Encounter: Read Slowly through Matthew chapter 4, focusing on verses 23-25. Watch Episode 3 of Season 2. Go to https://www.edenmuncie.com/the-chosen-resources and using the Discussion Guide for Episode 3, find a quiet place and work through the questions and scriptures. Interact with your Life Group or Sunday Study Group discussing what has made an impression on you through the series so far. Put Friday, June 10th on your calendar for Chosen Movie night in our sanctuary with pizza and popcorn, Check out Eden Weekly for details.
This Sunday is the day in our year we celebrate and honor our mom’s or those women in our lives who have been like a mother to us. It is a day that can bring up strong emotions as the flood of both joy-filled memories mingle with sad times of loss and grief.
One of the most treasured experiences about being Megan’s Mom was the beautiful gift of being “needed.” From her arms reaching up to mine to be picked up and embraced as a small child, to walking beside her through the seasons of her life into adulthood, to the time I had to release her hand into God’s, what she needed would change, but me being needed by Meg would not.
Being needed can also overwhelm us at times as most of us live busy lives, filling many roles with the complexity of raising children in our present culture. But perspective can change even this when we reflect on how God has created women in His image to meet these very needs, in the way God would meet them.
Theologian, Frederick Buechner wrote, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.” This is often used as an encouragement to give your life to foreign missions or a significant educational or vocational pursuit, but I wonder if this devalues one of the most important purposes of finding our fullest meaning as we follow Jesus’ call to join him in advancing the kingdom of God by being a light to our children or the children, young and older, that God puts in our path to care for and help thrive, spiritually, emotionally and physically.
I forget most of what I shared at my Meg’s memorial service because of the trauma and loss we experienced, but one thing I remember. I said, “I long to be inconvenienced by her.” In other words, I long to be needed by her and always will because God’s heart is interwoven with mine and God longs for us to need him too.
In Episode 3 of Season 2, Mary walks into the camp and joins the disciples around the fire. They beg her to tell the story of what it was like to give birth to the Messiah. Mary shared how she was surprised how human it all was. How Jesus “needed” her, how the Creator of the universe needed a young Jewish woman to teach him to eat and to walk, to be his light as He was preparing to be revealed as the Light of the World.
With some sadness, Mary said to the group, he doesn’t need me anymore. But as we are able to understand on the other side of the church being born, the way he needed her would change. Just like our children or those we “mother,” the way they need us may change but God has created us all to let our deep gladness in knowing Jesus meet the world’s deep hunger. And just like a godly mother’s passion, God longs for us to need him as well for God brings his deep gladness to meet our deepest hunger.
Jesus understands the heart of women and mother’s more than we can imagine. Our prayers and love for the women in our lives can be the bridge that reveals this as the Good News that infuses them with God’s love and to encourage them, try to shine as lights among the people of this world, as you hold firmly to the message that gives life (Phil 2).
Share this message and prayer and remind the women in your life how being “needed” is a gift given by God. A calling to carry new life within us and through us to be light-bearers in the world around us uniquely as women, made in the image of God.
In Gladness,
Pastor Tammy
P.S. Mom & Dad’s help your child memorize and take to heart this prayer I’m teaching the kids throughout our Chosen series.
I am thankful before you living and enduring King, for you have mercifully restored my soul within me - Great is your faithfulness.
A Prayer for Mother’s Day
Dear Loving and Gracious God
Thank you for the gift of motherhood. Thank you for the blessing it is to be called “Mom.” Thank you for the good plans you have in store for those who still wait to be a Mom. Thank you for the numerous spiritual children you have given to so many “spiritual moms” and mentors. We pray that you would fill this day with favor and grace as we honor Moms all around our nation.
We ask for comfort for those who are grieving loss and heartache, especially on this day. We ask for strength for those who wait for children to come back home. We ask for healing for those who have been hurt by relationships that were intended to be loving and nurturing. We ask for faith for those who will someday be Moms, who find themselves on a journey that seems so hard. We ask for great encouragement and grace to cover those who have made a brave and loving choice for adoption. We ask for incredible provision and care over every single parent mom who works so hard on behalf of her children. We ask that you would remind many of those who, though they do not have “physical” children, have the gift of being amazing hope-bringers to many spiritual children they’ve been blessed to nurture through these years.
God, thank you, for the gift of life. Thank you that your heart is for us, and that you are with us, in all our unique journeys and pathways. Thank you that you are Sovereign over every part of our lives. Thank you that your ways are perfect and you make our footsteps secure.
Today we pray for refreshing, for joy, for grace, for wisdom, for great peace…for all moms, for moms to be, and for women who nurture and lead.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Prayer shared from debbiemcdaniel.com