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Monday, May 14, 2007
At Your Service
Matthew 25:31-40; Ephesians 2:8-10
How timely that our Sunday morning study of Discipleship -- every Christian's calling to serve God and serve God's people with our gifts and talents -- should come on Mother's Day. For motherhood may be the world's greatest embodiment of service given in the name of love.
Listen to the GODcast!
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YOU GOTTA LOVE HER
On Sunday, May 13 all America honored motherhood. And, if we were on our toes, every one of us thanked the moms we know up close and personal for their lifelong labors of love.
Some people call Mother's Day a "Hallmark holiday," as if greeting card companies made up the day just to entice sentimental shoppers. Ditto for florists, clothiers, and candy makers.
The fact is, around 1870 the seeds of our Mother's Day tradition were sown in Boston with a proclamation by Julia Ward Howe. Author of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" ("grapes of wrath"... "watch-fires of a hundred circling [army] camps"... ), Ms. Howe was anything but sentimental. She was in fact rallying mothers who'd lost their sons in Civil war battles -- on either side -- to lead the way towards national pacifism and disarmament.
Of course, mothers love their children. So hearts and flowers will always enter the picture. As do rolled up sleeves, long to-do lists, sleepless nights, and the occasional deep sigh of relief. To say nothing of standing strong and tall like a mother lion protecting her young from any enemy who's out to do them harm.
Wickipedia tells us the first known observance of a Mother's Day occurred in Albion, MI on May 13, 1877. The story goes that Juliet Calhoun Blakeley stepped up to complete her pastor's sermon that morning as he was overwhelmed with grief that an anti-temperance mob had forced his son and two other temperance advocates to become drunk in public. She called on other mothers to join her in setting matters right. Her own sons, traveling salesmen, told her story with great pride everywhere they went. Before long, her church set aside the second Sunday of every May to thank God for Mrs. Blakeley and all righteous mothers.
The rest is history.
Mothers do the best they know how, to get things right. Your mom may have missed the mark or set a shining example. Either way, she gave this world the wonderful gift of you. For that we must give her thanks and praise. I hope that you are able to do the same in every way you can.
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Julia Ward Howe's Proclamation
Arise, then, women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts,
Whether our baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly:
"We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."
From the bosom of the devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own.
It says: "Disarm! Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace,
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God.
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And at the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.
posted by Jack Buckley at
2:43 PM
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