May 11, 2008
I have to admit that part of me hates to do a mother’s day sermon. It worked out that we ended the Signs series last week and we have the Jacob Moon event next weekend, so I was kind of stuck. This hang up definitely comes from my childhood and the fact that I was abandoned by my mom and raised by Gypsies (kidding of course). I grew up always visiting my great aunt for Mother’s Day. Not sure why, it was just the tradition. I don’t remember the pastors name, but I remember the gist of what he said every year- none of you are as good a mom as my mom because my mom was the best mom ever! You think you’re a good mom- well you’re a pathetic excuse for a nurturer! You probably shop at grocery stores- my mom grew all our vegetables, threshed wheat by hand, hunted wild game while nursing, cooked over an open fire, from wood she split, with her bare hands! She made our clothes by hand, she washed our clothes by hand, she spun the thread and collected berries and hand dyed the fabric.
I think he actually had noble intentions, but it just came off bad. It ended up making all the moms present feel lousy, and made him look like he had an Oedipus complex. So I assure you that today I want to do just the opposite- I want to praise mothers, encourage mothers and inspire mothers, and help us all to appreciate more the high calling of motherhood. And I assure you I don’t not have an Oedipus complex. I mean, so last week I admitted that I had a thing for art chicks in college, and my mom just happens to be an art teacher- purely coincidental I tell you.
Actually, it’s not. It just goes to show that parent really does have a huge affect on kids (profound insight for the day!) To deny the profound effect that parenting has on children is to simply be in denial. So a mother’s day message is relevant in that this is common ground- some of us are parents, some of us want to be parents some day, all of us have parents. It’s pretty universal. I look forward to doing a series on parenting in the near future; today I just want to prime the pump.
The impact of parenting in many ways, and in many cases, sets the course of a child’s life. It certainly couldn’t be more true than in the case of Hannah, the mother of a boy named Samuel. Hannah rocked the cradle of her son Samuel, and he grew up to be the king maker of Israel. Not the king mind you, but someone with more power and responsibility- the one who installed, advised, and in many ways even ruled over the kings of Israel.
The old saying of William Ross Wallace really is true, “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”
Now before I go any further let me be clear that this is not to diminish those women not called to be mothers, or who cannot have children, or women who are not even called into marriage. Jesus never married. Jesus never had children, but Jesus was the most fully alive and truly fulfilled person to ever live. Our greatest value, our greatest worth, is not found in being parents or in being spouses. Our greatest value according to the bible is actually in being children- in being and embracing our identity as children of God. If you get that right, then you are set. You know who you are and whose you are, and everything else is icing on the cake.
But this is to affirm that motherhood, and parenting in general, is a divinely ordained and blessed calling in life. And should you be one of the women called into motherhood, that becomes your first and foremost work for the Lord. If you ask me who I am, first I’m going to say I am a child of God, loved by my Father in heaven, redeemed by my Lord Jesus Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit. Then, if the person hasn’t run away totally freaked out, I’m gonna say second, I’m the husband of Robin. Third the father to Eden, Karis and Justin…so far. Fourth, I am called to be the pastor of Connections Community Church- the most rocking church in London! I hope I’ve made my point- being a mom, being a parent, is the end all and be all of life, but it is really really remarkable.
Hannah’s story is remarkable. Hannah was dearly loved by her husband Elkanah. But Hannah was unable to fulfill her greatest longing in life- to be a mother. She was unable to have children. Elkanah could have simply kicked her out of his home, but he loved Hannah. And while he appears to have been a Godly man, he went the way of the world around him, and took a second wife that could bear children. Peninnah was her name, and as you might image, having two wives under the same roof made for just a bit of drama. Sort of like Desperate housewives, 1000 B.C. edition. Let’s just say there was drama.
On one occasion, after what must have been a terrible dinner party for Hannah, she goes to the temple to pray, weeping before the Lord in bitterness of soul the Bible tells us. She prays, “Lord Almighty, look upon your servant in misery and remember me. Give me a son and I will give him back to you for all the days of his life!” She’s making such a scene that an old priest named Eli comes along and scolds her for begin drunk so early in the morning. She tells him she wasn’t drunk at all, but was in misery. He never even gets the details of her story, never even finds out she was barren and wanted a son, but he sees the sincerity of her prayers and says go in peace and may the God of Israel give you what you’ve asked of Him.”
And nine months later she gives birth to a boy, and names him Samuel, which roughly means, “God heard.” God heard her prayer, and answered it.
And here’s what happened next…
21 When the man Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow, 22 Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, "After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always."After about three years, when Samuel was weaned, Hannah took him to Eli and told him the story of what had happened. Then she gave Samuel to Eli, saying for his whole life he will be given over to the Lord. Hannah’s story is remarkable, and it teaches us about motherhood specifically, parenting in general. Basically it’s this- God loves moms who give their children to him. God loves and honors mothers who know that their children are a gift from God and ultimately belong to God.23 "Do what seems best to you," Elkanah her husband told her. "Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the LORD make good his [d] word." So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, [e] an ephah [f] of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. 25 When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli, 26 and she said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. 27 I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there. 1 Samuel 1:21-28
If ever there was a woman who would have wanted to hold onto her child it would have been Hannah. She knew the pain of being childless. She knew what it was to long for a baby, and yet month after month to be disappointed again. She knew what it was like to hear the laugher of other children, but never her own. She knew the sting of people’s words. She knew their niceties turned to pity turned to gossip and lies. She knew the mockery of other women. She knew what it was like to be the last one still praying for a child when everyone else had given up, said get on with your life, find a career, find a purpose, get a life. Samuel was no accident. Samuel was not a mistake. Samuel was the answer to tearful years of prayer.
But either way, whether after years of prayer, or a night of passion, when we have children, we are to give them to the Lord. And the thing about giving your children to the Lord, the thing that Hannah knew so well, and did so sacrificially, is that you can’t to it part way. You must give your children over completely. You can’t split the baby in half and give one part to God and the rest to the world. Children literally do not survive being divided that way. They cannot be torn between two worlds. Their delicate little souls can’t bear it, and one or the other will win the day. Our children need to know that this is our prayer, our desire, and their destiny.
Which in no way means we become disconnected from their upbringing. On the contrary, we become all the more involved, all the more aware that our children are not our own, but belong to God. But God has given us the responsibility to raise these kids in a Christ centered home. A home that is decorated with scripture. A home that is filled with songs and psalms of praise. A home that itself is grounded on the word of God. A home that revolves around the church and the fellowship of believers. A home that begins and ends its day in prayer. A home built on the Rock, Jesus Christ.
When we give our children over to God it means we start to move past the nice, benign things we so often say about our children, the obvious things. I just want my kids to be healthy- well congratulates on not wishing illness on you offspring! I just want my kids to be happy- really I wanted my kids to be miserable, I’m gonna have to evaluate that. Of course, we want our kids healthy and happy and all that. But are we going to start praying and building more things into their lives- I want my kids to be Godly. I want my kids to be holy. I want my kids to be respectful. I want my kids to be chaste. I want my kids to be smart and wise and to make incredibly wise decisions. I want my kids to do great things for God. I want my kids to change the world- to seek justice, to love mercy, to eradicate poverty, to fight evil, to cure sickness…
Hannah gave Samuel to God completely, but here’s the thing, when we give our kids to the Lord, he turns right around, hands them back to us and says raise them for me. Hannah was still a part of Samuel’s life. She continued to visit him. Three times every year the family when to worship, and there we can picture the reunion and joy they must have felt. And once a year we know that Hannah brought Samuel a new robe, made by hand, made with love and care and prayers woven into every stitch. She was still a part of providing for her sons needs.
Likewise, we must cloth and cover all our children’s needs. First and foremost we must provide for their spiritual needs, grounding them in Christ. And then providing for all their other needs as our service to God- caring for their physical, emotional, intellectual and creative development.
Now let me be clear on providing for our children’s needs. I’m not talking about paying our kids off, providing them with every wish and desire, clothing them in the best and most fashionable, taking them on the most extravagant vacations, buying them the car of their choice at age 16. There’s a real difference between providing for our children in ways that harm them, and in ways that build them up. And if you don’t know the difference, you need to pray about that, and read about that, and do some serious soul searching. Have you seen the show, “My Super Sweet 16.” You wouldn’t admit it if you did. It’s messed up. It’s about messed up families that drop 100 grand on a sweet 16 party, and the girls are never satisfied. They throw hiss fits and tantrums, which is ridiculous at 16, but more so because it’s over a Beemer that’s black but they wanted red. None of us gets it perfect, but some people really mess it up. So if you don’t have your priorities together, do yourself and your kids a real favor, and get them straightened out.
Finally, the most important lesson we learn from Hannah is that mom’s must learn the prayer of each of their children. Or to put it the way the scripture puts it, mothers must learn the song of their children. Every mother must search her soul, and know her child, and be able to sing that child’s song. We find in scripture a pattern of mothers from Hannah to Mary that sang out a prayer over their children.
Let me read for you part of Hannah’s song of prayer...
1 Then Hannah prayed and said:
"My heart rejoices in the LORD;
in the LORD my horn [a] is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.
2 "There is no one holy [b] like the LORD;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
8 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.
"For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's;
upon them he has set the world.
9 He will guard the feet of his saints,
but the wicked will be silenced in darkness.
"It is not by strength that one prevails;
10 those who oppose the LORD will be shattered.
He will thunder against them from heaven;
the LORD will judge the ends of the earth.
"He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed."
What’s the song of your child? Of your children? Write it down and sing it aloud. Sing for joy over your children. Let them know that they are a gift from God, and answer to prayer. Sing a song over your children, let them know they are uniquely and wonderfully made. Sing a song over your children so they will start to know who they are, made in the image of God, dearly loved children of God, known by and redeemed by Jesus Christ their Lord. Sing a song over your children so they will be inspired to be great and do great things for God. Sing over your child because no one else can sing that song like you can mom. Dads, were pretty awesome, and kids need their dads every bit that they need their moms, we are equal in this task of parenting. But moms, you sing the song that will begin to shape their life.
Share it with them. Tell it to them. For when you give your children over to God, your don’t give up responsibility for them- you take on even more. For now you are part of raising your children on God’s behalf, and God charges us with the responsibility of teaching rebuking, correcting and training our children in righteous so they may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
And so we end with a song. One that we can all sing together- to sing over children, and to sing over our own lives. It’s and oldie but a goody, time tested and from the scriptures, it’s called “Take My Life.” And it’s about giving God our lives, and the lives of our children. Sing it loud, sing it proud, sing it as if your life depended on it, as if you are really giving your life, and your children’s lives to God. Because really, we can, and we are called to do nothing less.
Here am I all of me
Take my life it's all for Thee
Verse 1
Take my life and let it be consecrated
Lord to Thee
Take my moments and my days
Let them flow in ceaseless praise
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee
Verse 2
Take my voice and let me sing
Always only for my King
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee
Take my silver and my gold
Not a mite would I withhold
Take my intellect and use
Ev'ry power as You choose
Verse 3
Take my will and make it Thine
It shall be no longer mine
Take my heart it is Thine own
It shall be Thy royal throne
Take my love my Lord I pour
At Your feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be
Ever only all for Thee
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