In Celebration of (Worthy) Mothers

On Mother’s Day

It’s Complicated

•Today we will celebrate mothers and the amazing way in which they brighten our world.

•It should be the easiest thing to do, but sadly, it is complicated.

•“A Complicated Joy” by Phil Ware

•Hard to have a simple joyful event.•The complicated reality of our broken world jumps up and trips us.•Abandonment and abuse and other horrible experiences with moms and dads have clouded an otherwise joyful event.•Some want to be parents and cannot and that complicates joy on occasions such as these.

•Today we will praise our worthy mothers because it is RIGHT!

•Good mothers are owed both respect and honor.

•Romans 13:7

•Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

•We owe respect to our mothers because they are worthy of respect.•We owe honor to our mothers for the same reason.•As the church we honor our mothers today.

Abraham Lincoln – “All that I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother.”

•Ralph Waldo Emerson

•“People are what their mothers make them.”

•Good mothers are a priceless commodity

We celebrate our mothers because they are noble

Philippians 4:8-9 -- Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Three hallmarks of Americana…

Poet Graycie Harmon -- “My mom is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune.”

We praise our mothers because they are selfless.

Isaiah 49:15 -- "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast        and have no compassion on the child she has borne?        Though she may forget,        I will not forget you!

Author Tenneva Jordan – “A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.”

Our Mothers are Priceless!

“An ounce of mother is worth a ton of preacher.”

-- Spanish proverb

Maureen Hawkins –

Before you were conceived I wanted youBefore you were born I loved you

Before you were here an hour I would die for youThis is the miracle of life.