Motherhood and Apple Pie

Minister’s Letter – 4 May 2022

Image courtesy of Freely Photos

Friends, who on earth schdeuled the General Synod of the Anglican Church to begin on Mother's Day? It means almost 300 Anglicans from across the nation being away from their mothers, wives, children or other family members! Hmmm...

At any rate, I wanted to assure you that the ministry team has worked hard to ensure Mother's Day this Sunday at the Cathedral will pause to honour mothers, and also to honour those who have been "like a mother" to others, just as Rufus' mother was to Paul (Romans 16:13).

Canon Chris Allan will be preaching on a passage from Luke that says there's something even more important than motherhood, and the mothers we rightly love. It's challenging precisely because we know Jesus values motherhood so highly. 

At every service we will pray for mothers, and for those for whom Mother's Day can be tough. And we have a "little something" for every adult woman in attendance. 

In addition, the 10:30am service in particular has been carefully planned to be finished within the hour, so you can be sure it will be suitable either if you invite your own family along, or perhaps if you need to get away in time for a family lunch. 

For what remains of my word count, I thought I would reprise some remarks I made earlier this year, when reflecting on Jesus as a child and the way he went missing from his family to spend time in God's Temple.

In response to their severe stress, Jesus replied, "Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?" (Luke 2:49). And they didn't really get it – that he was speaking of his relationship with his Heavenly Father, as the eternal Son, who'd become human. Happily Luke 2:51 did go on to say that Jesus was obedient to his earthly parents and his moither, Mary, "treasured these things in her heart". 

But if Jesus had a more important family than his earthly family, then maybe we could too. There is something more important than being a mother… Or honouring your mother.

It sounds like heresy in the modern world. Family is everything, isn’t it? No it’s not. God is everything. What Jesus did aged twelve in ditching his parents to discuss the things of God in the Temple didn’t really fit his culture. And it challenges our culture too. It causes strains with family members who don’t share our trust in Christ. 

But we need to move beyond motherhood and apple pie. We need to realise we can belong to two families. If we are forgiven by God and adopted as his children, we too must be about our Father’s business! …Spending time in our Father’s house, as it were, learning. 

Sacrifices you’ve made for this, or stances you’ve taken out of loyalty to Christ, can cause pain. But such pain is a little like the pain Mary felt. But I’m glad she kept on pondering and learning herself. For it’s a pain that reminds us that our top priority is to serve God. 

Darrell Bock is a New Testament Professor who has published three commentaries on the Gospel of Luke. Here’s what he says about the end of Luke chapter 2. 

“In a real sense the reader is in a similar dilemma as the one Jesus’ parents faced. Who is Jesus, and is his authority such that even the most basic human relationships, like the parent-child relationship, are transcended? We can identify with Joseph and Mary’s response to Jesus in this incident. […] What do you think of Jesus’ authority? Will you respond or reject his claims? Our relationship to God is determined by this response, since this unique One is so closely related to him.” [Bock, NIVAC, 102]

Please see a prayer for Mother's Day below. 

In Christ,
Sandy Grant,
Dean of Sydney

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Prayer for Mother’s Day
Our great God and loving heavenly Father, thanks for providing families to live in, and especially for our mothers, who have loved and cared for us. And thank you for those who have been like mothers to us, though they may not have been mothers themselves. 

Thank you for the benefits we have received from their example, their instruction, and their often selfless and patient service.

Help us to follow the example of Jesus, who cared for his mother Mary, and to honour our mothers appropriately at all stages of their lives.

We pray also for mothers in our community who do not know you as their heavenly Father. Bring into their lives Christians who will share the gospel's truth.

And we pray for those separated from their mothers, for mothers without their children for various reasons, and for those who would like to be mothers but have been unable…

As the God who promises to comfort his people like a mother comforts her child, be their comfort, and ours, now and always, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.