PAM Murphy led the Mothering Sunday Service at Crediton Methodist Church on March 30 when her theme was What Love!

The Lenten Cross was dressed with a crown of thorns and a purple robe, reminding us of the road of pain and suffering and the road of self-giving love that Jesus took and we think of all who are suffering today.

We thought of words that could be made from “Mothering Sunday”.

Firstly, - Naughty - However naughty we are or stray away from God’s way, how much we step off the path, in our families loving parents will forgive their children. Forgiveness is an important part of family life and Jesus came to show us God’s love and forgiveness.

Secondly, Doing - Mothers and Fathers spend a lot of time doing things like cooking, washing, cleaning, taxying children around.

Thirdly Nurse – Sometimes we have to be a nurse when children hurt themselves – scrapes, bruises or ill with a bug. Mothers and fathers need to tenderly care for the people who need to be looked after – just as God looks after us.

In our Bible readings we heard of two remarkable women - Jochebed the mother of Moses and Mary the mother of Jesus. Jochebed gave her son life by letting go and Mary gave life to God’s own son in an amazing act of trust and obedience.

Think of the women and men who have had strong influences in our lives, mother, father, grandparents, aunts and uncles, teachers. Human parents are not perfect – only God is perfect. Most of us have some experience of receiving parents’ love and then of being able ourselves to give the love that God has blessed us with.

We looked at three other words from “Mothering Sunday”:

Firsly - Rising - Simeon said “this child is destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel”. We know that Jesus came with a life-changing revolutionary message and certainly He did face opposition from within the religious establishment. In the wonderful Gospel stories Jesus met with ordinary folk who felt they did not matter. They were ill, disabled, ill-treated or in the wrong jobs and were treated by society as unimportant, unworthy, unclean and were shunned. Jesus enabled their rising from being downtrodden to being fully aware that they were loved, accepted and valued by God.

The wonderful thing is that it is exactly the same today - Jesus accepts us just as we are because everyone of us is special to God. He raises us up. What Love! We are called to do likewise - to love other people and help them to know that they are loved. With God’s help we can do that.

Secondly - Sign - Simeon said that Jesus would be a sign that would be oppressed. He was oppressed by the religious leaders and He challenged them face to face.

No parent wants to think their child is not popular. Sometimes people have to stand up for what is right . Life is not guaranteed to be easy. Can we stand up for what is right?

Thirdly – Hearts – Simeon said the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. Modern research into the human development has proved the truth of the God-given advantages to the world of the way Jesus loved and His example and teaching and affirming how much being loved and cared for, of being accepted and valued.

The Gospel writers did not know the science but they did know what they experienced. The Bible is full of passages of the importance to us and to the world of the caring love that Jesus teaches us to share.

So, mothering is not guaranteed to be easy. It is possible that it will unleash a depth of love that has not previously been felt. Then there will be receiving love in return.

Parenting comes with hard work, great responsibility and sacrifice. It comes with joy, disappointment, and heart swelling warm moments and, possibly, satisfaction unlike any other.

Should we expect to hear of Simeon’s prophecy that a sword will pierce your own soul too? We know that these words proved to be correct. We can also recognise that Mary and the disciples would have known the joy of the resurrection of Jesus on the third day. In this resurrection, God showed that Jesus had conquered sin and death and had opened God to everyone.

As we are approaching Easter, we have a new opportunity to celebrate and know what God has done for us.

Today let us remember Mary was not just a model of motherhood, but of Christianity – of being ready to let God’s will prevail in our lives even to undergoing suffering to advance God’s purposes. We can all learn from Mary’s example of obeying God and bless Him for our families.

Every member of the congregation was given a posy of flowers as a reminder of being part of God’s family.

Bronwyn Nott