牧者心聲  Pastor's Message

05/17/2009


      This past weekend was Mother's day, a holiday that has nothing to do with the church or the Christian calendar. Yet, amidst what appeared to be chaos from where I stood (behind a propane stove) and smelling like cooking oil afterwards, I still had fun making omelets and watching everyone chow them down on Mother's Day Sunday. (No tummy aches for anyone?)

      But as I reflected on Mother's day with a church friend, I was told that he had some friends who did not attend church on Sunday. And this reminds me the story of Samuel and his mother Hannah. Before begetting him, she was also seeking to have a child, praying and inquiring of God to grant her request. Trembling and crying, to the point that Eli the priest thought she was drunk, she received a blessing from Eli that finally fulfilled her request.

      But for some mothers-in-waiting, this holiday is all too painful. It is a day that brings about tears and anguish instead of smiles and joy. For some, it may have been a day to mourn the passing of one's mother. Deeper still, it can be for the women who may have had a still-born or are having trouble becoming pregnant and/or never will. Furthermore, these mothers can be stigmatized as being sinful and unholy, while others who have many children can have an air of supremacy, because they are seen as “Super-Christians.”

      This is the wrong attitude for Christians. We are called to help and comfort, not belittle and trample. Rather, if you know someone who is going through similar trials, perhaps you can send them a letter or an e-card of encouragement to show them that you care and that they are in your prayers. And if this is you, I pray that the Spirit of peace be upon you as you endure these times. But also, I pray that you can see that these circumstances do not signify sin but may characterize a trial instead, for both wife and husband, that will reap rewards in the future. Blessings.



      Brother Ben