It’s Mothering Sunday – aka Mother’s Day – this weekend (Sunday 19th) and we will be celebrating at all three churches: St John’s, Hale (near the Six Bells roundabout) at 9.30am; St George’s, Badshot Lea (opposite the school) at 10am and St Mark’s, Alma Lane (next to Tesco) at 11am.
Come and join us as we give thanks for all those who care and protect us. Posies for all.
Next Sunday, March 27, is Mothering Sunday and everyone is welcome at any of our services – St John’s, 9.30am; St George’s, 10am; St Mark’s, 11am.
We will be celebrating our mothers and/or others who take or have taken care of us over the years. There will be refreshments and posies for all. Contact us if you would like more details.
If you find Mothering Sunday difficult, there is a peaceful reflection called Loving Kindness at St Mark’s at 9.30am. Further details here.
Do you find Mothering Sunday tricky?
Mothering Sunday can be complicated for so many different reasons: perhaps you have lost your own mother, perhaps the relationship is broken, perhaps you feel you are hopeless at being a mother – there may be a hundred more reasons why Mothering Sunday is tricky.
Why not take some time and space to reflect, to sit quietly and know that God sees you as an individual, not “just a mother” or “just a child of a mother”.
On Sunday, March 27, at 9.30am at St Mark’s, Pamela Marsham will be leading a short, mindfulness based session to help you unwind and relax into God’s love for each and every one of us.
Mother’s Day is not easy for everyone. If that is the case for you, the meditation below may be helpful. It has been prepared by Lesley Shatwell and its focus is Loving Kindness. Be kind to yourself.
Everyone is welcome at our Mothering Sunday services this Sunday – March 14.
There will be services in each of the churches – and daffodils for mothers and other special women in our lives – as well as online.
The services in the churches are at 9.30am at St John’s, Hale; 10am at St George’s, Badshot Lea; and 11am at St Mark’s. The services are Covid secure, but please follow all guidelines.
An online service will be here from 9am and on Facebook from 10am.
Mothering Sunday is not just about mothers but about the love of God too, as Lesley Crawley explains: “Mothering Sunday is a chance to say a special thank-you to mothers, grandmothers and other important women in our lives who have given us love and support. It also reminds us that we have a loving God who cares for us more deeply than we can ever begin to imagine.”
Mothering Sunday is on March 14 and we will be holding special services in church and online. What’s more, we need your help.
If there is a new baby in the family who was born during the pandemic, we’d love to include a picture in our online service. Please do send a picture of your little one to Alan Crawley.
Also, could you video your young children recording a message saying ‘I love you Mummy’ or something similar? Again, we’d love to put that in the online service so please send your video to Alan.
The service will be here on March 14.
We will also be holding services in church with daffodils for mothers and other special people, and lots to get all ages involved.
We have taken precautions to keep our churches Covid-secure (please follow the guidelines) and we welcome you all to the services which will be at St John’s, Hale, at 9.30am, St George’s, Badshot Lea, at 10am, and St Mark’s, Upper Hale, at 11am.
Mothering Sunday is the day on which the Church of England mixes together Mothering Sunday and Mothers Day. Many churches will have services welcoming families and providing posies for the children to give to their mothers.
But… there is something about the day which I find awkward. It isn’t just that reality doesn’t match up to the sainthood conferred on mothers, at least by secular society, if not the church; nor that it is not a day for celebration for all mothers – those who have lost children through death, adoption, or social services determining that they weren’t fit mothers; nor that not all children wish to celebrate their mothers, as not all children have good memories of their mothers.
It is all of these, but in addition there is a sense in which we are being invited to deny reality. All mothers are going to let their children down – it is only God who can be relied on in all circumstances – I am not suggesting that it is calculated or malicious, but no person is perfect, and people who think they have a perfect mother haven’t yet learnt to break away and see them as people, rather than as plaster saints.
The church should be encouraging and helping everyone to become the best people that they can be, and that includes having a true understanding of themselves and their relationships. How can we do this if we help maintain the myths of the perfect mother?
Alan
The Parish of Badshot Lea and Hale 