In his monthly letter to the clergy, Bishop Gregory says this:

A few years ago, it was hard to find the right card to buy my mother at this time of year. Virtually all the cards would say “Happy Mother’s Day”, and I was looking for a card which said: “Happy Mothering Sunday”. This is the finicky sort of chap who is your bishop! I am glad to say that the crisis has passed, and nowadays there seem to be a large selection of “Mothering Sunday” cards as well as “Mother’s Day” cards.

I have occasionally reflected on my fastidiousness in this regard, and I think it is probably because I resist the secularisation of the Christian holy days, and prefer to emphasise the traditional titles, even though the origin of the name ‘Mothering Sunday’ is actually unknown.

I am glad that many of our Churches will do something special for families on Mothering Sunday, even if the rose vestments are unlikely to be on display in many of our Churches.

(Yes bishop I will dress up in many things, but Pink is pushing it even for me). Anyway, he continues:

So I wish all celebrations of Mothering Sunday well, and I hope that you will give your mothers and young families something of Christian significance to take home with them. This makes another point: we need to find ways to make our homes places of Christian celebration, and not keep religious observance for the Church. Prayers for the home, simple blessings, blessed flowers or pictures, simnel cake: these are all little traditions to help remind folk of the fact that God cares for our families, and seeks to offer his blessing to every home.

I hope that your celebration of Mothering Sunday and of Passiontide will go well.

I too am glad that we can refer to Mothering Sunday as well as Mother's Day, but for a different reason – There is nothing wrong with having a day on which we celebrate the unique contribution one particular group in society makes. But despite the fact that we all have had mothers, at least biologically, events like today are somewhat exclusive. I for example am unlikely to become a mother, unless medical science really takes a step forward, or of course I start wearing those pink vestments too much.

It is of course also a day with its particular difficulties for individuals. Those who very much want children, or a mother, and do not have one. Those in this church for whom today is the first Mothering Sunday without a child, or without their mother.

But if mother is a particular term (and my mother is very particular), mothering is general.

Feminist theologian Sallie McFague has written that motherhood has nothing to do with traditionally and stereotypically feminine images. Rather the image of motherhood that we can all embody is ironically one with a biological basis.

Mothering, she argues, is anything that creates the space or the conditions for another life to grow and to thrive. And mothering is the attitude that blesses the other and says “it is good that you exist”.

IN the 9:30 service, the children are going to be doing a little presentation on this theme – a small group have been allowed to dress up as a representative of a profession of their choice and to say briefly how this person mothers and so reflects the Motherly Love of God.

OR

That's why I'm glad that the children have chosen....

They have chosen, of their own volition – a policeman, a fireman, a paramedic and a baker. And while its tempting to say that's just what they fancied dressing up as – in fact I think they have done a wonderful job of capturing with simplicity all the things that Sallie McFague takes up a whole book writing about – mothering is about providing the essential needs of human beings – a need for Justice, a need for protection and rescue, a need for care and healing, and a need for food, for daily bread.

Last month it was me dressing up in my superhero costume, but today we give thanks for some really heroes, those who, without recourse to superpowers and otherworldy feats, express the reality of the Kingdom of God in daily life, those who show us how motherhood and mothering are something that we can all share in.

Jesus said, who are my mother and my brothers and sisters? Those who do the will of God and keep it, they are my mother, brother and sister. So let us give thanks and bless those who have created the space and conditions for us to thrive and have blessed us with the words, It is good that you exist. Amen.