Meditation for May - May 2006

On May 14 many Christian churches in Canada observed ‘Christian Family Sunday’ during their worship hour. The Presbyterian Church in Canada has been encouraging this emphasis for many years now, but I sense a strong resistance to it in most of the congregations I’ve served. An old Pulpit Digest I keep reminds me of the numerous changes that have taken place in Canadian families and values since the sixties -- not to mention since World War II. In an article entitled "What mothers want most" by Leland Foster Wood, (retired) from the Federal Council of Churches of the USA, he focuses in on the influence on the individual who grew up with a loving mother. He also remembers the special influence his mother had on him, setting his feet on the way of the kingdom of God, on which path he aims to walk now and ever. Second Timothy is his text, chapter 1 verse 5, where Timothy reminds himself and the younger Elder of the faith of Timothy’s grandmother and mother. Paul is trying to encourage Timothy to resume his Christian work; to be a witness for his Lord.

Faith, marriage, parenting ... these seem to be old-fashioned values by some people’s standards today, but they continue to be held high by the Christian and by those who print newspapers. Our St. Catharines paper ran several stories on May 13 about content mothers and happy mother-daughter ‘teams’. -- However, the rest of society isn’t ever represented in these stories, and probably should be. The new relationships the Charter of Rights and Freedoms acknowledges, the affect of poverty on children and single parents across Canada, the efforts of religious people -- including Christians -- to alleviate the stressful state of refugees abroad, might temper our celebrations of ‘motherhood’ as we see ‘mother earth’ and her children struggle -- are missing.

Do I want to ‘cancel’ Father’s Day and Mother’s Day? No! I just want some clarity.

Christians don’t cancel Christmas or Easter because people don’t observe these across the country -- but, Father’s Day and Mother’s Day are different. Presbyterians Sharing Sunday, the Week for Global Justice and Restorative Justice Sunday ... are not religious holy days. Still, many congregations observe these to raise social awareness. Fathers Day and Mother’s Day are different. I find it difficult to ‘marry’ these two special secular observances with Christian family Sunday worship because of my age perhaps, because of my awareness of the growing struggle of the family in Canadian society and probably because of baggage I carry from a past generation -- when fascism glorified motherhood, and more recently, when mothers on TV wore heels around the house all day and never dirtied their white aprons that they wore like a part of a uniform over their beautiful dresses. My mother did have some pretty dresses for Sunday and special occasions, but was more often seen painting the house, cleaning it or travelling to and from low-paid work as she tried to do her part in raising her family of 6 children. She did a great job in raising us -- but also had a short temper and was rather strict.

On May 14 my sermon text was John 15. Jesus was preparing his disciples for his immanent departure via the cross. Jesus encouraged them to ‘abide’ in him. He knew the danger that would befall them both during his own persecution and soon after! Jesus loves all who follow him and who will serve others in his name. He never elevated his own mother or another disciple above the rest. Our theology continues this egalitarian teaching within the Church, with only Jesus as the Head and Lord of the Church. Christians have modelled their families around this teaching too. Jesus assured the continuation of his redemptive mission by some very basic instructions. One of these lies in the simple statement: "He who abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

I believe our children -- and all believers -- will learn much more about our faith in Jesus, about the Christian marriage relationship and about Christian parenting when we don’t confuse observances and holy days of the Church with observances to nurture good citizenship and such others that exist. As a person living in Canada their origins, their usefulness to our society, and our choice to observe them or not should also be taught.

It’s a ‘win win’ kind of a thing! L.F. Wood remarked in his article that ‘the joy in each other is the breath of life in a good home’. He had already expanded on the old saying that ‘the art of being a husband is the art of pleasing a wife’. I take Wood’s new application to hold true when all members of a family have joy in each other, and when the joy in the Lord Jesus is a key part of it all. Amen