May 8, 2016
Morning Service

The modern holiday of Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. Today St Andrew's Methodist Church now holds the International Mother's Day Shrine.^[6] Her campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905, the year her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. Ann Jarvis had been a peace activist who cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War, and created Mother’s Day Work Clubs to address public health issues. Anna Jarvis wanted to honor her mother by continuing the work she started and to set aside a day to honor all mothers, because she believed that they were "the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world".^{[citation needed]}

In 1908, the US Congress rejected a proposal to make Mother's Day an official holiday, joking that they would have to proclaim also a "Mother-in-law's Day". However, owing to the efforts of Anna Jarvis, by 1911 all US states observed^{[clarification needed]} the holiday, with some of them officially recognizing Mother's Day as a local holiday,^[7] the first being West Virginia, Jarvis' home state, in 1910. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother's Day, held on the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers.^[

            I am sure that most would agree, it was our Mother’s that cared, and did most things for us.  If you are fortunate enough today to still have your Mother you should set aside special time each week, just to do something, or talk to, your Mother.  There have been so many things that I would have liked to ask my Mother, but now it’s too late.  It’s the same with all your older family members.  You will never regret doing this, and it will mean so much to you when they have gone.

            I want us this morning to look at some of the great people in our world, and see what they had to say concerning their Mothers.

• “My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.” – George Washington
• “My mother was the making of me. She was so true, so sure of me; and I felt I had something to live for, someone I must not disappoint.” – Thomas Alva Edison
• “All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.” – Abraham Lincoln
• “A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.” – Washington Irving
• “My mother said to me, ‘If you become a soldier you’ll be a general; if you become a monk you’ll end up as the pope.’ Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.”—Pablo Picasso
• “It seems to me that my mother was the most splendid woman I ever knew… I have met a lot of people knocking around the world since, but I have never met a more thoroughly refined woman than my mother. If I have amounted to anything, it will be due to her.”—Charles Chaplin
• “My mother taught me about the power of inspiration and courage, and she did it with a strength and a passion that I wish could be bottled.” – Carly Fiorina
• “I think my mother…made it clear that you have to live life by your own terms and you have to not worry about what other people think and you have to have the courage to do the unexpected.” – Caroline Kennedy
• “Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love and fearlessness. If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love.” – Stevie Wonder

In the Scriptures there are special stories concerning some very special Mothers, such as:

1.       We think of Eve, the mother of all.  After the fall in the garden, she began experiencing the problems of this world.  One son, killing the other.

2.      Then we come to Sarah.  Sarah, and Abraham were given the promise of the elect seed, Isaac.  Sarah experienced the pain of disbelief, when God promised her a son, at the age of 90. God  fulfilled His promise, and Sarah bare Isaac in her old age.

3.      Then we have Rebecca, the wife of Isaac, and the Mother of Esau, and Jacob.  In this story parents favored one child over the other.  Lessons we should learn this is not good, and should not happen.  The pain, and sorrow these situations bring.

4.      Then there was Hannah, the Mother of Samuel.  Another great story concerning sacrifice, and denial.  The Scripture says, that God had shut Hannah’s womb, but in her old age, as she fasted, and prayed to God He opened her womb, and she bore Samuel.  She gave Samuel to Eli the priest, for service to God.  He became a great Prophet.  But think of the sacrifice she gave,  her own son.

5.     Then we come to Elisabeth, and Zachariah, whom the Scriptures say, both walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.  Think of that. But they were well stricken in years, and had no children.  God granted them to have a child, and Jesus said of this child, who was His second cousin, “there has never been a man greater than John the Baptist.”  John was raised in the fear, and admonition of the Lord, was beheaded for speaking the truth.  I believe God had already taken his parents.  John was the prophesied forerunner of the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth. 

6.      Then we have Mary, the Mother of Jesus.  Mary pondered many things concerning Jesus in her mind, but nothing could have prepared her for Calvary.  To have watched Him grow up, a fine young man, loving the ways of God, only to see Him perish a terrible death at Calvary.  It was prophesied by the Angel, Luk 1:28  And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

I have thought many times of my Mother sitting up waiting for me to come home from a night out on the town.  I brought her much worry, and heartache, until I gave my life to Jesus.

To all of you Mothers, and potential Mothers this morning, you have the opportunity to raise your children in the fear, and admonition of the Lord.  What will your children say of you?  Will it read like these great women of the Bible, or will you forsake a dedicated life to the Lord for the things of this world?  Your choice, and none so important . 

Upon leading the children of Israel into the promised land Joshua said, Jos 24:15  And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

 

ALMIGHTY GOD, PLEASE HELP OUR YOUNG, AND OLDER WOMEN TO MAKE THE CHOICE TO RAISE THEIR CHILDREN IN THE FEAR, AND ADMONITION OF THE LORD, THEREFORE BEING CALLED WONDERFUL MOTHERS, IN YOUR SIGHT.