Mother's Day Notes - 5.8.22

Intro/Welcome

Happy Mother’s Day

Today I want to do something a little bit different.

2 Timothy 1:5 (CSB)

5 I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and now, I am convinced, is in you also.

Exodus 20:12 (CSB)

12 Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Pray

Isaiah 61:1–3 (CSB)

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn, 3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the Lord to glorify him.

The Calling of Motherhood

Eve

Genesis 3:20 (CSB)

20 The man named his wife Eve because she was the mother of all the living.

Eve’s name means: “Life giver”

And here is the very essence of motherhood

She is a life giver, a giver of life.

She is the mother of us all.

The first thing that defines motherhood is the ability to give life.

This is true physically, but also emotionally, mentally

The power of a mother’s words have the power to shape her children.

Crabb

Fully Alive: A Biblical Vision of Gender That Frees Men and Women to Live Beyond Stereotypes 10 The Core Terror of a Woman

When a woman relates to others with Christ’s invitational beauty, opened to welcome rather than closed to protect, and available to nourish rather than positioned to get, she risks losing everything she values; well, everything except God.

Fully Alive: A Biblical Vision of Gender That Frees Men and Women to Live Beyond Stereotypes 4 What Makes a Woman Feminine?

Physical femininity is centered in the capacity to receive and give, a body opened to be entered and to bring life through procreation, and breasts released to pour out nourishment that sustains life.

Relational femininity is a way of relating that both invites life-giving connection from another and nourishes life-giving relating in another. But this is only a preliminary understanding of relational femininity, a beginning definition. Much more can—and will—be said.

Physical Realities

Physical Attributes Pointing to Purpose/Calling

When we just acknowledge how a women’s body is made, I think it points to purpose or what I’ll call the calling of motherhood.

Note*

What you will see here is that I don’t primarily mean being a biological mom, but rather the calling of a mom that is imbued I believe in every woman

whether you ever have a biological child or not.

Nourishment

The first thing we saw was that a woman has the ability to give life.

one of the ways taht she does that is through nurture and nourishment.

A woman’s body is designed to nurture and nourish her baby both inside and outside the womb

This continues beyond the weening process

Characteristic of motherhood is the ability to nurture and nourish.

Example)

I see this in my wife in particular, she is the one who is concerned about the nutrition of our kids

How we can nourish them.

She cares in a way (more than I do)

This is part of her calling.

She also cares very much about my nutrition.

This is a characteristic of motherhood.

the ability to nurture and nourish

A woman’s body literally provides all the nourishment for their babies for the first few months to a year.

That is amazing.

Nurture (caring, comfort)

Invitational

I think women, in general, are more nurturing than men.

It is part of their desirng.

They are, in general, kinder, gentler

My kids go to ‘mommy’ when they are hurt not daddy.

Daddy will say “suck it up”

Mommy will tend to the wounds

It is part of her nature.

Part of that Nurture is just the ‘gentler’ side of women.

Again, biologically

women are more graceful

the have smaller frames

are less intimidating / more inviting

softer faces

natural beauty

these all point towards the ability to invite in and nurture

to connect people in relationships.

Isaiah 66:13 (CSB)

13 As a mother comforts her son, so I will comfort you, and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.

Matthew 23:37 (CSB)

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

1 Thessalonians 2:7 (CSB)

7 Although we could have been a burden as Christ’s apostles, instead we were gentle among you, as a nurse nurtures her own children.

Biblical Examples

Sarah, Rebecca, Leah and Rachel

The wives/mothers of the patriachs

The Mother(s) of Moses

Exodus 2:1–4 (CSB)

1 Now a man from the family of Levi married a Levite woman.

2 The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son; when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months.

3 But when she could no longer hide him, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with asphalt and pitch. She placed the child in it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile.

4 Then his sister stood at a distance in order to see what would happen to him.

She risked her own life to spare his.

Exodus 2:5–10 (CSB)

5 Pharaoh’s daughter went down to bathe at the Nile while her servant girls walked along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds, sent her slave girl, took it, 6 opened it, and saw him, the child—and there he was, a little boy, crying. She felt sorry for him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew boys.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Should I go and call a Hebrew woman who is nursing to nurse the boy for you?” 8 “Go,” Pharaoh’s daughter told her. So the girl went and called the boy’s mother. 9 Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.” So the woman took the boy and nursed him.

10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son.

She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

The daughter of pharoah had compassion and took this child into her home to give life to him, to nurture and nourish him into manhood.

Hannah (1 Sam 1:1-28)

1 Samuel 1:1–18 (CSB)

1 There was a man from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives, the first named Hannah and the second Peninnah.

Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.

3 This man would go up from his town every year to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of Armies at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were the Lord’s priests. 4 Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he always gave portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to each of her sons and daughters. 5

But he gave a double portion to Hannah, for he loved her even though the Lord had kept her from conceiving.

6 Her rival would taunt her severely just to provoke her, because the Lord had kept Hannah from conceiving. 7 Year after year, when she went up to the Lord’s house, her rival taunted her in this way. Hannah would weep and would not eat.

8 “Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband, Elkanah, would ask. “Why won’t you eat? Why are you troubled? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

9 On one occasion, Hannah got up after they ate and drank at Shiloh. The priest Eli was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple.

This is exactly what the enemy does.

10 Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears. 11 Making a vow, she pleaded, “Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.”

12 While she continued praying in the Lord’s presence, Eli watched her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying silently, and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to be drunk? Get rid of your wine!”

15 “No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman with a broken heart. I haven’t had any wine or beer; I’ve been pouring out my heart before the Lord. 16 Don’t think of me as a wicked woman; I’ve been praying from the depth of my anguish and resentment.”

17 Eli responded, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request you’ve made of him.” 18 “May your servant find favor with you,” she replied. Then Hannah went on her way; she ate and no longer looked despondent.

She cried out to the Lord

1 Samuel 1:19–28 (CSB)

19 The next morning Elkanah and Hannah got up early to worship before the Lord.

Afterward, they returned home to Ramah. Then Elkanah was intimate with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her.

20 After some time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, because she said, “I requested him from the Lord.”

21 When Elkanah and all his household went up to make the annual sacrifice and his vow offering to the Lord, 22 Hannah did not go and explained to her husband, “After the child is weaned, I’ll take him to appear in the Lord’s presence and to stay there permanently.”

23 Her husband, Elkanah, replied, “Do what you think is best, and stay here until you’ve weaned him. May the Lord confirm your word.”

So Hannah stayed there and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 When she had weaned him, she took him with her to Shiloh, as well as a three-year-old bull, half a bushel of flour, and a clay jar of wine. Though the boy was still young, she took him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh.

25 Then they slaughtered the bull and brought the boy to Eli. 26

“Please, my lord,” she said, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this boy, and since the Lord gave me what I asked him for, 28 I now give the boy to the Lord. For as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.” Then he worshiped the Lord there.

A mother gives her child to the Lord and worships Him

Ruth (Ruth 4:13-22)

Ruth intro:

Ruth and her mother Noami

She was favored by Boaz

Ruth 4:13–22 (CSB)

13 Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. He slept with her, and the Lord granted conception to her, and she gave birth to a son.

14 The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you without a family redeemer today. May his name become well known in Israel. 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. Indeed, your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

16 Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became a mother to him.

17 The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 Now these are the family records of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, 19 Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, 20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, 21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, 22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

Bathsheba (2 Sam 12, 1 Kings 1-2)

2 Samuel 12:15–17 (CSB)

15 Then Nathan went home. The Lord struck the baby that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became deathly ill. 16 David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted, went home, and spent the night lying on the ground. 17 The elders of his house stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them.

David’s folly results in the death of her firstborn.

She has suffered the loss of a child as some of you have.

2 Samuel 12:24–25 (CSB)

24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba; he went to her and slept with her. She gave birth to a son and named him Solomon. The Lord loved him, 25 and he sent a message through the prophet Nathan, who named him Jedidiah, because of the Lord.

She is the mother of the most prestigious King in Israel’s History

Bathsheba and Solomon

1 Kings 1:11–27 (CSB)

11 Then Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king and our lord David does not know it?

12 Now please come and let me advise you. Save your life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go, approach King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to your servant: Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne? So why has Adonijah become king?’

14 At that moment, while you are still there speaking with the king, I’ll come in after you and confirm your words.”

15 So Bathsheba went to the king in his bedroom. Since the king was very old, Abishag the Shunammite was attending to him.

16 Bathsheba knelt low and paid homage to the king, and he asked, “What do you want?”

17 She replied, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, ‘Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne.’

18 Now look, Adonijah has become king. And, my lord the king, you didn’t know it. 19 He has lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. He invited all the king’s sons, the priest Abiathar, and Joab the commander of the army, but he did not invite your servant Solomon.

20 Now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his ancestors, I and my son Solomon will be regarded as criminals.”

22 At that moment, while she was still speaking with the king, the prophet Nathan arrived, 23 and it was announced to the king, “The prophet Nathan is here.”

He came into the king’s presence and paid homage to him with his face to the ground. 24 “My lord the king,” Nathan said, “did you say, ‘Adonijah is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne’?

25 For today he went down and lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. He invited all the sons of the king, the commanders of the army, and the priest Abiathar. And look! They’re eating and drinking in his presence, and they’re saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 But he did not invite me—me, your servant—or the priest Zadok or Benaiah son of Jehoiada or your servant Solomon.

27 I’m certain my lord the king would not have let this happen without letting your servant know who will sit on my lord the king’s throne after him.”

She risked her life to exalt her son.

Courage

1 Kings 2:18–25 (CSB)

18 “Very well,” Bathsheba replied. “I will speak to the king for you.”

19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him about Adonijah. The king stood up to greet her, bowed to her, sat down on his throne, and had a throne placed for the king’s mother.

So she sat down at his right hand. 20 Then she said, “I have just one small request of you. Don’t turn me down.” “Go ahead and ask, mother,” the king replied, “for I won’t turn you down.”

21 So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife.”

22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why are you requesting Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my elder brother, you might as well ask the kingship for him, for the priest Abiathar, and for Joab son of Zeruiah.”

23 Then King Solomon took an oath by the Lord: “May God punish me and do so severely if Adonijah has not made this request at the cost of his life.

24 And now, as the Lord lives—the one who established me, seated me on the throne of my father David, and made me a dynasty as he promised—I swear Adonijah will be put to death today!”

25 Then King Solomon dispatched Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who struck down Adonijah, and he died.

King Lemuel’s Mother

Proverbs 31:1–9 (CSB)

1 The words of King Lemuel, a pronouncement that his mother taught him:

2 What should I say, my son? What, son of my womb? What, son of my vows?

3 Don’t spend your energy on women or your efforts on those who destroy kings.

4 It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine or for rulers to desire beer.

5 Otherwise, he will drink, forget what is decreed, and pervert justice for all the oppressed.

6 Give beer to one who is dying and wine to one whose life is bitter.

7 Let him drink so that he can forget his poverty and remember his trouble no more.

8 Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed.

9 Speak up, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy.

A contributor to the book of proverbs

wisdom from a mother.

Elizabeth (John’s Mother)

Luke 1:39–45 (CSB)

39 In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah 40 where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.

41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 Then she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed!

43 How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”

Elizabeth blesses Mary — an encourager

Mary’s the Mother of Jesus

Luke 1:30–38 (CSB)

30 Then the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”

34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?”

35 The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

38 “See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Mary is humble, willing to do the will of the Lord.

Luke 1:46–56 (CSB)

46 And Mary said:

My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 because he has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and his name is holy.

50 His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him.

51 He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly.

53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he spoke to our ancestors.

56 And Mary stayed with her about three months; then she returned to her home.

Mary worships the Lord with Praise!

Mary and Jesus

Mary is mentioned repeatedly through the gospel accounts

John 2:1–5 (CSB)

1 On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’s mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well.

3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’s mother told him, “They don’t have any wine.” 4 “What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.” 5 “Do whatever he tells you,” his mother told the servants.

She was there for the crucifixion

The Apostle John and Jesus’ Mother

Encouragment

The temptation may be I’m not living up, i’m not like that, i don’t have what it takes.

Don’t you think Mary felt that way at times?

or any of the other mother’s we have looked like.

Yet, this is precisely what Jesus came to save us from.

That in our failures he has succeeded

that we are free from the forces of condemnation

Jesus took all of our sins, shortcomings and failures on the cross

He makes up for where we fail and fall short

he is greater than our sins.

And it is he who died for you, rose and is living inside of you today.

That you are exactly the mother your children need

that the greatest attribute of all these women is

they knew and called upon the Lord.

And the Lord is with you, every moment

for he has promised to always be with us.

You can call upon the Lord in your times of need just as they did.

you only have to succeed half the time.

Transition

Now, I wanted to give you all an opportunity to hear from some One Hope Mom’s who are in different stages of life.

rather than just hearing from me, I want them to share with you about motherhood, the ups, the downs and everything in between.

Spiritual Mothers

you don’t have to physically give birth to children to be a mother.

to live out the calling of motherhood

Amy Carmichael, Florence Nightingale, Hannah Moore, Susan B. Anthony, Corrie Ten Boom, Mother Teresa to a name just a couple

Susan B. Anthony

The Anthony family was Quaker, with a long history of social justice and antislavery activism. Susan B. Anthony dedicated her life to women’s rights and suffrage, having learned the traits of fairness and justice in her godly family. She raised up the banner for the abolition of slavery, the right of women to own property and to attend higher learning, and the right of women to vote. Anthony resisted the pressure to secularize the women’s moment, “knowing it would take both the religious and the irreligious to change society.”

Amy Carmichael

Amy Carmichael first worked in Japan, then Ceylon, but her main life’s work was in southern India. She adopted Indian clothing and preached the Gospel to all who would listen, leading many women to Christ. Amy lived among the Indian women who had been persecuted after being converted to Christ from Hinduism. When Amy or ‘Amma’ (which means mother) learned about childhood prostitution and tracking of children in the name of Hinduism, she first began to take in girls, and then boys, creating a refuge for children. Working with other Indian women, Amy created a large hostel and a hospital for children. She founded the Dohhnavur Mission where she helped to save thousands of children out of prostitution. Despite constant opposition, her tireless labors as a social reformer led to the law in India being changed to protect children from tracking and prostitution.

Corrie ten Boom

Corrie ten Boom and her family helped Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust during World War II and helped to save nearly 800 lives. The entire ten Boom family became active in the Dutch resistance, risking their lives by harboring those hunted by the Gestapo. Some fugitive Jews hid in their home for only a few hours. Others stayed several days until another “safe house” could be located. Betrayed by another Dutch citizen, the entire family was imprisoned, including Corrie’s 84-year-old father, who soon died under horrible conditions. Corrie and her sister Betsie were moved to Ravensbrück concentration camp, near Berlin. Betsie died there on December 16, 1944. Twelve days later, Corrie was released due to a clerical error. Corrie returned to the Netherlands after the war and set up a rehabilitation center for concentration camp survivors. To recognize the efforts of the Ten Boom family to hide Jews from arrest by the Nazis, Corrie ten Boom received recognition from the Yad Vashem Remembrance Authority as one of the “Righteous Among the Nations” on December 12, 1967. To recognize the efforts of the Ten Boom family to hide Jews from arrest by the Nazis, Corrie ten Boom received recognition from the Yad Vashem Remembrance Authority as one of the “Righteous Among the Nations” on December 12, 1967. In 1946, she began a worldwide ministry that allowed her to share the message of God’s love in more than 60 countries.

Mother Teresa

At the age of eighteen, moved by a desire to become a missionary, Gonxha Agnes left her home in Albania in September of 1928 to join the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland. Entering into her calling, she received the name Sister Mary Teresa. In January of 1929, she arrived in Calcutta, India and began teaching at St. Mary’s School for girls. On May 24, 1937, Sister Teresa made her Final Profession of Vows, becoming, as she said, the “spouse of Jesus” for “all eternity.” From that time on she was called Mother Teresa. After a short course with the Medical Mission Sisters in Patna, Mother Teresa returned to Calcutta and started caring for the poor. Each day she went out into the streets to nd and serve Jesus in “the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for.” After some months, her students started joining her in this compassionate work. In time this ministry grew, reaching out to lepers, addicts, and various kinds of the Untouchable class in India. In the 1970s and 80s the world began to take notice of Mother Teresa and her mission of mercy. Numerous awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, honored her work. She received both prizes and attention “for the glory of God and in the name of the poor.” By 1997, Mother Teresa’s Sisters numbered nearly 4,000 members and were established in 610 foundations in 123 countries of the world.

Florence Nightingale (12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910)

She was an English social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War, in which she organized care for wounded soldiers at Constantinople.[4] She gave nursing a favourable reputation and became an icon of Victorian culture, especially in the persona of "The Lady with the Lamp" making rounds of wounded soldiers at night.[5][6]

Hannah More (2 February 1745 – 7 September 1833)

She was an English religious writer, philanthropist, poet and playwright in the circle of Johnson, Reynolds and Garrick, who wrote on moral and religious subjects. Born in Bristol, she taught at a school her father founded there and began writing plays. She became involved in the London literary elite and a leading Bluestocking member. Her later plays and poetry became more evangelical. She joined a group opposing the slave trade. In the 1790s she wrote Cheap Repository Tracts on moral, religious and political topics, to distribute to the literate poor (as a retort to Thomas Paine's Rights of Man). Meanwhile, she broadened her links with schools she and her sister Martha had founded in rural Somerset. These curbed their teaching of the poor, allowing limited reading but no writing. More was noted for her political conservatism, being described as an anti-feminist, a "counter-revolutionary", or a conservative feminist.[1]