Mother's Day Reading

Veronica - Good morning and Happy Mother’s Day Outpost church! Thank you so much for joining us for our Sunday gathering. Before we get started, I wanted to share a couple of announcements with you:

We have Refuge student ministries happening this week... 6th-12th Graders…Wednesday night from 5:45-7:00.

We are continuing our women’s Bible study entitled “How to Read your Bible” on Tuesday nights at 6:30...

Our next steps class number two will be next week directly after services. If you attended the first step class two weeks ago then this is the class for you. We will have a sign up sheet in the lobby after services if you will help us out by signing up for that class and letting us know how many people will be with you so that we can plan childcare and food appropriately. If you missed the class two weeks ago, we will have another opportunity coming up soon. Lunch and childcare will be provided for that one and Devin says he promises this one won’t be near as long as the first class was.

If you didn’t get a chance to order a t-shirt and you would like one, stop by the table in the lobby on your way out and you can purchase one there or if you don’t see one in your size, you can fill out one of the little order forms. We are selling the shirts and hats for $10 but if you don’t have ten bucks please don’t let that stop you from grabbing one it just helps us to offset the cost of ordering them. You can just toss the money in the brown box at the back of the auditorium or you can pay when they come in.

If you are new with us and received one of those green cards that say connect card, would you please fill that out and drop it off at the table in the lobby on your way out. We want to send you a note this week thanking you for joining us.

Patsy -

This morning we want to take a moment and recognize all of our mothers. Now, the way that typically works is by asking all of our mothers to please stand and be recognized so that we can give you a hand of thanks. But the problem with this is:

What about the ‘not-yet’ mother who has suffered through multiple miscarriages? Is asking her stay seated while all of the women who have been able to give birth to stand and be recognized, a helpful way to honor her?

What about the woman in her late 30’s or early 40’s who has been hopeful for years that she would get pregnant but the news has never come?

What about the young, single, pregnant, and ‘soon-to-be’ mother? What does she do?

Or what about the woman in her seventies that has never married and never had children and yet has been a spiritual mother to countless women making big impacts in the lives of untold generations?

Veronica -

You see....motherhood is a broad continuum. And yes, gratitude is absolutely one way to honor our mothers…but, it is not all that is needed. Just as motherhood is a continuum, so are the needs that deserve recognition on Mothers Day.

And so we want to read a liturgy for mothers written by Amy:

To those who gave birth this year - WE CELEBRATE WITH YOU

Patsy -

To those who have ever lost a child - WE MOURN WITH YOU

Veronica -

To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food stains - WE APPRECIATE YOU

Patsy -

To those who experienced loss through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or running away - WE MOURN WITH YOU

Veronica -

To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods, tears, and disappointments - WE WALK WITH YOU. FORGIVE US WHEN WE SAY FOOLISH THINGS. WE DON’T WANT TO MAKE THIS HARDER THAN IT IS.

Patsy -

To those who are foster moms, mentor moms, and spiritual moms - WE NEED YOU

Veronica -

To those who have warm and close relationships with your children - WE CELEBRATE WITH YOU

Patsy -

To those who have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with your children - WE WANT TO WALK IN THAT WITH YOU

Veronica -

To those who have lost their own mothers - WE GRIEVE WITH YOU

Patsy -

To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother - WE ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR EXPERIENCE AND VOW TO JOURNEY WITH YOU ON YOUR ROAD TO HEALING

Veronica -

To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall testing of motherhood - WE ARE BETTER FOR HAVING YOU IN OUR MIDST

Patsy -

To those who are married, or may be single and longing to be married mothering your own children - WE MOURN THAT LIFE HAS NOT TURNED OUT THE WAY YOU LONGED FOR IT TO BE

Veronica -

To those who step-parent - WE WALK WITH YOU ON THESE COMPLEX PATHS

Patsy -

To those who envisioned lavishing love on grandchildren and yet that dream remains unfulfilled - WE GRIEVE WITH YOU

Veronica -

To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year - WE BOTH GRIEVE AND REJOICE WITH YOU

Patsy -

To those who placed children up for adoption - WE CAN’T IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE TO HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION AND WE COMMEND YOU FOR YOUR SELFLESSNESS AND REMEMBER HOW YOU HOLD THAT CHILD IN YOUR HEART

Veronica -

To those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising - WE ANTICIPATE WITH YOU IN YOUR EXCITEMENT

First John 4:19 tells us this:

1 John 4:19 NASB95

We love, because He first loved us.

We believe motherhood is a beautiful embodiment of this type of “First Love.” This mothers day, we walk with you. Mothering is not for the faint of heart and we have real warriors in our midst who have boldly chosen to love first. We remember you. May you be honored and blessed.

Patsy -

Will you please stand with us as I pray for all of our mothers and remain standing as we enter into worship.

Pray

After praying please bring the tablet down with you and I will get if from you.