Mother's day service

Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

I am flip flopping my preparation for the weekend f May 8th. It comes right quick and I am seeking to prepare two sermons. The sunday service is also mothers day and will emphasize the children of the parish.

What grabbed me this morning was this identification with children in the epistle. Now obviously this refrence to children is for adults but as a society we often do not identify with children... I think this speaks to the fact that as a society we have lost a sense of hierarchy of any sort. Our emphasis on personal strength and personal liberty tends to cast a shadow on anything showing a lower status.

so here the epistle calls all those ready to listen children... this idea that we are not autonomous but the children of God... a statement about our place and our need. Children after all can not take care of themselves fully... they need a father... or parent... who will watch out for them. A parent who will guide them.

I think here there is a link that should unite all the children and the adults for this sermon. Our need as children for good guidance. What might work would be to parse out how little children know about how they need their mothers and then use that to demonstrate spiritual depth. Little children especially reveal many things that would apply to the spiritual life if we are able to quicken their material nature and apply toward the depth that God calls us to.

As we understand that the bread is more than the bread then we should also be encouraged by the words of our little ones to understand our need to follow God.

the visual idea that I would like to include in this sermon is the idea that God often turns what we know upside down. Therefore if I had the word MOM it becomes WOW... this could be a visual to build off of.

Next- what are those things that little ones might say?