Trinity Sunday 2005: Matthew 28:16-20

GENESIS 1:1-2:4(A)
II CORINTHIANS 13:11-13
MATTHEW 28:16-20
“IT’S TRIPERSPECTIVAL!”
TRINITY SUNDAY
MAY 22, 2005

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW
PRAISE HIM ALL CREATURES HERE BELOW
PRAISE HIM ABOVE THE HEAVENLY HOST
PRAISE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY GHOST.

The beautiful words of The Doxology that we sing every Sunday are not only beautiful — they are filled with praise — and are filled with power. They are filled with the power of God as we sing our praises to God — one God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Shirley Guthrie was one of my Theology professors at Columbia Theological Seminary. While I was taking both my Masters and Doctorate classes I always wanted to take classes from Dr. Guthrie – or Shirley as almost everyone knew him. He died last year – but during his tenure at Columbia taught many students and
wrote many books that were helpful to ministers and lay folk alike.
His book Christian Doctrine has become a considered a classic because of his ability to communicate the doctrinal truths of Reformed Christianity is a way that lay people can understand. A student of the great theologian Karl Barth, Shirley was able to take Barth’s teachings and bring them to a level that the average church member could understand them.
In Christian Doctrine, he begins the chapter on the Doctrine of the Trinity with a make – believe conversation that has probably taken place in many Sunday School classes or study groups — or if the specific conversation has not taken place then probably one like it has – – or at least the question posed by this conversation has probably been considered – if not voiced — by almost all serious Christians at one time or another.
The conversation Guthrie gives goes something like this:
A student asks:
“Do we have to believe in all this business of three – in – one and one – in – three to be Christians?”
“Yes” – the teacher replies. “The church has always held that the doctrine of the Trinity is essential.”
“Well” – – the student asks – – “what does it mean?
How can you put three persons together and get one – or divide one person into three and still have one?”
The teacher then blunders through some fuzzy explanation then concludes hopelessly:
“It’s a mystery no one can understand. You just have to accept it in faith.”
Some will respond – or at least think:
“Well – if you’re supposed to believe it – I guess I do – whatever it is.”
But others may respond – or at least think to themselves:
“If no one knows what it means, and no one can explain it, it must not be all that important.”
Today is Trinity Sunday – the day when the Church celebrates the Triune nature of God – that fact that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We actually celebrate this every Sunday as we sing The Doxology — but today is a time to actually think about what it is we profess as we sing these words — what it really means that we worship one God — who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
What does the doctrine of the Trinity mean?
The doctrine of the Trinity is vital – – not because it is something to merely know and accept – – even if we do not understand – – but the doctrine of the Trinity is vital for us because of what it tells us about God. When we look at the doctrine of the Trinity, we begin to learn some things about God.
What can we know about God?
The doctrine of the Trinity helps us understand – – and not only understand – – but experience – – God as the

Creating
Strengthening
Guiding
God that God is.

It helps us experience God’s work in our lives.
The Doctrine of the Trinity helps us know more and understand more about God – because we can not really understand God until we understand all 3 dimensions of God:

Creating
Strengthening
Guiding

These 3 dimensions of God are vital in our understanding of who God is and what God does in our lives and the world.
Many of you know that my nephew, Rob, works for Campus Crusade for Christ in Orlando, Florida. He has a Blog (that’s short for Web Log – a place on the Internet where he posts about different things – and people can log on to his Blog and read the information he’s sharing. I also have a Blog.) Anyway – Rob posted on his blog the other day about a new word he had learned from one of his co workers. The word is: Triperspectival
(If you want to know how to spell it look in your bulletins – it’s in my sermon title.)
I’ll define the word the way Rob did – because it is so new there are no dictionary definitions.
The way Rob defined it – triperspectival means talking about something from 3 different but related perspectives. Or triperspectival means that you can’t fully understand one without an idea of the other two.
The more I thought about this new word Rob had learned the more I thought “that’s what the Doctrine of the Trinity is all about!”
It’s triperspectival!
It means talking about God from the 3 different but related perspectives of God the creator – God the strengthener – and God the guide.
It also means that we can not fully understand God from only one of these perspectives – but have to consider all 3 to really understand God.
The Doctrine of the Trinity is, therefore, triperspectival
We have to understand – and be able to see God at work in our lives and in our world – on all 3 levels of creator, strengthener, and guide before we can really understand God.
Think about it — what can we know about God?
Well – imagine with me for a moment that you are God.
What would you want your creation to know about you?
What things would you think it important for your people to know about you?
Different ones of you may give different answers here, but for me the answer seems to always fall in three areas.
I would want them to know:
That I am their creator and provider
That I loved them
That I was with them
What can we know about God?
Our passages for today tell us three basic things about God:

God is always creating
God is always redeeming and loving
God is always strengthening and guiding

Through the Father – Son – and Holy Spirit – the Triune God – God is always at work in our lives – always creating and re-creating us – always loving us – always working for peace among us – and always strengthening and guiding us.
To fully understand God we have to have an understanding of this triune nature of God.
We can not fully understand God if we only see God as a creator.
We can not fully understand God if we only see God as a loving God.
We can not fully understand God is we only see God as a strength and guide for our lives.
We have to see God as the creating, loving, and strengthening God that God is to fully understand God.
We have to see all three natures of God to fully understand God.
We have to understand the Doctrine of the Trinity to fully understand God.
The nature of God is triperspectival – we have to understand all 3 to truly understand each one.
Through the Father – Son – and Holy Spirit – the Triune God – God is always at work in our lives – always creating and re-creating us – always loving us – always working for peace among us – and always strengthening and guiding us.
Friends – this is not just dry doctrine – this is not just dry facts – but this is exciting.
This is how God the Father – Son – and Holy Spirit works in our lives.
God is always creating – giving us new opportunities to live as God’s people – renewing us so we can indeed be God’s people.
God is always loving – always showing us God’s love and always offering a relationship with God.
God is always strengthening and guiding us – God is “with us always” as Jesus promised – always offering guidance into God’s ways and God’s will for us.
This is an intimate relationship with God – Father – Son – and Holy Spirit we are dealing with here – not just facts and dry doctrine.
Through the Father – Son – and Holy Spirit – the Triune God – God is always at work in our lives – always creating and re-creating us – always loving us – always working for peace among us – and always strengthening and guiding us.
What can we know about God?
We can know the intimacy of the relationship our creating – loving – guiding and sustaining God offers us.
The creating – loving – guiding – and sustaining work of God in the world is not history – but God is still at work – still creating – still loving – still strengthening – still guiding.
Our Old Testament lesson for this Trinity Sunday gives us a vision of God who created all things — and created all things good. God created all things — and sustained and provided for all things. And — as the author of Genesis so eloquently puts it — all things are good. Indeed — they are very good. At the beginning — and — by God’s renewing — loving — and life-giving power — all things have the potential for goodness.
The creating – loving – guiding – and sustaining work of God in the world that Genesis 1 so beautifully portrays for us is not just history – but God is still at work – still creating – still loving – still strengthening – still guiding — still offering to all the potential to truly be the good creation they were created to be.
When we think things have gotten as bad as they can get – there is God – Father – Son – and Holy Spirit — the one who created all things good — creating new possibilities for us – giving us new ways to relate to each other in goodness and peace – strengthening us to do His work and will in the world.
That’s not just dry facts – that’s more than just doctrine – that’s good news for us – for our lives – here and now.
Our Epistle and Gospel lessons give us examples of the renewing — strengthening — love of God — Father – Son — and Hoy Spirit — all the power of God to make us new and bless us — that we can experience for ourselves and share with others.
We can know that God is always creating – giving us new opportunities to live as God’s people – renewing us so we can indeed be God’s people.
We can know that God is always loving – always showing us God’s love and always offering a relationship with God — always offering us ways to be more and more like Him — ways we were indeed created for.
We can know that God is always strengthening and guiding us – renewing us. God is “with us always” as Jesus promised – always offering guidance into God’s ways and God’s will for us and others.
This is the triune – the triperspectival – nature of God.
God is always creating – giving us new opportunities to live as God’s people – renewing us so we can indeed be God’s people.
God is always loving – always showing us God’s love and always offering a relationship with God — always offering us ways to be more and more like Him — ways we were indeed created for.
God is always strengthening and guiding us – renewing us. God is “with us always” as Jesus promised – always offering guidance into God’s ways and God’s will for us and others.
What a wonderful truth that is!
This is an intimate relationship with God – Father – Son – and Holy Spirit we are dealing with here – not just facts and dry doctrine.
We can know the intimacy of the relationship our creating – loving – guiding and sustaining God offers us.
We can know the forgiving and renewing work of God in our lives.
The Holy — yet loving – – guiding – – and sustaining work of God in the world is not just history – –
but God is still at work – – still loving – – still strengthening — still creating still making all things good — still guiding.
No — friends — the Doctrine of the Trinity — God as Father — Son — and Holy Spirit — isn’t just “head stuff” — it’s not just dry doctrine —
it’s “heart stuff”
it’s relational —
it’s good news for us – – for our lives – – here and now.
The good news is that because we know that God is Father – Son – and Holy Spirit – because we know that God is always creating and re-creating us – always making all things good — forgiving us and yet challenging us — we can relate to God in certain ways – – always remembering God’s power and love — and always open to God’s loving creating – – renewing — challenging — and strengthening work among us.
Then — we can relate to others in ways that are open to sharing God’s creating – – loving – – challenging — and strengthening work with each other and with the world as we experience it in our lives.
The doctrine of the Trinity is not just intellectual gymnastics – it is the very mystery of our relationship with God. It tells us what we can know about God. It tells us about the triune – or triperspectival – nature of God.
Because of the Doctirne of the Trinity, we can know that – – even now – – God is creating and renewing — making all things good — giving us new life – – forgiving us — giving us new strength and yet new challenges — new ways to relate to each other and to Him – –
Because of the Doctirne of the Trinity, we can know that — even now – – God is loving and forgiving us — and giving us new ways to be His people – –
Be Because of the Doctirne of the Trinity, we can know that — even now – – God is giving us new strength to do His will.
The Trinity:
God the creating Father
God the loving Son
God the strengthening and guiding Holy Spirit
is really one – creating — loving – – strengthening – forgiving — renewing — challenging — guiding – – God that invites us to not only understand doctrines – – but invites us into an exciting — creating — loving — forgiving — challenging — relationship with God and the world.
So – it is triperspectival –
We have to understand all 3 aspects of God to undertand God.
But – once we begin to understand that it is through the Father – Son – and Holy Spirit – the Triune God – that God is always at work in our lives – always creating and re-creating us – always loving us – always working for peace among us – and always strengthening and guiding us – we begin to understand who God is and what God is doing in our world – and sing and proclaim with enthusiasm:

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW
PRAISE HIM ALL CREATURES HERE BELOW
PRAISE HIM ABOVE THE HEAVENLY HOST
PRAISE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY GHOST.
AMEN.

Pentecost 2005:.Acts 2:1-21

ACTS 2:1-21
1 CORINTHIANS 12:3(B)-12
JOHN 20:19-23
“GET SMARTER!”
PENTECOST COMMUNION
MAY 15 2005

Today is Pentecost – the day we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit to the Disciples – the day we consider “the birth of Church”
Pentecost is one of most exciting days of Church – but a day that – in many churches – is not celebrated as it once was.
I’m afraid that the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost is something we want to admire and look at – but keep at a safe distance – like a lion or tiger whose strength and beauty we may admire – as long as we know it’s a safe distance from us. We are not too comfortable if it gets up close and personal.
Is that the way we want to deal with Pentecost?
Is that the way we want to deal with the coming of the Spirit?
Is that the way we want to deal with the renewing and life-giving work of the Spirit?
I’m afraid so.
At least that’s what our action show.
Today is Pentecost.
One of the three most important days in the church year – along with Christmas and Easter.
Easter and Christmas draw large crowds to church.
But Pentecost?
Apparently not – huh?
Why do we not celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit in the same way we celebrate the coming of Christ – or the resurrection of Christ?
I’m not sure – – but I’m afraid it has something to do with the fact that we are scared. We are comfortable with looking back at the Bible and saying –
“Yes – how wonderful the coming to the Spirit was ” – –
but – we want to keep it at a safe distance.
If we talked too much about the coming of the Spirit – we just might get some of it ourselves – and who knows what that might bring!
Of course, the advertising industry has not found a cute gimmick for Pentecost.
Christmas has a jolly fat man to put on cards – and Easter a cute bunny – but Pentecost?
The idea of a card with flames of fire just doesn’t seem to interest folks too much.
A friend of mine tells about going shopping the Friday before Pentecost – and not any indication that there were only 2 shopping days left until Pentecost. The closest thing came when he went to the nursery department at his local Lowe’s and saw that there were Pentas on sale.
(For those of who, like me, have no idea what a Penta is – I went home and looked it up and found out that it is a bushy, round evergreen shrub with bright green leaves and clusters of star – shaped, tubular flowers.)
Anyway – he asked the sales clerk:
“Excuse me – but how much does a Penta Cost?”
And that was the only mention of the day on that Friday – just 2 days before!
Regardless of our lack of excitement about it – or the lack of emphasis we may place on it – Pentecost is truly – one of most important days of Church.
Today is also the day we are honoring our graduates.
So — what can I say –
What memorable comment can I make –
What can I say that will make a difference to the Church on this Pentecost – and to our graduates?
Well – I have 2 words to say —
Sure – I’ll use up a lot more words explaining them – but 2 words of that I feel are of importance today

GET SMARTER —-
GET SMARTER

What?
Our graduates may be thinking –
“I just finished High School –
I just finished College —
I’m smart enough!”
“Get Smarter” is not even correct English
No – but it is a catchy phrase – one I hope you’ll remember

What?

Yes – you have spent a lot of time learning – but I hope you never stop learning. Try to learn something every day. Continue your education
every day.

GET SMARTER —-
GET SMARTER

OK – but today is also the day of Pentecost – that important but mostly overlooked day when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit.
What does that mean for us – here and now?
Are we just celebrating something that happened years ago – or can it really mean something here and now?
And if so – what?
What can Pentecost mean for the Church – and for us as individual followers of Christ?
I believe that Pentecost can be a wake – up call
I believe it can be a call to

GET SMARTER —-
GET SMARTER

It can be a call to always look for the new directions God and the Holy Spirit may be leading us.
New ways to do things
New ways to reach folks with God and Christ
It can mean not being satisfied with the way things are or the status quo – but always looking for the new directions God may be leading us – and the new things God may be calling us to do
In other words – it’s a call for us to

GET SMARTER —-
GET SMARTER

Many times the church is too predictable.

Have you ever gone over to Greensboro when they have the Battle of Guilford Court House reenactment? It’s a lot of fun – and interesting to go through the camps and see how the soldiers lived. It’s also fund to watch the battle take place.
But – everyone knows the ones dressed as British solders will win.
Everyone also knows that even though the British won that battle the lost the war.
It’s fun – but it’s also predictable – everybody knows what is going to happen.
I’m afraid the church can easily slip into patterns that are just as predicable as battle reenactments. The church can easily become a place that is fun – maybe even exciting – but where everyone knows what will happen in the end and the ending is scripted before anything is even begun.
Great for a battle reenactment – not so great for a church that is supposed to be serving a God who is alive – active – and calls us to be alive and active in our faith and always look for new ways to show Him to the world.
I heard a story that illustrates this point well.
A man attended a Church for the first time – and liked what he heard in the scriptures that were read and the prayers that were prayed. But after a few weeks he began to become disappointed. He finally went to the minister and asked:
“When do you do those things”?
“What things” the minister asked –
“You know” – the man replied – “the things you read about in the Bible – the sick healed – the loaves and fish multiplied …”
“Oh” the minister replied –
“We don’t really do those things here.
We believe in them and pray for them – but we don’t do them”!
The church can easily become a place where we believe in God’s actions and pray for them – but don’t do them!
Friends – we need to

GET SMARTER —-
GET SMARTER

We can’t just believe in power of Holy Spirit – we have to live it!
We can’t just pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit – we have to act on it!

GET SMARTER —-
GET SMARTER

We can’t just “remember good old days” of dynamic Church growth and the Apostles who preached and witnessed boldly and 3,000 were saved we have to do it!

GET SMARTER —-
GET SMARTER

I have always said the best definition of insanity is

DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER
BUT EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS EACH TIME

Maybe it’s time for us to do things differently
Maybe it’s time for us to

GET SMARTER —-
GET SMARTER

So many things seem to be “smarter” these days – from watches that automatically set themselves by the National Atomic Time Institute to small cards you can swipe at a gas pump and get gas to “intelligent” building controls that can control the buildings energy, security, and communications needs – going as far as automatically turning off lights when a room is empty.
What makes these things “smarter”?
Usually it’s a “chip” – something put inside the gadget – or whatever – that transforms it and gives it the ability to do something it could not do before.
What can be – in us – to make us “more intelligent” – smarter – able to do new things – as a Church?
Just buy books on Church growth or doing a demographic study of the neighborhood?
These are good – but first – we need something new and different inside us – like a “gadget” needs a “chip” inside it.
We need the Holy Spirit inside us.
Only by the Holy Spirit can we

GET SMARTER —-
GET SMARTER

The Holy Spirit is the “chip” – so to speak – that can be inside us and lead us to better ways to be God’s people.

GET SMARTER —-
GET SMARTER

Pray for the Holy Spirit to come upon each of us.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to show us new ways to be God’s people in the world.
Don’t be scared of what might happen if the Spirit should lead us – but follow it’s lead –
That is how we – young people graduating from High School and college – and adults – are going to

GET SMARTER —-
GET SMARTER

AMEN

John 17:1-11

JOHN 17:1-11
“PROTECT THEM”
MAY 8, 2005
SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
MOTHER’S DAY

Today is Mother’s Day — a day when we honor our mothers and think about our mother’s love. We need days like this – days to reflect upon what our mothers have done for us – the love they have shown us – the sacrifices they have made for us.

Some say that Mother’s Day is just a day for the florists – the card companies – and the restaurants to make a bunch of money.
Well – it has become that in some instances.
But – it is still important.

We need days – special times – set aside to honor our mothers – because without them we will probably just go on our ways and not really consider what all our mothers have done for us.

What makes a good mother anyway?
Is it patience?
Compassion?
The ability to love a child – even when they are doing things that are not easy to love?
The ability to sacrifice yourself and your needs for your children’s needs?
Yes –- it is these things – and many more!
Our mothers do so much for us!

I believe that even mothers who can not provide for their children still love them – and ache because – for whatever reason – they have problems providing for them.
I see in mothers a deep concern for their children – and a desire to protect and care for them – even when their children are grown and on their own.

Our Gospel lesson for today takes us back to Jesus’ prayer for his disciples just prior to his arrest. His words take on a pleading tone as he prays for the Father to protect the disciples. He prays:

“And now I am no longer in the world,
but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.
Holy Father, PROTECT THEM in your name that you have given me,
so that they may be one, as we are one.”

Those words suggest how difficult it must have been for Jesus to leave the disciples.
He had lived with them and led them for a long time.
He had tried to teach them everything that they would need to know, but for the most part they had not understood. After His ascension, Jesus would need them to carry on his work, and there was no hint thus far that they would be able to do that.
But what really hit me as I read this prayer this week was that Jesus loved the disciples and wanted the best for them. He was going to leave them — and it was wrenching for him to do so. And so he prayed,

“Holy Father, PROTECT THEM!”

Mothers – and fathers too – are familiar with this request.
Any parent who has said goodbye to a son or daughter – as they leave for school, go out into the world to a career, leave for their homes after a visit – watch them as they go off to war – can imagine Jesus’ deep feelings for the disciples as he prays God’s protection for them.

“Holy Father, PROTECT THEM!”

And – you know – many children can understand these feelings also – especially children of older parents as they leave after a brief visit to return to their own homes – of as they leave their parents in a nursing home – or as they watch their parents being taken in for serious surgery – or as they stand by the bedside as their parents are dying –

“Holy Father, PROTECT THEM!”

My Mom tells the story of how – when I came home with the news that I was accepted into Seminary – after I left she went into the bedroom and got down on her knees and prayed:

“Lord – I give him to you and ask you to protect him as he serves you.”
She knew it was not going to be easy – but she also knew that God would be with me.

“Holy Father, PROTECT THEM!”

This is the love Jesus had for the disciples – and the love many mothers have for their children.

I am reminded of a poem I read recently. I am not sure who wrote it – but it expresses this love many mothers have:

There are times when only a Mother’s love
Can understand our tears,
Can soothe our disappoints
And calm all of our fears.
There are times when only a Mother’s love
Can share the joy we feel
When something we’ve dreamed about
Quite suddenly is real.
There are times when only a Mother’s faith
Can help us on life’s way
And inspire in us the confidence
We need from day to day.
For a Mother’s heart and a Mother’s faith
And a Mother’s steadfast love
Were fashioned by the Angels
And sent from God above…

That’s the kind of love – the kind of passion — that I find in Jesus’ prayer just before his death. Jesus prays:

“And now I am no longer in the world,
but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.
Holy Father, PROTECT THEM!”

“Holy Father, PROTECT THEM!”

Jesus is leaving his disciples.
He will no longer be there to guide and support them.
This is his passionate prayer in their behalf — and in our behalf, too, as Jesus’ prayer later makes clear.

He prays not only for them but for us.
We are tempted to read Jesus’ prayer as we would read a newspaper — with no emotion — with flat affect — with little power.
We are tempted to imagine Jesus praying as we sometimes pray — just saying words that we have said a thousand times — saying them with no heart-felt emotion. But Luke records Jesus sweating drops of blood as he prayed in the garden — and I think that he was sweating drops of blood as he prayed for his disciples.

”

Holy Father, PROTECT THEM!”

It is a prayer in which he shows how much he loves his disciples — and how much he loves us.

It is important to remember that Jesus loves us — and loves us passionately. He demonstrated that by coming down from heaven to be born in a stable — to be raised by ordinary people. He showed it by reaching out to needy people to meet their needs — to heal those who needed healing — to teach those who needed to learn — to rebuke those who needed to change.

And Jesus shows his love for us in many ways today. He shows it by allowing us the freedom to choose him or not — but he also shows his love by pursuing us throughout our lives as a lover would pursue the beloved.
Jesus never gives up on us – but prays for us – and blesses us.

One of the ways Jesus blesses us is with a loving family.
On this Mother’s Day it’s important to remember – and celebrate — the love our families have for us – and the ways our families share with us Jesus’ love and protection.

I believe that Jesus began pursuing me years before I was born.

My Mom’s father – a Methodist minister – suffered a nervous breakdown and killed himself and her mother four years before I was born. Mom was pregnant with my middle sister Alexa – and almost lost her in her grief over her parent’s sudden and tragic death. But Mom determined to not let the tragedy of her parents death extend into our family – and decided that being loving and caring to others – regardless of how your may be feeling – was the answer to life.

The rest of her life – to this day – has been spent caring for and loving others.

She selflessly gave of herself for me and my sisters – and when Dad became seriously ill with advanced Diabetes and Parkinson’s – and became almost immobile — she spent several years sitting with him – waiting on him – loving him. It was almost to the point that the rest of the family was not sure that Mom’s health was good – she never got out and never did anything but sit with Dad and would not allow us to hire anyone else to help her — but since Dad’s death she has shown us that she is perfectly able to do things – it was just that she chose not to so she could take care of Dad.

The other person was always more important to her than herself.
Doing for others was always more important to her than doing for herself.
If I am a person that cares for others – I get a lot of that from Mom!
I don’t do a very good job at copying Mom in this – but I do try!
This is one way Jesus has made a mark on me through my family – or more specifically through my Mom.

And Jesus kept on pursuing me – showing me love and care — through the efforts of Sunday school teachers — through friends – through Church youth groups and camps — through the encouragement of a host of Christian people through the years.

Jesus continued His pursuit – showing me love and care — by calling me to ministry.
I was reluctant, and many times wanted to pull away and do something else — but Jesus kept calling me back. Jesus always gave me the freedom to go my way, but worked to pull me his way.

I can see Jesus’ hand in where I went to Seminary – in where I did my Intern Year – in making sure Sally and I met and making sure Sally could not see all my imperfections until after we were married – and I can see how Jesus has blessed me with a loving marriage that at the end of the month will celebrate 22 years!

I can see Jesus’ loving and protecting hand guiding me when I accepted a call to ministry after Seminary – guiding me here to this place where I could serve and be served by such loving people.

Even in hard times – if I let myself step back – I can see Jesus’ loving and protecting hand upon me.

I can almost hear Jesus praying:

“Holy Father, PROTECT THEM!”

Think about your own life.
Think about the ways that Jesus has loved you.
Think about the ways Jesus has shown love to you.
Think about the ways Jesus has protected you.

I hope that He was able to give you Christian parents, because Christian parents are a special blessing. I hope you can give praise to God for your mother – just as I can for mine – and remember the special ways she loved you and cared for you – and showed God’s love to you.

I hope He has given you Christian friends.
I hope He has spoken to you in many ways — sometimes when you were not even aware of His influence.
I hope He has spoken to you through the words of Sunday school teachers –
I hope He has spoken to you through the scriptures — through worship.
Think about how God has blessed you – and give praise to God for how He has blessed you. If it has been through a loving, Christian mother – give praise to God for that – and if you can – let her know how much you love her! If she has died or is not close by, lift up a prayer giving praise to God for her love – and the many ways God blessed you through her.

Yes – Mother’s Day –- with all it’s commercialism – is important – and necessary – for it gives us a chance to think about our mother’s love – thank her – and praise God for the ways He has blessed us through her.

Indeed – Happy Mother’s Day!
Amen