The Impossible Sermon Challenge
SOME FRIDAY FUN! JUST TO BE VERY CLEAR, MUCH OF THIS IS WRITTEN WITH HYPERBOLE AND IN FUN! IF YOU CAN’T LAUGH A LITTLE, STOP READING NOW.
Postulation: I think the hardest Sunday to preach year in and year out is Mother’s Day. Hear me out.
It is relentless: It comes every year, like or not. Most any preacher out there can preach one good Mother’s Day message, even two. But imagine 40 or 50. There are only so many ways you can use “Honor your father and mother.”
There are rules: They aren’t Bible rules, but you know there are on this one. On Father’s Day, you can pull a Father out of the crowd and perform a public flogging of all Dad’s through him. All the dads will bear up under it, and the moms will all say “amen: (silently, mind you). But on Mother’s Day even use a hint of a suggestion that some mom somewhere in history might have done better and prepare for the wrath of Kaun! I did it once, suggesting that a mom might ought maybe possibly to consider being a “keeper at home” back in 1992 and those mom’s still send me annual reminders in the form of death threats.
You have to say something: So, just ignore it. Preach on 2 Chronicles 17, or Leviticus 8, or even the qualifications of elders. Let me be clear, that pig won’t fly either. If you don’t say something syrupy call the moving company.
It is emotional: It is. The range of emotions in that audience is not rivaled by those of any others. Some want their dear sainted mom eulogized and all mom’s to be exalted. For others, they are still grieving the loss of the most important figure in their life. Rarely does a mom’s day go by that someone does not leave crying during the sermon (Yes, that’s a regular occurrence every time I preach, but it’s worse on Mother’s Day). Others are in mortal combat with their mom. A love/hate relationship, trying to live up to a standard they will never meet. Still, others had bad moms and hurt with every word, growing envious of those who had these godly women in their lives. And still others wanted children so desperately but were never so blessed and the whole concept brings them pain.
It is unbiblical: Well, yes and no. We are told to honor our mom’s and Jesus did recognize Mary from the cross, and God did choose to bring His Son into the world via a mom. But a day to honor mom. To be brutally frank, it can get in the way of Jesus if you are not careful. Most of the other Holidays (read Holy-days, or High Days), at least have their footings in a specific Christ-centric event. Not Mother’s Day.
And, of course there are your own emotions. My mom died 15 years ago. She was a wonderful Christian who strove to live for Jesus always. And, I personally still miss her.
So, Happy Mother’s Day. Enjoy the Muffins, and Roses, or whatever you do. Happy Mother’s Day, and good luck…you’re going to need it.