Sermon
“How devoted are you to your mother?”
That can be a hard question to answer in a day like ours when the sadnesses and horrors of dysfunctional families and parental abuses are no longer “family secrets” but the stuff of headlines and bestsellers and Facebook message boards for all to see. And yet, generally speaking, you can still get away with insulting somebody’s dad, but don’t you go saying anything about someone’s mama!

So, again, I ask you: “How devoted are you to your mother?”
The Church used to be looked at as “a mother” to disciples. (We Protestants don’t tend to talk about that very much because it’s often thought of as a Catholic thing. But when Jesus was told that His mother and brothers were wanting to see Him, He responded, “My mother and My brothers are all those who hear God’s Word and obey it.” (Luke 8:20-21) And when a woman from the crowds following Him cried out to Jesus, “God bless Your mother – the womb from which You came, and the breasts that nursed You!” Jesus replied, “Even more blessed are all who hear the Word of God and put it into practice.” (Luke 11:27-28) So it was the Lord Jesus Himself Who changed our thinking to begin looking at fellow disciples and lovers of the Lord as family, and the church itself as “mother”.

2 John is even written to “to the chosen lady and to her children.” (2 John 1:1) Written during a time of intense persecution against Christians, it is universally understood that John was writing in code to “The Church”, with “the lady’s children” understood to be the particular “members” of the congregation.

This idea of Church as “mother” was so accepted and understood that The Revelation pictures the Church as “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head.” (12:1) This woman gives birth to God’s Messiah, and so the devil pursues her and “declared war against the rest of her children – all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus.” (vv. 5, 13, 17) Again, a vision of the Church and her particular members.

My mom was a great mom; is a great mom (I can say as I thank God for her being alive and still a part of my life today). I was in a lot of plays during my Middle- and High School years. My mom never missed a performance. I have vague but happy memories of special birthdays for me that she planned and celebrated. I can remember her always bringing me ginger ale and saltine crackers when I was sick in bed, and a cool cloth that she would use to wipe my face with. I remember when I was in third or fourth grade telling her I was going to marry her, and not knowing what I was going to do when she told me that she was already married to my dad, and that I would fall in love with another woman someday and marry her. I could talk with my mom about almost anything, and we would talk about lots of things together: Girls, growing up, school, friends, finances, honor, and responsibility.

Anybody here have a short-but-sweet story you want to share about your mom? …

My first memories of Church are warm, welcoming memories: Being invited by a friend to sing in his church’s children’s choir; a friendly Sunday School teacher when I used to go to church with neighbors; happy and fun church dinners and breakfasts; holding hands with a girl under the table during Confirmation Class; and the pastor joking with me about silly things I’d written in my senior yearbook page… But Church became the place I went when I was in trouble, too. When I realized I was developing a drinking problem I went and talked to the pastor. It was fellow Christians that first spotted God calling me to be a pastor. It was the Church that encouraged me and comforted me and surrounded me and my family when my little brother was killed.

The Church hasn’t been perfect (as no mother is ever perfect). I have lots of memories where the Church wasn’t there when I needed her; when the Church said and did hurtful – horribly hurtful – things. But, as we just said, no mother’s perfect…

Anybody have a short-but-sweet story you want to share about Mother church? …

So, how devoted are you to your mother?

Acts 2 tells us that the first Christians devoted themselves to Mother Church by being a part of the apostles’ teaching times and not missing the opportunities for fellowship and sharing meals, and by participating in the congregational prayer times. They devoted themselves. That word “devoted” conveys a picture of a boat reserved for a particular trip, or of a manservant or maidservant who has no commitments all day or night except to be at their master’s beck-and-call. So for those first Christians, if there was teaching or get-togethers or meals or prayer times going on among the church, if they could be, they were there!

How devoted are you to your Mother?

In the Ten Commandments, Commandment Five is “Honor your father and mother.” It is the only Commandment that comes with a promise, “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
Acts 2 gives us a picture of what devotion to Mother Church looks like, and then gives a picture of what results from such devotion: Those first Christians were filled with a deep sense of awe; many miraculous signs and wonders were being performed by the leaders; they were always getting together and sharing their things (as though God owned all their things and not they themselves); and they looked forward to Worship; and shared their meals together; and they overflowed with joy and generosity! and, all the people around them thought highly of them; and more and more and always more people became followers of Christ! All as the result of being so devoted to their Mother…

Don’t you want that: Being in awe of God, or being in awe of Him again – like you used to? Seeing and hearing about miracles happening all around you and being a part of them yourself? Never again fearing that you’ll be in need? Living secure that the Church has your back and that you have theirs? Bursting with joy? and generosity? People thinking highly of you around town and our communities? (Can you picture it?) And more and more and more of our neighbors, and the business- and government-folk around us, and our teachers and friends and colleagues at work coming to Christ?

… Don’t you want that?

All because we’re devoted to our Mother.
…
How devoted are you to your Mother?