The Mother's Day Blessing (Written by Michael)

To mothers, both biological and adopted, connected by blood and by experience, torn apart by circumstance and sometimes by choices…

To those who have given life both in birth and in formation, to those who have lost life before birth and before old age…

To those who have done what only mother's can do,

To those who have been "the perfect mother" and to those who live with regrets,

To those who are close to their children, and to those who feel like they are a million miles away,

We bless you today, on this day, Mother's Day.

To those women who have given birth to a child this year,

We celebrate with you the gift that God has given.

To those who feel the pain of children long desired but never received,

We grieve with you the too often secret pain you have borne.

To those who have experienced miscarriage, failed adoptions, and kids who have run away,

We mourn your loss and ask for your forgiveness when we have been silent or even worse, indifferent.

To those who have longed for children, but for whatever reason have been unable to have them,

We love you and we are sorry for the times that we have failed to be sensitive in our words and actions.

To those who have been "mother's" to others who are not their children,

We need more people like you both in the church, and in the broken world in which we live.

To those who have close and meaningful relationships with their children,

We celebrate this day with you and thank God for his grace.

To those who have complicated, painful, or non-existent relationships with their children,

We sorrow with you and thank God for his grace, while we pray for redemption and reconciliation.

To those who have close relationships with their own mother,

We thank God for that intimacy.

To those who have suffered at the hands of their mother,

We acknowledge you and love you as our own.

To those who lost their mothers whether recently or so many years ago,

We mourn with you today.

To those who have experienced weddings, graduations, and the general experiences of growing into adults,

We are proud of you for coming through them with grace.

To those who have gone through school tests, medical tests, emotional tests, and tests of patience with your children,

We are encouraged by your patience, your faith, and we stand with you as these will continue to arise.

To those who will have an emptier nest this year,

We both celebrate and cry with you.

To those of you who long to be better mother's,

God's grace will provide and we will commit to you as well.

To those who long to make things right with your children,

Remember that God's redemptive power can cross any boundary, any brokenness, any pain.

To those who struggle with their children today,

Remember that even the young Jesus almost gave his mother a heart attack on more than one occasion.

To those who feel like all they do is struggle and experience stress and frustration,

Remember your investment is never in vain, and that God uses your faithfulness to change the world.

To those who are bursting with pride today both with their mothers and their children,

We celebrate with you today.

For those of you who struggled to get out of bed this morning, who would rather be at home because of the pain of this day,

We love you and are encouraged by your faithfulness.

We pray that we may be more sensitive and more proactive in being a blessing to you and yours.

To the men in the room, love your wife and love your mother's as Christ loved the church.

Give yourself not as "the husband" or as "the son" but more deeply than that as a servant of Jesus Christ.

Don't let today be the only day you do the dishes, help with the kids, or say kind things to grandma.

Recognize that your wife and mother and grandmother are made in the image of God.

They are precious to him, they are like his mother or grandmother or bride. Honor them as such.

To the women in the room, we thank you for who you are and what you mean to us as individuals and to this church.

We would not be who we are and where we are if it was not for you.

We haven't always done a good job of honoring you, thanking you, appreciating you.     
We haven't always allowed you to use your gifts given to you by God,

We haven't always loved you as you have loved us.

For that we ask for your forgiveness and grace and patience.     

May we be people who honor and encourage and bless you from this day forward for whom God has made you, precious children of God.

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

And in the words of the Hebrew writer...

"Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."