Goodness and Mercy are following us

May 12, 2019 Psalm 23 Mother’s Day Year C 4th Sunday of Easter Children’s sermon – doing what we want to do and listening to our mom. I once again had Children's Sermon., now this was kind of fun since it was Mother's Day. So I started by asking the kids that if they had any of the following living at their home to raise their hand and then I went through the following list: a transportation director a personal dietitian or nutritionist a fashion coordinator a landscaper an accounts manager a pediatric physician a domestic engineer an interior designer a family historian an arbitrator or a personal coach TO almost all of these I got "no" or "huh?" Then we went back through each one and explained what these jobs would be in simple language and who most likely in the homes of our kids performed these duties. I explained that Mom's tend to be the ones who arrange for rides to where we want to be. That Mom is the one who decides what we can or cannot have to eat. "Can I have 1 more oreo?" and that sometimes mom says no because it is good for us NOT to have 1 more cookie. Then the fashion coordinator is the person who buys, washes and let's us know if what we are wearing is appropriate for the occasion and if it matches.The landscaper is the one who might mow the lawn or plants the flowers or shrubs or adds decoration outside to make your home look nice. The accounts manager is someone who makes sure that the bills are paid that there is money for groceries and all the activities that kids would like to do. The Pediatric physician - this I had to explain was "a kid doctor" and who do we go to when we have a sore throat or a splinter? - MOM. A domestic engineer - is someone who makes sure the the home runs properly. The interior designer is the one who makes the inside of our houses look nice and helps keep it clean. The family historian - is the person who helps keep track of our lives, either in photos, or journals or scrapbooks. They are the ones that when asked "What was it like the day I was born?" will be the one that can remember that day and explain it in detail. The arbitrator is the one who breaks up fights or arguments with siblings or friends. And finally the personal coach - I hope that we all have personal coaches as those are the people who encourage us all the time, they are the ones who challenge us and teach us new skills that we need to get through life. But the amazing part of all of this is that all those big titles we sum up with 3 letters -MOM. But when we read Proverbs 31:29-31 we find that "...that a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her reward she has earned, and let her works be known at the city gates." Now you knew that mom did all these things for you, but I challenge you to learn 1 new thing about your mom today. Find out what your mom's favorite color is, what is her favorite flower, or her favorite food. Take time and talk to your mom because she is a lot more than you think. Posted by Schick fun ideas at 8:32 PM Labels: Children's sermon Psalm 23 Common English Bible (CEB) Psalm 23 A psalm of David. 23 The LORD is my shepherd. I lack nothing. 2 He lets me rest in grassy meadows; he leads me to restful waters; 3 he keeps me [a] alive. He guides me in proper paths for the sake of his good name. 4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger because you are with me. Your rod and your staff— they protect me. 5 You set a table for me right in front of my enemies. You bathe my head in oil; my cup is so full it spills over! 6 Yes, goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live[b] in the LORD’s house as long as I live. Footnotes: a. Psalm 23:3 Or my soul b. Psalm 23:6 LXX; MT I will return Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible One of my earliest memories of visiting my grandmother, was her giving me the little golden book of the Lord is my Shepherd. I remember studying that scripture as a child trying to understand it. As I learned how to read, my grandmother gave me that book again and told me to read and study it. My mother gave me this book as I was learning to read, and I have held onto to it. My grandmother would also make sure that each night before I went to bed she would walk me through Now I lay me down to sleep and my evening prayer. So if you want to blame anyone for me becoming a pastor – it is all my grandmother’s fault. – she had a plan for my life, and expected me to follow it step by step. The psalms in general are important, they capture the gamut of human experience, there are happy psalms, sad psalms, psalms for when you are on a journey, when you are at peace. They were an important part of the jewish life. Jesus learned to recite them throughout his life, many times if you don’t know the psalms. You think Jesus is speaking from the heart, many times he is quoting an appropriate psalm. My God why have you forsaken me – a psalm. The spirit of the lord is upon me – a psalm. There are monks who have learned all 119 psalms by heart. I would love to get to that point one day – but unfortunately, I don’t get the chance to study the psalms very often. There is one every week in the lectionary of scripture – but the problem with preaching on them is that there is not a lot of commentary on their meaning, so don’t have the material to develop a sermon. I try to get us to read them during lent, but reciting the words is not the same as really thinking about the meaning of a psalm Today’s Psalm is the exception. Psalm 23 is read at every point in our lives. Children read it, adults read it. It is used at funerals, and at weddings and today it is the reading for Mother’s Day. I love this version, which uses the theme of a mother “All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” — Abraham Lincoln “Is this the long way?” asked the young mother as she set her foot on the path of life. The Guide said, “Yes, and the way is hard, and you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning.” The young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, she fed them and bathed them, taught them how to tie their shoes and ride a bike, and reminded them to feed the dog and do their homework and brush their teeth. The sun shone on them and the young mother said, “Nothing will ever be lovelier than this.” Then the nights came, and the storms, and the path was sometimes dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her arms. The children said, “Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come.” The morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. At all times, she said to the children, “A little patience and we are there.” So the children climbed and as the climbed they learned to weather the storms. With this, she gave them strength to face the world. Year after year she showed them compassion, understanding, hope, but most of all unconditional love. When they reached the top, they said, “Mother, we could not have done it without you.” The days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years. The mother grew old and she became little and bent. Her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. The mother, when she lay down at night, looked up at the stars and said, “This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned so much and are now passing these traits on to their children.” When the way became rough for her, they lifted her, and gave her strength, just as she had given them hers. One day, they came to a hill, and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. Mother said, “I have reached the end of my journey, and now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk with dignity and pride, with their heads held high, and so can their children after them.” The children said, “You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates.” They stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. They said, “We cannot see her, but she is with us still.” A mother is more than a memory. She is a living presence. Your mother is always with you. She’s the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street, she’s the smell of certain foods you remember, flowers you pick and perfume she wore, she’s the cool hand on your brow when you’re not feeling well, she’s your breath in the air on a cold winter’s day. She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colors of the rainbow, she is your birthday morning. Your mother lives inside your laughter. She’s crystallized in every teardrop. A mother shows through in every emotion – happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy, love, hate, anger, helplessness, excitement, joy, sorrow – and all the while hoping and praying you will only know the good feelings in life. She’s the place you came from, your first home, and she’s the map you follow with every step you take. She’s your first love, your first friend, even your first enemy, but nothing on earth can separate you. Not time, not space – not even death. I love this beautiful story about mothers love written by Temple Bailey. It appeared in Good Housekeeping Magazine in 1933. On this Mother’s Day when you feel a little tug at your heart, remember your mother lives with you always. Happy Mother’s Day! This story first appeared in Good Housekeeping in 1933 written by Temple Bailey. On this Mother’s Day when you feel a special tenderness tugging at your heart, remember your mother lives within you always. My mom is my shepherd; I shall not want. She makes me lie down under cool, downy comforts. She watches me play beside still waters. She restores my soul. She leads me in paths of respect, responsibility, and goodness, for I am her namesake! Yea, even though I walk past monsters in the dark, I will not be ascared, because my mom is always near me. Her hands and her voice, they comfort me. Mama sets the table and cheerfully calls me to dinner even in front of big, mean bullies. She anoints my skinned knees and broken heart with kisses. She smiles and throws me a towel when my cup runneth over. Surely God's peace, power, and mercy shall uphold me all the days of my life, for my Mother taught me to dwell in the house of God forever. Psalm 22 Re-Interpeted The Lord is my Shepherd... That's Relationship! I shall not want... That's Supply! He maketh me to lie down in green pastures... That's Rest! He leadeth me beside the still waters... That's Refreshment! He restoreth my soul... That's Healing! He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness... That's Guidance! For His name sake... That's Purpose! Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death... That's Testing! I will fear no evil... That's Protection! For Thou art with me... That's Faithfulness! Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me... That's Discipline! Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies... That's Hope! Thou annointest my head with oil... That's Consecration! My cup runneth over... That's Abundance! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life... That's Blessing! And I will dwell in the house of the Lord... That's Security! Forever and ever... That's Eternity! The previous psalm ended by speaking of the joy of salvation, that is, of discovering what it means to have been put into a right relationship with God, brought back home into fellowship with him in the Covenant. This psalm, which almost surely stems from David himself, describes what it feels like thus to be back at home with God. It is expressed in language that really spoke home to the country folk of his day. David had been a shepherd. Now he was the shepherd of his people. In what way must he now care for them? This problem opened up for him a new awareness of what God, the true Shepherd, is himself like in his relationship with his people. As I have been studying this psalm this week, I find that the greatest lesson for us in the psalm is trust. It is important for us to have a relationship with God based on trust. If we have trust in God all that we need to live will be provided. I have to find my copy of the Tanakh. Tanakh is the Jewish version of the Hebrew bible. What is interesting is that there is a difference sometimes between the Jewish version of a scripture and the Christian version. For instance, for us the last words of this psalm is I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever, whereas the Jewish version says I shall dwell in the house of the Lord all of the days of my life. there is a little bit of a difference. Another difference is our image of goodness and mercy following us. For Christians we think of a little puppy quietly following, but the Hebrew word for follow is much more aggressive, it means I will stalk you and hunt you down until I catch you. In other words there is nothing that you can do to escape God’s love. God is determined that we have all that we need to have a wonderful life no matter what. A mother’s love can be like that. In many ways mothers are shepherds, they are our caretakers. Timmy was a little five year old boy that his Mom loved very much and, being a worrier, she was concerned about him walking to school all by himself when he started kindergarten. She walked him to school the first few days, but one day he came home and asked if he could walk by himself. He wanted to be like the "big boys." Not wanting to disappoint him, she decided to allow him to walk without her, via plan B (which consisted of recruiting a neighbor, Mrs. Goodnest, to repetitiously follow him to school, at a distance far enough behind him that he would not likely notice he was being followed, but close enough to keep a watch on him). Mrs. Goodnest was agreeable, since she was up early with her own toddler anyway, and it would be a good way for them to get some exercise. So, the very next school day Mrs. Goodnest and her little girl, Marcy, set out to follow behind Timmy as he walked to school. Timmy was accompanied by another neighbor boy he knew. As the boys walked to school each day, chatting, and kicking stones and twigs, the little friend of Timmy began to notice that a lady seemed to be following them every day. "Have you noticed that lady following us all week? Do you know her?" he asked Timmy. "Yea, I know who she is," Timmy replied "Well who is she?" "That's just Shirley Goodnest," Timmy said. "Shirley Goodnest? Who the is she? Why is she following us?" "Well," Timmy explained, "Every night Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm in my prayers 'cuz she worries about me so much. And in it the Psalm says, 'Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life,' so I guess I'll just have to get used to it." Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow us. when you think about the psalm – What is most valuable, is not what we have in our lives, but WHO we have in our lives! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all of the days of our life no matter how old we get. What is most valuable, is not what we have in our lives, but WHO we have in our lives! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all of the days of our life no matter how old we get. How can we reply to the love that our mothers gave us. what is it that we can give them to say thank you. Studies say that no matter what we may give them that all they really want is for us to know that they love them. For us to be able to acknowledge all that they have done for us, and to realize that it is all about love. Amen. Other illustrations…….. How can we reply to the love that our mothers gave us. what is it that we can give them to say thank you. Studies say that no matter what we may give them that all they really want is for us to know that they love them. For us to be able to acknowledge all that they have done for us, and to realize that it is all about love. Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow us. when you think about the psalm – Psalm 22 Re-Interpeted The Lord is my Shepherd... That's Relationship! I shall not want... That's Supply! He maketh me to lie down in green pastures... That's Rest! He leadeth me beside the still waters... That's Refreshment! He restoreth my soul... That's Healing! He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness... That's Guidance! For His name sake... That's Purpose! Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death... That's Testing! I will fear no evil... That's Protection! For Thou art with me... That's Faithfulness! Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me... That's Discipline! Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies... That's Hope! Thou annointest my head with oil... That's Consecration! My cup runneth over... That's Abundance! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life... That's Blessing! And I will dwell in the house of the Lord... That's Security! Forever and ever... That's Eternity! No language can express the power, and beauty, and heroism, and majesty of a mother's love. It shrinks not where man cowers, and grows stronger where man faints, and over wastes of worldly fortunes sends the radiance of its quenchless fidelity like a star. — Edwin Hubbell Chapin

Mother's have joint custody of our souls

Mother’s Day May 10, 2015 1 John 5:1-6 John 15:9-17 6th Sunday of Easter Year B There is a story about two tribes in the Andes that were at war. One tribe lived in the lowlands and the other high in the mountains. The mountain people invaded the lowlanders one day, and as part of their plundering, they kidnapped a baby of one of the lowlander families and took the infant with them back up into the mountains. The lowlanders didn’t know how to climb the mountain. They didn’t know any of the trails that the mountain people used, and they didn’t know where to find the mountain people or how to track them in the steep terrain. Even so, they sent out their best party of fighting men to climb the mountain and bring the baby home. The men tried first one method of climbing and then another. They tried one trail and then another. After several days of effort, however, they had climbed only several hundred feet. Feeling hopeless and helpless, the lowlander men decided that the cause was lost, and they prepared to return to their village below. As they were packing their gear for the descent, they saw the baby’s mother walking toward them. They realized that she was coming down the mountain that they hadn’t figured out how to climb. And then they saw that she had the baby strapped to her back. How could that be? One man greeted her and said, “We couldn’t climb this mountain. How did you do this when we, the strongest and most able men in the village, couldn’t do it?” She shrugged her shoulders and said, “It wasn’t your baby.” (4) Today we celebrate the care and concern and love of our mothers. Leonard Sweet says that we never have sole custody of our souls. A mother has joint custody. Wherever we are and whatever we are doing, our mothers are always thinking about us. They go with us, and they have just as much of a stake in what we do, as we do. On the other hand, I have also heard it said that being a mother has to get used to her heart living outside of her body. Being a parent changes you, because suddenly your life is not all about you. It is about that child, who never grows up, and is never able to be on his own. Mothers are with their children through each stage of their life, and with each new stage you learn to love your children in a whole new way. One pastor said that the price of love is a broken heart. And no matter how hard we try, at some point we have to give our children away. We give them away to God when they are baptized, we give them to the teacher when they go to kindergarten, we give them away to life, when something happens to them, we give them away to the system when they go to college, we give them away to a stranger that they call boyfriend or girlfriend, we give them away to a husband or wife, we give them away for life, to live their own life, we give them away out of love, for love, to love. And ever since Easter, that has been our constant scripture lesson. And what better message for Mother’s day for us to remember, is the love that we have received, and the love that we give to others. 1 John 5 says whoever loves someone who is a parent, loves the child born to the parent. Not only do we love Jesus because he is the son of God. we love the children of God. this scriptures says that the children of God are those who are willing to do God will – and God’s will is to love. We all need to be loved, and we all have to learn to give love to others. Love is not good at math. Love does not do division, it does not know how to divide. Love only knows how to multiply and to grow. There are important qualities of love, especially God’s love that help it to multiply and spread throughout the world. God’s love is inside of us, in every cell of our body. It is round us, it flows every where. God’s love is pervasive and ever present. Like sap flows through a tree and nourishes the inside of the tree, God’s love nourished our soul. In John 15 God says to love one another as I have loved you. Love yourself, love your neighbor, love your enemies. If love is inside of you, and flows within you, then spread it around to others. We all saw the pictures of the mom last week in Baltimore, who fought with all that she had to keep her son out of the rioting. She came with all that she knew in her soul and her heart to make her son do the right thing. That is that all present all pervasive love. God’s love also spreads like wildfire to everything that it touches. Jesus says I am the vine and you are the branches. If you are connected through Jesus to God’s love then you can bring love to any situation. And you automatically know when to spread love. In her book Making babies, stumbling into motherhood, Anne Enright talked about breast feeding her child. When she heard the baby cry, then the milk would start to form in her breast. But she said that the brain, understands the signal for love, but does not recognize the face of love. So whenever she would hear a baby cry, or hear a story that touched her, then the milk would form. That is an example of being a mother, but it teaches us that love is not just for our relatives ad friends, but it is for anyone. Anyone who asks for the love of god will receive it. Love is no respecter of receiver, it is a respector of the giver. That is why we are taught that we should love all, God loves all. And finally god’s love is there for us when we are not there for ourselves. There is a new novel called family life. In the story an immigrant from India, who now lives in New York pays the airline fare for his mother to go to India every month. The mother is very proud of her son, and proud of what he has done with his life. But she takes the money but she does not spend it. Afterall, what will happen if her son loses his job and cannot take care of himself. She keeps his money and set it aside, just in case he may need it some day. Only a mother would think like that. She uses God’s love to take care of her son. God’s love is all encompassing, continually growing, and always thinking ahead. Happy Mother’s Day to all who are albe to share that kind of love. But I think that it is important for us to remember, that God’s love is not just about women. We speak so much as God the father, that we forget that God is both mother and father. God is a spirit that transcends our idea of gender. Which seems to be changing anyway – but that is a whole different sermon. But I wanted to point out that there are just as many mothering images of God as there are fathering images. Motherhood and Compassion. A few days ago I made a marvelous discovery. In the Hebrew language of the Old Testament the word for “compassion” comes from the root word, “womb.” The picture is of a birthing. Something new is being born. If I apply this in a human experience, it means that my compassionate acts always give the other person another chance. I do not hold past failures against them. I offer a “fresh start.” I want this for myself from others. Am I willing to give it to the other person? Such compassion will dramatically change the way we relate to each other. Brooks Ramsey, Pastoral Counseling and Consulting Center, Memphis TN. John 15 says that the gift of giving love to another is complete joy. Joy that all is well. I am able to get through this mothers day, after having just lost my mother because me joy is complete. I know that my mother did all that she could to love me and all of her family. I am not sad today, because in love, joy is complete. She gave what she had, and now god has called her to another task. Blessed be the name of the Lord. If I know how to love others, then she has done her job. Robert Brault says that if you have a mother, there is no where that you can go that prayer has not already been. We do not have sole custody of our sole, our mother has joint custody. Let us make sure that we give God full custody. That we live in God’s love, feel God;s love and give God’s love. No matter what – love is a lot of hard work! to love is to be for another, to act for another even at the cost of oneself. Happy Mother’s day to all! We have all felt god’s love in our life in some way, given by someone. Today let us spread that love, not just to our family, but to someone in need of God’s love in their lives. Amen. Exegetical Aim: Obedience is the most appropriate expression of our love. Props: None Lesson: [With each of these questions allow several children to express their thoughts.] Who knows what love is?(response) Ok, what is love? (response) A little humor for the adults: Now I suppose that your mom's love you...they do don't they? (response) How does your mom love you? What does she do for you? (response) Those are all very good ways that mom's show their love. Now let me ask you a different question. Do you love your mom? (response) How do you show your love to your mom? What do you do for her? (response) Those are all very good ways to show your love for mom. Who knows what today is? (response) It's Mother's Day! Are you going to do anything special today to tell mom how much you appreciate her?(response) What are going to do? (response) Well, if you haven't gotten her anything yet, I can get you out of a little hot water. Here's what you do. All day today when your mom ask you to do something, I want you to say, "Yes, ma'am," and immediately go and do what she told you. It will be the best Mother's Day ever if you do this. Listen to something Jesus said; he said, "If you love me, you will obey me." What did Jesus mean: If you love me, you will obey me? (response) He was telling us that the best way to show our love for God is to obey him and do what he tells us to do. This is also the best way to show our love for Mom. We need to do what mom tells us to do. If she tells you to sit up and eat your lunch then you need to sit up and eat your lunch. If she tells you to pick up your toys then what do you need to do? (response) That's right. If she tells you to be polite and say excuse me, then what are going to do? (response) This is Mother's Day. Today you are going to tell mom how much you love her. The best way to show her your love is by being obedient and doing what you are asked to do. Then she will know how much you love and care for her. You cannot take Jesus to India. You cant take Jesus to Africa. We cant take Jesus anywhere. He is already there. He is making a difference, Jesus takes us and asks us to join him in service to his children. He has already been there. He takes us, we never take him. Ripley’s Believe it or Not says that the longest love letter ever written was written in 1875 and it was written from a Parisian painter by the name of Marcel de Leclure. The letter was addressed to Magdalena de Villeray. The painter was so in love with Magdalena that he wanted to write, Je t’aime “I love you” in French a thousand times for every year on the calendar. This was in 1875, so he decided to write “I love you” one million eight hundred and seventy-five thousand times. Of course, he didn’t want to write “I love you” that many times himself. So he hired a secretary to do it. But, he did not want to diminish his expression of his love, so he did not tell her to write the sentence one million eight hundred and seventy-five thousand times. Rather, he dictated each “I love you” to her separately. So he said “I love you” one million eight hundred and seventy-five thousand times and she wrote it one million eight hundred and seventy-five thousand times. Ripley describes this feat like this, “Never was love made manifest by as great an expenditure of time and effort.” (7) It’s a great story, but Ripley was wrong. There was once a time when love was made manifest by a greater expenditure of effort than that of this Frenchman. It was that time when the Lord Jesus hung on a cross to show us how important we are to God. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command . . . This is my command: Love each other.” The Golden Rule, as wonderful as it is, is insufficient for this task. We are not simply to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. We are to do unto them as Christ has done unto us. -

Mothers: Shepherd of the sheep

May 11, 2014 Psalm 23 John 10:1-10 Mother’s Day Fourth Sunday of Easter Year A Mothers: Shepherd of the Sheep Have you seen that video going around last week, where young people are interviewing for a job, and told that they have to stand 24 hours a day, that they cannot have breaks, that they have to attend to the needs of the associates at all time. And that there is no pay for doing the job. Each of the applicants complains and says they don’t want this job. And the interviewer tells them that someone already has this job – it is your mother. Job Description: Mother I found this job description circulating on the Internet this past week. Anyone interested? [You may want/need to shorten this.] WANTED: Mom JOB DESCRIPTION: Long term team players needed for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in faraway cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required. RESPONSIBILITIES: Must provide on-the-site training in basic life skills, such as nose blowing. Must have strong skills in negotiating, conflict resolution and crisis management. Ability to suture flesh wounds a plus. Must be able to think out of the box but not lose track of the box, because you most likely will need it for a school project. Must reconcile petty cash disbursements and be proficient in managing budgets and resources fairly, unless you want to hear, "He got more than me!" for the rest of your life. Also, must be able to drive motor vehicles safely under loud and adverse conditions while simultaneously practicing above-mentioned skills in conflict resolution. Must be able to choose your battles and stick to your guns. Must be able to withstand criticism, such as "You don't know anything." Must be willing to be hated at least temporarily, until someone needs $5 to go skating. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys and battery operated devices. Also, must have a highly energetic entrepreneurial spirit, because fund-raiser will be your middle name. Must have a diverse knowledge base, so as to answer questions such as "What makes the wind move?" on the fly. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility. ADVANCEMENT/PROMOTION POSSIBILITIES: Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you. PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: None required, unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis. WAGES AND COMPENSATION: You pay them, offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more. BENEFITS: While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered, job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right. Every mother here this morning knows that mothering brings more joy and love and fulfillment than seem possible. Adapted by Leonard Sweet The Value of the Job Being a mother is a demanding job. As a matter of fact, according to a recent report from Salary.com, a website dedicated to researching average salaries for various jobs and industries, reports stay-at-home moms would earn an average of $138,095 annually, including overtime, if they received a paycheck. Women who works a full-time 40 hour a week job could expect an additional $85,939 for the work done at home. Among the jobs the stay-at-home moms reported to Salary.com were day-care center teacher, van driver, housekeeper, cook, chief executive officer, computer operator, nurse and general maintenance worker. These are all jobs that are fairly easy to appoint a dollar value but like those MasterCard advertisements there are many “priceless” aspects to the job: the hug that comes at just the right time, the crust cut off the sandwich in just the right way, the reassuring laugh that reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously, and the countless other little things that we celebrate on Mother’s Day. Staff,www.eSermons.com. Statistics from Reuters.com ‘Stay-at-home Mothers Work Worth $138,095 a Year’ May 3, 2007. Our experience of mother are all very different, but we have all had someone who mothered us in some way. Someone who cared for us. Our mothers have loved each of us in a different way, but our mother has indeed loved us. In spite of all of the difficult times in our lives, they have loved us. A mother) can be glorious or terrible, benevolent or filled with wrath, but she commands love either way. I am convinced that this is the greatest power in the universe. ― N.K. Jemisin God is love, and God has created our mothers to be that agent of love. I think I told this story before, but Erma Bombeck tells the story of when God created mothers. One of my favorite columns by Erma Bombeck tells of God in the act of creating mothers. She says that on the day God created mothers He had already worked long overtime. And an angel said to Him, "Lord, you sure are spending a lot of time on this one." The Lord turned & said, "Have you read the specs on this model? She is supposed to be completely washable, but not plastic. She is to have 180 moving parts, all of them replaceable. She is to have a kiss that will heal everything from a broken leg to a broken heart. She is to have a lap that will disappear whenever she stands up. She is to be able to function on black coffee & leftovers. And she is supposed to have six pairs of hands." "Six pairs of hands," said the angel, "that’s impossible." "It’s not the six pairs of hands that bother me." said the Lord, "It’s the three pairs of eyes. She is supposed to have one pair that sees through closed doors so that whenever she says, `What are you kids doing in there?’ she already knows what they’re doing in there." "She has another pair in the back of her head to see all the things she is not supposed to see but must see. And then she has one pair right in front that can look at a child that just goofed & communicate love & understanding without saying a word." "That’s too much." said the angel, "You can’t put that much in one model. Why don’t you rest for a while & resume your creating tomorrow?" "No, I can’t," said the Lord. "I’m close to creating someone very much like myself. I’ve already come up with a model who can heal herself when she is sick - who can feed a family of six with one pound of hamburger - & who can persuade a nine year old to take a shower." Then the angel looked at the model of motherhood a little more closely & said, "She’s too soft." "Oh, but she is tough," said the Lord. "You’d be surprised at how much this mother can do." "Can she think?" asked the angel. "Not only can she think," said the Lord, "but she can reason & compromise & persuade." Then the angel reached over & touched her cheek. "This one has a leak," he said. "I told you that you couldn’t put that much in one model." "That’s not a leak," said the Lord. "That’s a tear." "What’s a tear for?" asked the angel. "Well it’s for joy, for sadness, for sorrow, for disappointment, for pride." "You’re a genius," said the angel. And the Lord said, "Oh, but I didn’t put it there." Our scripture for today, the 4th Sunday of Easter are always about what it means to be a shepherd’s love for its sheep. Jesus is the shepherd. Jesus showed love by the sacrifice he made for us. But Jesus showed devotion by what he taught us. In Jerusalem, Jesus knew sheep in the same way a cowboy in the west would know cattle, or a mother would know her children. Jesus knew what made a sheep tick, he understand their fears, he knew what it took to get them to follow him, he had patience and understanding for them. In many ways mothers are shepherds, they are our caretakers. Timmy was a little five year old boy that his Mom loved very much and, being a worrier, she was concerned about him walking to school all by himself when he started kindergarten. She walked him to school the first few days, but one day he came home and asked if he could walk by himself. He wanted to be like the "big boys." Not wanting to disappoint him, she decided to allow him to walk without her, via plan B (which consisted of recruiting a neighbor, Mrs. Goodnest, to repetitiously follow him to school, at a distance far enough behind him that he would not likely notice he was being followed, but close enough to keep a watch on him). Mrs. Goodnest was agreeable, since she was up early with her own toddler anyway, and it would be a good way for them to get some exercise. So, the very next school day Mrs. Goodnest and her little girl, Marcy, set out to follow behind Timmy as he walked to school. Timmy was accompanied by another neighbor boy he knew. As the boys walked to school each day, chatting, and kicking stones and twigs, the little friend of Timmy began to notice that a lady seemed to be following them every day. "Have you noticed that lady following us all week? Do you know her?" he asked Timmy. "Yea, I know who she is," Timmy replied "Well who is she?" "That's just Shirley Goodnest," Timmy said. "Shirley Goodnest? Who the is she? Why is she following us?" "Well," Timmy explained, "Every night Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm in my prayers 'cuz she worries about me so much. And in it the Psalm says, 'Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life,' so I guess I'll just have to get used to it." Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow us. when you think about the psalm – Psalm 22 Re-Interpeted The Lord is my Shepherd... That's Relationship! I shall not want... That's Supply! He maketh me to lie down in green pastures... That's Rest! He leadeth me beside the still waters... That's Refreshment! He restoreth my soul... That's Healing! He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness... That's Guidance! For His name sake... That's Purpose! Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death... That's Testing! I will fear no evil... That's Protection! For Thou art with me... That's Faithfulness! Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me... That's Discipline! Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies... That's Hope! Thou annointest my head with oil... That's Consecration! My cup runneth over... That's Abundance! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life... That's Blessing! And I will dwell in the house of the Lord... That's Security! Forever and ever... That's Eternity! What is most valuable, is not what we have in our lives, but WHO we have in our lives! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all of the days of our life no matter how old we get. How can we reply to the love that our mothers gave us. what is it that we can give them to say thank you. Studies say that no matter what we may give them that all they really want is for us to know that they love them. For us to be able to acknowledge all that they have done for us, and to realize that it is all about love. No language can express the power, and beauty, and heroism, and majesty of a mother's love. It shrinks not where man cowers, and grows stronger where man faints, and over wastes of worldly fortunes sends the radiance of its quenchless fidelity like a star. — Edwin Hubbell Chapin One pastor suggest that there are 7 ways to show our mothers that we love them. Love her verbally, physically, patiently, attentively, gratefully, generously, honorably I want to add one more to that list – to learn to love others. Am I Loved? I had a professor in Childhood Development who said, "All it would take to have a perfect world is just one generation of perfect parents." I believed that until mid-life, when I saw several nearly perfect parents who had terrible children. But the concept is generally true--we learn to love because we were loved first. We love, according to the Bible, because God loved us first. We all need to be loved. And we grow up testing whether we are indeed loved. One of the basic questions of our youth is, "Am I loved?" It is asked in the back seat of a car. It is asked at a party. It is asked with defiance at home. It is asked with incomplete homework at school. It is asked when drugs are offered around in friendship groups. It is asked when a gang leader suggests an initiation rite. "By this you know you are loved…." Everyone here today, mothers or not, needs to ask, "How am I demonstrating love?" Is it in a way that others can experience? Paul Sweet, This I Know Amen. Children’s Sermon….. Theme: Show your love by your actions (Mother's Day) Object: A Mother's Day card Scripture: This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. 1 John 4:9-11, 21 (NIV) I am sure that all of you know that it is Mother's Day. Did you give your mother a card or a present for Mother's Day? This Mother's Day card says, "Mom, I love you!" Do you think your mother likes to hear you tell her that you love her? Of course she does! But do you know what your mother would like even more? She would like for you to show her that you love her. What are some ways you can show your mother that you love her? Well, you might help out around the house. You could clean your room or empty the trash. You could show her that you love her by obeying her when she tells you to do something. You can show her you love her by getting along with your brothers and sisters. It is easy to tell your mom that you love her, but if you really love her, your actions will show it! Do you think that God likes to hear us tell Him that we love Him? I know He does. But He likes it even better when our actions show Him that we love Him. How do we do that? The Bible tells us that, "God showed his love for us by sending His one and only Son so that we might live through him." It goes on to say that, "since God loved us so much, we ought to love one another." One of the best ways to show our love for God is to love one another. Yes, God likes to hear us say, "I love you," but He would rather see us say, "I love you." As we celebrate Mother's Day, let's tell Mom that we love her, but more important, let's remember to show her that we love her. And as we worship today, let's tell God we love him, but more important, let's remember to show him we love him by loving one another. Dear Lord, we have come to your house today to say, "I love you." Help us to go out of here today and show you that we love you by our actions. Amen. Other illustrations…… A LITTLE GIRL’S PRAYER One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do she died, leaving us with a tiny premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator) and no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst. Rubber perishes easily in tropical climates. "And it is our last hot water bottle!" she exclaimed. As in the West it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways. "All right," I said, "Put the baby as near the fire as you safely can; sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm." The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle. The baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died. During the prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. "Please, God," she prayed, "send us a water bottle. It’ll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby’ll be dead, so please send it this afternoon." While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added by way of corollary, "And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she’ll know You really love her?" As often with children’s prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, "Amen"? I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything. The Bible says so. But there are limits, aren’t there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home; anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator! Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses’ training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda, was a large twenty-two pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys; eyes sparkled as I pulled them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas --- that would make a nice batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the ..... could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out --- yes, a brand-new, rubber hot water bottle! I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, "If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!" Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted. Looking up at me, she asked: "Can I go over with you, Mummy, and give this dolly to that little girl, so she’ll know that Jesus really loves her?" That parcel had been on the way for five whole months. Packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God’s prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child --- five months before --- in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year old to bring it "that afternoon." ~By Helen Roseveare~ Helen Roseveare is a medical missionary and author from England who served for years in the former Belgian Congo. THE BEST PREACHER IN THE FAMILY G. Campbell Morgan, a profound British preacher whose four sons all became pastors, influenced millions with his preaching, teaching and writing. One day, when his young son Howard finished preached, a reporter asked him, "Since you have five Pastors in your family who is the greatest preacher? Expecting the son to give the honor to his father, Howard surprised the reporter by saying, "My Mother!" Often people do not realize that a mother’s love, concern and teaching are often far more influential on people than anything else. Never underestimate the power of love. God treats you the way one mother treated her young son, Timmy. She didn’t like the idea of his walking to school alone. But he was too grown-up to be seen with his mother. She did her best to stay calm, quoting the 23rd Psalm to him every morning: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” One day she asked a neighbor who walked with her daughter to follow Timmy to school, but to stay at a distance. After several days Timmy’s little friend said, “Do you know that woman who follows us to school?” “Sure,” Timmy answered. “That’s Shirley Goodnest and her daughter, Marcy.” My mom reads about them every day in the 23rd Psalm She says they will follow me all the days of my life. So, I guess I better get used to them! You will too. God never sends you out alone! Taken from Fearless The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. -Psalm 23 A pastor was giving a lesson to a group of children on the 23rd Psalm. He noticed that one of the little boys seemed disquieted by the phrase “Surely, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life…” “What’s wrong with that, Johnny? ” the pastor asked. “Well, ” answered Johnny, “I understand about having goodness and mercy, for God is good. But I’m not sure I’d like Shirley following me around all the time. ” A pastor was giving a lesson to a group of children on the 23rd Psalm. He noticed that one of the little boys seemed disquieted by the phrase “Surely, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life…” “What’s wrong with that, Johnny? ” the pastor asked. “Well, ” answered Johnny, “I understand about having goodness and mercy, for God is good. But I’m not sure I’d like Shirley following me around all the time. ” source: http://www.jokebuddha.com/joke/Goodness_and_mercy#ixzz31My0VSbt Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away! A mother) can be glorious or terrible, benevolent or filled with wrath, but she commands love either way. I am convinced that this is the greatest power in the universe. ― N.K. Jemisin