The Mission Church of the Nazarene

      This Sunday is Mother's Day in the United States. In case you were unaware, Mother's day is celebrated in many countries around the world, the dates just vary from the United States. This Sunday is also the fourth Sunday of Easter. You may have also been unaware of this, but Easter is a season that stretches from Resurrection Sunday to Pentecost.
      I've been reflecting a bit on how Mother's day falls right smack dab in the middle of Eastertide (and generally does so). I always feel it important to acknowledge Mother's day in our church, but not lose sight that we are there to worship and celebrate the resurrection together. Over the past few days, however, I've really begun to feel that Easter is the most appropriate season for Mother's day.
      It may seem an odd connection, but let me explain.
       Throughout Lent and into Holy week we talk about the things that need to be crucified, that need to be laid aside, so that new life can be born in us. That we might become part of this beautiful resurrection community. That we might partner with the resurrection work the Holy Spirit is doing even now in the world, and look ahead with hope to the final resurrection where all things are made right.
     There are a lot of things about motherhood that could use a crucifixion. That could be laid down in order to make space for a resurrection work.
    We could crucify complementarianism, and the idea that women can't be equal partners in the work God seeks to do in the world. We could acknowledge and be grateful for the amazing gifts they give to the world, and celebrate the ways that the image of God is seen fully when we work together, this is a gift of resurrection.
     We could seek to crucify the ways we elevate motherhood into idolatry. As though being a biological mother is the only way to impact the world for good. We could resurrect the motherhood of the church, and celebrate the ways that faith mothers sow seeds of resurrection every day, with or without their own children.
      As a mother myself, I would be happy to sacrifice the martyrdom of motherhood. This idea that we must and should give up everything about ourselves, our showers, our health, our time, our identity, completely and totally for the sake of our children, or be deemed selfish. Let's resurrect the reality that mothers are also the beloved of God, and that God has given unique dreams, gifts, and talents to these women, that they can be a great force for the mission of God in the world.
     We could seek to surrender our prejudice, biases, and racism that label immigrant mothers or mothers living in poverty as something less than children of God. We could find resurrection hope in the ways we seek to find what we have in common, and the ways we can grow and learn from one another.
      But there are other ways we need the hope of resurrection this mother's day too.
      For many, Mother's day is a painful reminder of what they have lost. The death of their own mother or grandmother. The death of a child. The loss of expectations that will never be met, through the grief of infertility or miscarriage. The painful thought that "no one knows I'm a mother." created by adoption plans, abortion, or infant loss. The unique grief that comes from broken relationships, or mothers who weren't what they should have been. Sometimes we are grieving the ways we feel like we have failed as parents, or the loss of dreams for our children. These all need a fresh breath of resurrection hope.
      The hope of Easter is not just a hope for someday, it's a hope for now too. We often relegate the idea of Immanuel, God with us, to advent, but it's the story of Easter too. The message that God loves us so much, He entered into our pain with us, and continues to do so. Not just to leave us in our suffering and grief, but to breathe new life in the midst of our pain. This is a great message for the Church this mother's day. For the women sitting in pews around the country, to hear that they are loved, regardless of the status of their womb, or the relationship with their own mothers, or children. This is a message that God wants to do a new thing in all of us.
     So somewhere between breakfast in bed and cleaning up the dishes, I hope you know that there is resurrection here for you. That your tired eyes are seen, and that your need for rest is felt by a God who says to come and rest. Or between the blankets in your bed, as you try to sleep this painful day away, know that God is present with you. That your tears are felt and shared, and that you are still beloved in the midst of the grief. Or like me, between the chaos of pastoring, celebrating, and motherhood as you both mother your congregation and your children, know that it's okay to have more to your identity than mom. That you are part of the great mission of God in the world, as you breathe resurrection around you. Wherever you are, whether rejoicing or in pain, there is a God who sees you, who walks with you, who calls you believed, and who is extending hope to you today.
    There is resurrection for you, no matter where you are, no matter who you are. So this mother's day, and each day, may we breathe that hope deeply into our hearts, and release them like dandelion seeds into the world around us. That we may see resurrection grow in the hearts of the rejoicing, and the brokenhearted alike. Happy Mother's day, and happy Easter!