This blog is a record of the call to worship, Scripture readings, and prayers from our Sunday liturgies. If you are interested in writing something for the liturgy, or if you have a concern about any aspect of our liturgy, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org.
Mother's Day Intro
The following is a reading with which we began our liturgy. The majority of this reading is an adaptation of a text written by Amy Young. You can find her original post here.
As you likely know, today is Mother’s Day.
We acknowledge Mother’s Day in our liturgy because motherhood is a metaphor that can tell us something about who God is—namely, the One who has birthed us and who comes alongside us as we grow, nurturing us, guiding us toward maturity, and sustaining us along the way.
It is no secret that Mother’s Day can be a day of complex emotions, both
joyous and sorrowful, and so:
To those who gave birth this year to your first child—we celebrate withyou.
To those who lost a child this year – we mourn with you.
To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the
badge of food stains – we appreciate you.
To those who step-parent - we walk with you on these complex paths
To those who are single mothers -- we have deep respect and
admiration for you.
To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall
testing of motherhood – we are better for having you in our midst.
To those who experienced loss through miscarriage, failed adoptions,
running away, or any other circumstance—we mourn with you.
To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods,
tears, and disappointment – we walk with you. Forgive us when we say foolish things. We don’t mean to make this harder than it is.
To those who are mentor moms, and spiritual moms – we need you.
To those who are foster moms -- we appreciate you, and we thank you.
To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year – we grieve
and rejoice with you
To those who have warm and close relationships with your children – we
celebrate with you.
To those who have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with your
children – we sit with you.
To those who lost their mothers this year – we grieve with you.
To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother – we
acknowledge you and will walk with you.
To those who are single and long to be married and mothering your own
children - we mourn that life has not turned out the way you longed for it to be.
To those who placed children up for adoption – we commend you for
your selflessness and remember how you hold that child in your heart.
And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and
surprising – we anticipate with you.
This Mother’s Day, we walk with you. Mothering is not for the faint of heart and we have real warriors in our midst. We remember you.
Call to Worship
We have gathered to worship the Creator
The One Who gave birth
to all of creation
And to be formed by the Wisdom of God,
The One Who gathers the vulnerable
like a hen gathers her children
under her wings
Through the power of the Spirit,
The One Who greets
every newborn creature
with the kiss of life
and is raising the world
from death to glory
Amen.
Scripture
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
Incline your ear to me;
make haste to deliver me.
Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,
for you are my crag and my stronghold;
for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me.
Take me out of the net that they
have secretly set for me,
for you are my tower of strength.
Into your hands I commend my spirit,
for you have redeemed me,
O Lord, O God of truth.
My times are in your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies,
and from those who persecute me.
Make your face to shine upon your servant,
and in your loving-kindness save me."
John 14:1-14
Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.
Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.