The Lord be with you
And also with you.
Gathering Prayer
Heavenly Father, we rejoice with thanks
for all those who have mothered us in our lives.
In a world that is broken and in need of your motherly
love,
please use us to aid others as you do us in providing
comfort, nurture, protection and support.
We ask that you grow us as carers to those who need us,
so that we might celebrate your goodness together
even through our own brokenness.
Amen
Song: 10,000 Reasons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbbIE1KPYNA
Prayer of Preparation
God our Father,
help us to notice those areas of our own lives
needing care and attention.
Therefore, let us confess our
sins, seeking the embrace of God’s forgiveness and peace.
We have failed to nurture the needy,
Lord, have mercy.
We have failed to make
space in our lives for the broken-hearted.
Christ, have mercy.
We struggle to forgive
those who have withheld their love from us.
Lord, have mercy.
Merciful Lord,
you know our struggle
to serve you:
when sin spoils our
lives
and overshadows our
hearts,
come to our aid
and turn us back to you
again;
through Jesus Christ
our Lord.
Amen
Collect
God of love,
passionate and strong,
tender and careful:
watch over us and hold
us
all the days of our
life;
through Jesus Christ
our Lord.
Amen
Story video: Hannah’s story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiYumdP4C6k&ab_channel=TeachingKidsaboutJesus
First Reading – read by our young people
Voice 1 20 So it was
that she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him
Samuel, and explained,
Voice 2 “I
asked the Lord for him.”
Voice 1 21 The time came
again for Elkanah and his family to go to Shiloh and offer to
the Lord the yearly sacrifice and the special sacrifice he had promised. 22 But
this time Hannah did not go. She told her husband,
Voice 2 “As
soon as the child is weaned, I will take him to the house of the Lord,
where he will stay all his life.”
Voice 3 23 Elkanah
answered, “All right, do whatever you think best; stay at home until you have
weaned him. And may the Lord make your promise come true.” So Hannah stayed at home and nursed her
child.
Voice 1 24 After she had
weaned him, she took him to Shiloh, taking along a three-year-old bull, a
bushel of flour, and a leather bag full of wine. She took Samuel, young as he
was, to the house of the Lord at
Shiloh. 25 After they had killed the bull,
they took the child to Eli. 26 Hannah said to him,
Voice 2 “Excuse
me, sir. Do you remember me? I am the woman you saw standing here, praying to
the Lord. 27 I asked him for this child, and
he gave me what I asked for. 28 So I am dedicating
him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he will belong to the Lord.”
Voice 3 Then
they worshiped the Lord there.
Song: Bind us together https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuhIBLp5aHM&ab_channel=EasyWorshipResources
Gospel Reading: John 19.25b-27
25 Standing close to Jesus' cross were his
mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 Jesus
saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing there; so he said to his
mother, “He is your son.”
27 Then he said to the disciple, “She is
your mother.” From that time the disciple took her to live in his home.
Sermon
Families
come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Families have all sorts of
experiences. In our readings we have a
brief outline of the stories of two families.
First
there is Hannah: -
Hannah’s
story had sad parts and happy parts. She was married to a man called Elkanah but
she couldn’t have a baby. Her husband had another wife as well- Peninniah, who
bullied Hannah because of her infertility. Peninnah had lots of children! Maybe
she was angry because her husband seemed to prefer Hannah.
So,
there was sadness, conflict, jealousy, and torment. What a mess.
Hannah
and her situation reflect the times she lived in and the kinds of ways that
families or clans were made up. It’s not a pattern we should follow but tells
what happened in her world. Families were difficult and had problems.
Many
of us live in complicated families. Our issues might not be the same as
Hannah’s and her family, but we might well recognise that sadness and torment,
jealousy and conflict come into all sorts of families at different times.
Particularly
on Mothering Sunday and in this strange year, we know that things are not easy
for families or relationships. Our bible stories don’t pretend that everything
is straightforward. It’s not like the adverts on the TV which show families
getting on sharing meals and presents. Sometimes life just isn’t like that. We
might think that our situation is unique or too difficult to talk about or for
God to handle. Our bible is full of mixed people situations and families.
How
did Hannah react? Hannah turned to God. Hannah’s actions in this story are the
ones we can follow. Hannah prayed. She prayed even though the priest in the
temple thought there was something wrong with her…
She
prayed and trusted God – and when she received the answer to her prayers- she
went back and fulfilled the promise she had made to God.
(again
– we have an account of what was acceptable in those times- giving a child to
live in the temple- not what we might do now!).
But
we can do what Hannah did. When she was desperate, she asked God for help and
promised to give back to Him in return. We may well ask God for something, when
we’re desperate, but do we then forget to honour God when things are good for
us?
Hannah’s
story encourages us that if our situation is messy and complicated, God does
not gives up on us. God hears faithful people who pray and keep praying when
nothing goes their way. And when God answers our prayers, we can honour him.
Tell other people what he has done. Remember God in the good times as well.
So
that was Hannah’s story.
What
about the family in the very brief gospel reading? It’s Jesus’ own family!
On
the cross Jesus asks his best friend John, to take care of Mary, his mother.
Being Jesus’ mother can’t have been easy!
Here
are some snapshots of Mary’s life.
The
joy of knowing she was expecting a baby- and Elizabeth, her cousin shares her
joy- and prophesies about Jesus. Then, the difficulties of having a baby in a
stable and not at home- the various visitors and their assorted gifts to this
wonderful baby. Simeon and Anna recognise God’s gift to the world- though
Simeon has warning words for Mary.
And
then Herod’s rage and wrath and the escape to Egypt a foreign land, then to
come back and settled in Nazareth.
It
could be a modern story of so many families in difficult places in our world.
Children born where the politics are complicated; life is unsafe, and you may
have to flee at any moment to another country. And yet, God’s presence and
purpose is here too.
The
story of this family reminds us of God’s provision – even if it was a stable; God
provided in the support and welcome by Elizabeth (and Joseph), the miraculous
visitors and all they signified; Simeon and Anna’s welcome and warning. And at last,
a safe home back in Nazareth.
But
Mary sees her son grow into a man- and Jesus is not just a man. Mary follows
him as God’s son as well as being her son. As a parent she has the joy and privilege
as one of those who followed him; heard his teaching and saw the miracles. Our reading,
however, also tells us that she was present at the cross. Even in his agony,
Jesus remembers those around him, and he remembers Mary in particular who has
loved and cared for him. Jesus entrusts her to John.
Being
a parent or acting like a parent or carer to someone else is a roller coaster
ride. Ups and downs, challenges and changes; Mary had so much to face when she
was the mother of a perfect child!
I
wonder if she ever thought she couldn’t face what was going on; whether she
worried she didn’t know what to do next; but we know, in the good times, she
rejoiced in all that God had given her and would do through her.
Both
Hannah and Mary give us examples of faithful persistence in a messy mixed up
world, and show God’s provision and care for them.
Affirmation of Faith
Do
you believe and trust in God the Father, source of all being and life, the one
for whom we exist?
We believe and trust in him.
Do
you believe and trust in God the Son, who took our human nature, died for us
and rose again?
We believe and trust in him.
Do
you believe and trust in God the Holy Spirit, who gives life to the people of
God and makes Christ known in the world?
We believe and trust in him.
This
is the faith of the Church.
This is our faith.
We believe and trust in one God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Our Prayers
We
give thanks for the Church, our mother, who brought us to birth in the family
of Christ, through the waters of baptism. We pray that all Christians will hear
again God’s call to mother those in need and bring them home to God.
Lord,
in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.
We
pray for all those in authority in our nation and in our world. May they learn
from the example of Jesus Christ that true power is the power to feed the poor
and the hungry, to make a home for the homeless and to offer hospitality to the
broken-hearted.
Lord,
in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.
We
pray for our own community. May we see each other as brothers and sisters,
called to sit at God’s family table together. Let us work together for that
great day when God comes again to restore heaven and earth.
Lord,
in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.
We
pray for all who suffer today, in mind, body or spirit. In particular, we pray
for those who have lost a motherly presence, and for those who have never known
a mother’s love. May they find consolation in God, the one in whom every family
on earth finds its home.
Lord,
in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.
We
give thanks for all who have loved us and nurtured us in faith. May we be bold
to share what we have received.
Lord,
in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.
We
give thanks for all those who have gone before us into the many mansions of the
Father’s home. May we learn from them to trust God’s care and provision for us,
all the days of our life and into our death.
Lord,
in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.
Peace
Christ
is our peace. He offered up his life for us with a love beyond imagining; with
a love which dispels fear; with a love which holds and guides us through life’s
trials and joys.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Let us offer
one another a sign of peace.
Song: Faithful One https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HROSwkRwpPI
Holy Communion
The
Lord be with you
and
also with you.
Lift
up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let
us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.
Blessed
are you, Lord God,
our
light and our salvation;
to
you be glory and praise for ever.
From
the beginning you have created all things
and
all your works echo the silent music of your praise.
In
the fullness of time you made us in your image,
the
crown of all creation.
You
give us breath and speech, that with angels and archangels
and
all the powers of heaven
we
may find a voice to sing your praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of
the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
How
wonderful the work of your hands, O Lord.
As
a mother tenderly gathers her children,
you
embraced a people as your own.
When
they turned away and rebelled
your
love remained steadfast.
From
them you raised up Jesus our Saviour, born of Mary,
to
be the living bread,
in
whom all our hungers are satisfied.
He
offered his life for sinners,
and
with a love stronger than death
he
opened wide his arms on the cross.
On
the night before he died,
he
came to supper with his friends
and,
taking bread, he gave you thanks.
He
broke it and gave it to them, saying:
Take, eat; this is my body which is
given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.
At
the end of supper, taking the cup of wine,
he
gave you thanks, and said:
Drink this, all of you; this is my blood
of the new covenant,
which is shed for you and for many for
the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in
remembrance of me.
Lord, by your cross and resurrection
you have set us free.
You are the Saviour of the world.
Father,
we plead with confidence
his
sacrifice made once for all upon the cross;
we
remember his dying and rising in glory,
and
we rejoice that he intercedes for us at your right hand.
Pour
out your Holy Spirit as we bring before you
these
gifts of your creation;
may
they be for us the body and blood of your dear Son.
As
we eat and drink these holy things in your presence,
form
us in the likeness of Christ,
and
build us into a living temple to your glory.
Bring
us at the last with St Catherine and all the saints
to
the vision of that eternal splendour
for
which you have created us;
through
Jesus Christ, our Lord,
by
whom, with whom, and in whom,
with
all who stand before you in earth and heaven,
we
worship you, Father almighty, in songs of everlasting praise:
Blessing and honour and glory and power
be yours for ever and ever. Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
Breaking of the Bread
We
break this bread
to
share in the body of Christ
Though we are many, we are one body
because we all share in the on bread.
Prayer
of Spiritual Communion
Thanks
be to you, Lord Jesus Christ,
for
all the benefits you have given me,
for
all the pains and insults you have borne for me.
Since
I cannot now receive you sacramentally,
I
ask you to come spiritually into my heart.
O
most merciful redeemer, friend and brother,
may
I know you more clearly,
love
you more dearly,
and
follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen
Song:
Light of the World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MmRGSEG2LM&ab_channel=Rev.MarkPetitt
God
of Grace and compassion
your
son, Jesus Christ was part of a family in Nazareth.
He
knew the love of a mother and of a father
and
by dying on the cross brought us all together as new family.
help
us in the Christian Journey to strive for that day when the whole of humanity
is one family together in your church.
Amen.
Blessing
May
the Lord who brought us all to birth,
strengthen
us for daily life.
May
the Lord who provides for all our needs sustain us day by day.
May
the Lord whose steadfast love is for all, send us out to live and work for
others.
And
the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with
you and remain with you always.
Amen.
Song:
This is amazing Grace https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPQKj2Zptr0