For thus says the Lord:

I will extend prosperity to her like a river and

    the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream,

and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm

    and bounced on her knees.

As a mother comforts her child,

    so I will comfort you;

            ~Isaiah 66:12-13

Mother’s Day is hard as a pastor. Not only because there is always a little guilt that you are celebrating mothers while being away from your own, but also because of all the pit falls around this day. On the surface, it feels pretty straight forward: bring into the worship service a time to celebrating mothers. But below the surface are rocks and hidden logs that can often snag and capsize a boat. Here are just a couple of examples of challenges that I’ve experienced in my ministry when planning worship:

First, sometimes people are not open to thinking of God as Mother. When using imagery in worship on Mother’s Day, sometimes there is resistance to using feminine or “Mother” imagery despite the fact that masculine and “Father” imagery is standard. Perhaps you think that is because “Father” is Biblical. I would challenge that so is “Mother” such as the image of a mother hen who shelters her young under her wings. There are so many images for God: Rock, Refuge, Bread, Shepherd, Dove, Deer, Eagle, Lamp, Fire, Fortress, Sheild, Shadow/shade, Whirlwind… What ones can you think of that I missed? When we expand our imagery of God we expand our understanding of God as well. Because we have certain connotations with certain words, to have many names and images of God can help us find new paths to the Divine.

And second, navigating worship can also be difficult because of the pastoral care aspects. Mother’s Day can be difficult for some in many different ways. Some women are dealing with or have dealt with infertility or wanting to be a mother but cannot. There are those who have lost children or had miscarriages. There are both men and women who are grieving the loss of their own mother. And some who are estranged from their mothers, have a difficult or complicated relationship with their moms..

And yet, I believe this day, even with all its pitfalls, is worth celebrating. Let us give thanks for the women in our lives who love and nurture us: Mothers—biological, adopted, foster or mothers of the heart, Stepmoms and Bonus Moms, Aunties and Sisters, coaches and neighbors and friends… we are blessed to have women who guide us and love us into becoming the people God has created us to be. So this Mother’s Day, I hope we will all take time to celebrate a mother’s love—in all the ways we have that is present in our lives, including the love of God who is Father and Mother to us all.