Mother’s Day 2008

Posted on May 12, 2008 by sheyduck

We had an interesting little discussion this evening about Mother’s Day.  How ought a preacher handle Mother’s Day?  There were a couple of options given:

  • Mothers honored.
  • The virtues of motherhood examined and extolled

Then a third way was suggested

  • The traits and values of motherhood are generalized onto all of us in a sense of mutual accountability

And then someone shared that this particular tack had been requested:

  • The young people of the church should be reminded of the commandment to “honor your mother and father.”

I blew a gasket when I heard this one!  Not that I don’t have a daughter of my own; not that I don’t earn my living working with 12-18 year old kids labeled “at-risk.”  I am probably as aware as anyone of “societal decay” and all that is no longer like your glory days.

But was that one commandment given for kids, while the other 9 are for adults?

No!

The “honor your father and mother” commandment was not aimed strictly at young people.  God’s desire for God’s people is that they (we) honor our parents all of our days.

Is it common in our churches to make out the 5th commandment as being about (young) children? Is this the same kind of attitude that, a few years ago at a college campus ministry was expressed as “I hope you all grow up and graduate and get good jobs so I can keep receiving my Social Security”?

Filed under: Youth Ministry, christian culture, ecclesiology

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One Response to “Mother’s Day 2008”

  1. Christie Robbins, on May 13th, 2008 at 12:58 am Said:

    Mother’s Day in church’s is problematic because of all the people it excludes:

    Stepmom’s–which I am, people who’s mom’s died a slow early death–Joel, people who’ve lost a child to death in an untimely fashion–I have MANY in my current congregation who fall into this category, some of whom will not even come to church on Mother’s Day.

    Mother’s should be honored, and at the heart of your entry is the assumption that only the young should adhere to the commandment to honor parents. In our world of blended families and families that never came to be, sometimes the best way to honor a parent is to be the best child of GOD, to be the best version of who God created us to be. I believe Wesley called that Holy Living, or on the road to perfection, or sanctification.

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