A Mother's Day Prayer

May 7, 2013

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

A MOTHER’S DAY PRAYER
for this Sunday, May 12, 2013

God of Provision and Unconditional Love,

On this day when we acknowledge the importance of motherhood among us, we first give thanks that you are a loving parent to us all.  From your being all life was born, and in your bosom all creation is nurtured.  You have formed us in your image as your children, and gathered us together as a brood under your wing.  You have united us as kindred members of one human family, and we are grateful to be your offspring together.

We celebrate your divine love, reflected in human expressions of motherhood.  We give you thanks for the mothers among us, and ask that you strengthen them in their daily tasks.  Grant them wisdom in the lessons they teach, patience in the discipline they foster, and persistence in their promotion of decency and compassion, both by word and example.  May they be given the honor and thanks they deserve but often do not receive. 

We thank you for all motherly figures:  grandmothers, aunts, sisters, wives, step-mothers, foster mothers, guardians, babysitters, teachers, health care providers, neighbors, friends, loved ones, and many others, who practice self-sacrifice and embody compassion to all who are privileged to be in their influence.  Grant them vigor to carry on their work, and the satisfaction that the holy privilege of their task affords. 

We acknowledge to you, O God, that even amid our grateful celebration, many of us come with restless spirits, reluctant to name the difficulties of this day.

For some, this day brings the sorrowful awareness of their own inability to conceive biological children.  Draw your tender spirit near their feelings of self-betrayal, impotence, and grief, and remind them that those who struggle with infertility have always shared a special place in your heart.  We pray for those who have suffered miscarriages, those fatigued by fertility treatments, and those struggling through the process of adoption.  May they remember that in your power and through your church, they can still leave a lasting legacy beyond themselves. 

For some, this day is marked by loneliness and grief, as they spend this first Mother’s Day as a widower, an orphan, or a parent who has lost a child.  To those who today live in the wake of the death of a loved one, grant glimpses of the resurrection.  Bring to them a steady restoration of their broken hearts, allow them to live into their future with hope, and empower them to carry out the legacy of lessons instilled within them.

For some, this is a day that surfaces ongoing tensions that exist within our personal relationships and family dynamics.  We ask for healing from the wounds of our past, a path of forgiveness for wrongs both experienced and committed, and the rebuilding of trust forged in honesty, authenticity, and love. 

We give you thanks for the wide spectrum of motherhood represented among us today:  new mothers and young mothers whose children are in their most tender years; mothers of grown children who transition into empty nests and a new chapter of self-discovery; mothers and grandmothers of advanced years, whose twilight of life is marked by frailty of body but a potency of spirit.  Theirs is a cumulative reminder that though our lives are marked by transition and change, your nurture and affection for all your children remains the same.

Therefore, remind us to live with a child-like faith, curious to every wondrous mystery, attentive to your every instruction, obedient to your every command, and willing to share with every one of your children.  We give you thanks, O God, who is a loving Mother and Father to us all, and in whose name we pray,

Amen. 



The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA  51012
Ph:  712-225-3955
Email:  mdevega@sp-umc.org



CONFIRMATION SUNDAY
In addition to Mother’s Day, this Sunday is a special one for our church family as we observe the confirmation of the faith for our seventh grade class.  Join us as we celebrate their profession of faith in Jesus Christ, affirming the vows that were taken on their behalf at the time of their baptism.  In addition, we will be receiving a special offering for our Camp Fund, in which you can help fund a scholarship for a young person to attend one of our United Methodist camps in Okoboji this summer.

HOT DOG DAY
St. Paul’s will once again be participating in the Cherokee Hot Dog Day this Thursday.  If you would like to help set up, serve, or clean up on our north lawn, please let the office know or come this Thursday.  The event goes from 5:00pm until we run out of hot dogs.