This Sunday we will celebrate our mothers, in churches, in restaurants, with breakfast in bed or with presents made with love.  

The choir had practiced a new Mother’s Day anthem to sing in the service.  

As with many churches I pastored, the pastor had a seat in front of the choir where I would listen to the music being sung behind me. 

 I observed that you can actually feel the mood of the choir, as you listen to their singing; you can hear it in their voices.  

If they are confident in their part, they will sing out, if they are unsure of themselves the beginning words will be timid.  

You can also tell if they are mad without seeing their faces. 

One Sunday the choir clomped in like a herd of cattle, they sang their lines without feeling. The notes even seemed shortened and sharp, as if they were just wanting to get through it.  As it turns out, the choir had gotten in an argument with the choir director during practice Sunday morning.  

On Mother’s Day the choir director and her sister, the pianist, had rewritten the hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” changing the lyrics and title to “What a Friend We Have in Mother.”  

That sounds innocent enough but as the choir began to sing and the pianist began to cry it was very obvious that the Mother, they were singing to had left us for glory.  The result was a funeral dirge for mothers past rather than a celebration of the mothers present.  

After the singing of the sorrowful song, we gave out awards for the oldest mother, the youngest mother, the mother that had the most children present and the mother whose child traveled the farthest to be in worship with them.  What a scene.  

The message for today is this do not wait until it is too late to be thankful and show appreciation to your mother.  If you wait until after she is gone to share with her how much you love her it is far less satisfying to either one of you.     

Proverbs 31: 28-31

“Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”

 

John Warren is Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church, 502 North 6th Street in Orange.