the significant role of women.
Verse 13 of chapter 16 is particularly interesting and it is one that scholars have struggled with over the centuries. Paul writes: "Give my greetings to Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine." Now this statement could be taken two ways. It could mean that Paul had two distinct women in mind--the mother of Rufus and his own personal mother. Or, he could be saying: "I salute Rufus and his mother, who is like a mother to me." If that is what he meant, and most Biblical scholars agree that that is indeed what he meant, then it raises some interesting speculation. When and where did Paul meet Rufus' mother? Did she nurse him through some serious illness?
Did she receive him into her home for an extended stay during his missionary journeys? How did this woman and Paul form such a close bond that he refers to her fondly as being like his mother? Mark tells us that Simon of Cyrene, the man who carried Jesus cross, had two sons: Alexander and Rufus. Was this the same Rufus to whom Paul was speaking? If that is true, his mother would be Simon of Syrene's wife. No one knows for sure who this remarkable woman was who served as a mother figure for the great Paul. But it really makes no difference, because what he writes makes an excellent springboard for a Mother's Day sermon.
Some people ridicule Mother's Day as a lot of sentimental drivel. They say that it is nothing more than the creation of the greeting card companies and the florists. And, to be perfectly candid, there are many ministers who shun this day because, they say, it is not a religious holiday. Furthermore, they preach from the lectionary, which has an assigned scriptural reading each week, and therefore mother's day is left out.
Well, of course, we must admit that there is sentiment to this day, but what is wrong with that? Seems to me that a little bit of sentiment is healthy. True enough, there are some women in the Bible, such as Jezebel and the vindictive Herodias, who had John the Baptist beheaded, who tarnish the institution of motherhood. There are women today who abandon, abuse, and corrupt their children and who create a poor model, but I like to think that these are the exceptions. Most mothers do the right thing and deserve recognition. So this morning I would like to join Paul and salute all of the mothers who are with us.
- First, mothers should be saluted for their tenacious love.
- Secondly, mothers should be saluted for the tremendous impact they have.
- Third, mothers should be saluted because where they are, that is where home is.
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SERMONS.COM
Leonard Sweet's Sermon
The Spirit of My Mother's Church
John 7:37-39
Best-selling author Robert Fulghum is well-known for his "all-I-really-need-to-know-I-learned-in-kindergarten" books. Less well known is the fact that he spent many years in the pulpit in Washington State. He writes about his preaching days and his fear of Mother's Day in these words:
For twenty-five years of my life, the second Sunday of May was trouble . . . I was obliged in some way to address the subject of Mother's Day. It could not be avoided . . .The congregation was quite open-minded and gave me free reign in the pulpit. But when it came to the second Sunday in May the expectation was summarized in the words of one of the more outspoken women in the church: "I'm bringing my mother to church on Mother's Day, Reverend, and you can talk about anything you want, But it had better include MOTHER, and it had better be good!" (It was on Fire when I Lay Down On It [1991], 100).
The relationship between mothers and their first-born child is absolutely unique. Think about this: on the day a first child is born, two birthdays are established and should be celebrated. It is, of course, the birthday for the new child.
But it is also the birthday of another new person: a mother.
The moment a child is born, which in medical terms is called "parturition," a mother is born also. Mother's Day is a birthday celebration. A mother is born at parturition.
The baby Jesus "gave birth" to Mother Mary, just as she gave birth to baby Jesus. Two new, miraculous creations emerged out of one event. With every birth two new lives are born--a baby, who is wholly without worries, and a mother, who will never again be without worry.
With Easter arriving so early this year, Pentecost Sunday and Mother's Day Sunday fall on the same day and I can't think of two institutions more alike than the Church and Mothers. For many of us who grew up in a church going family we associate the church of our childhood with our Moms. My mother's church. The spirit of our Mother's church we carry with us throughout our lives. It pursues us, woes us, reminds us of God's love for us. The great church father Augustine new something of this. His mother, Monica, hounded him, in a compassionate way, but she hounded him. Whenever Augustine ran, she followed him; whenever he came home, she challenged his rebellious ways. And when he wasn't with her he knew that she was praying for him, because he caught her often on her knees pleading to God for the salvation of his soul. One day she got so desperate she went to a bishop and wore the man out. She wanted the Bishop to speak with Augustine. At last, annoyed by her persistence and moved by her tears, he answered her with a roughness mingled with kindness and compassion, "Go, go! Leave me alone. Live on as you are living. It is not possible that the son of such tears should be lost." So what else could happen? Augustine gave his life to God and later became...
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