I’m Drinking from my Saucer ‘Cause my Cup has Overflowed
Mothers Day Service
Grenfell Uniting Church - Sunday 13th May 2001 - Don Needham preaching
Order of Service
Call to worship ‘Worship’ a new song
Prayer to dedicate this time to our Lord.
‘Heavenly Father. This Mother’s day we take time to come to worship and praise you. This is your time. Be with us here helping us to grow just a little more to be like you.’
Chorus ‘Majesty’ 206 SIS
Children’s address
The Meanest Mum
Was your Mother mean?? I know mine was.
My brother and sister and I had the meanest mother in the whole world! While other kids had fruit-loops or frosties or coco pops for breakfast, we had to have proper cereal like weeties, weetbix, cornflakes and porridge (Uncle Toby’s Rolled Oats), and toast.
When others had a soft drinks or a Sunny-boy and chips for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches packed at home. We had an apple or a banana for recess. Money for the tuckshop was a very special treat.
When mum cooked us a tea we had to eat our first course (even the spinach) before we would be allowed dessert.
Our mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. You'd think we were convicts in a prison. She had to know who our friends were, and what we were doing with them. We had to come straight home from school and only call at a friend’s home if we had arranged it beforehand. Talk about trouble if we didn’t turn up when we should have.
She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less.
If I was in trouble at school for something I copped it at home for being in trouble at school. The news arrived home before I did sometimes. And it was no use crying to Dad—I reckon the two of them and the teachers were in cahoots on the whole deal.
Kerrie says she had to go to school unless she was dying. (still true)
We were made to help around the house. We had to wash the dishes, or wipe up. Make our beds, split and bring in wood, rake the yard, mow the lawn, feed the chooks and all sorts of cruel jobs. I thought she lay awake at night thinking of more things for us to do.
We had to go to bed on time. No sitting up watching TV till late.
Mum always insisted on us always telling the truth the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds.
Then, life got really tough!
If we went with friends my parents had to know the who, what, where and when thing all over again. Oh! And who is driving too? No name or someone not approved of meant no go.
Because of our mother we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. None of us have shoplifted, vandalized other's property or were arrested for any crime.
It was all her fault. We didn’t take up smoking, experiment with drugs, or a million other things other kids did.
Sundays we went to Sunday School and if we didn’t go there then we went to church (Usually both). Now that we have left home, we are all educated, honest, adults.
We are doing our best to be mean parents just like Mum was. I think that is what's wrong with the world today. It just doesn't have enough mean Mums anymore.
Have the children hand out the “When God made mums” sheet to each mother present.
When God Made Mothers
By the time the Lord made mothers, he was into his sixth day of working overtime.
An angel appeared and said, "Why are you spending so much time on this one?"
And the Lord answered and said, "Have you seen the spec. sheet on her?
She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have 200 movable parts, all replaceable, run on black coffee and leftovers, have a lap that can hold three children at one time and that disappears when she stands up,
have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart, and have six pairs of hands."
The Angel was astounded at this list of requirements.
"Six pairs of hands! No Way!" Said the angel.
The Lord replied, "Oh, it’s not the hands that are the problem. It’s the three pairs of eyes that mothers must have!"
"And that’s on the standard model?" The angel asked.
The Lord nodded in agreement, "Yes, one pair of eyes are to see through the closed door as she asks her children what they are doing even though she already knows. Another pair in the back of her head is to see what she needs to know even though no one thinks she can. And the third pair is here in the front on her head. They are for looking at an errant child and saying that she understands and loves him or her without even saying a single word.”
The angel tried to stop the Lord. "This is too much work for one day. Wait until tomorrow to finish."
"But I can’t!" The Lord protested, "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so dear to my own heart.
She already heals herself when she is sick
AND
Can feed a family of six on a kilogram of mince,
AND
Can get a nine-year-old to stand in the shower."
The angel moved closer and touched the woman, "But you have made her so soft, Lord."
"She is soft, the Lord agreed, but I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."
“Will she be able to think?” Asked the angel.&
The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason and negotiate."
The angel then noticed something and reached out and touched the woman’s cheek.
"Oops, it looks like you have a leak with this model.
I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."
"That’s not a leak," the Lord objected. "That’s a tear."
"What’s the tear for?" The angel asked.
The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her disappointment, her pain,
her loneliness, her grief, and her pride."
The angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything.
Mothers are truly miraculous!"
Hymn 70 AHB ‘All things bright and beautiful’
Bible Readings
Matthew 7:7 Ask, Seek, Knock
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
John 1:14 The Grace of God<o:p></o:p>
‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” 16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.’
Prayer Praise and Thanksgiving
‘Father, we praise you for who you are. Our Father, our heavenly Dad. Thank you for the way you watch over, guide, encourage and discipline us. We praise and thank you for the depth of your love such that you would even die to save us. How can we ever thank you for the blessings we receive in just one day if we had a lifetime to do it. But Lord you pile up blessing upon blessing that we could never catch up. Thank you.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done,
On earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen
Welcome and a special mother’s day wish to all mothers.
Announcements - Collection - Dedication
Hymn 269 SIS ‘Father, I thank You’
Hymn 316 SIS ‘Behold what manner of love’
Prayer Confession and Declaration of Forgiveness
‘Father we know that our misbehavior must hurt you and yet we find ourselves doing, saying and thinking things that you don’t approve of. ‘Oh Lord’ we say ‘if you’ll just give us the chance we will do better next time’ and we ask your forgiveness again. Father help us to depend more closely on you and your fatherly guidance so we don’t give in to temptation. Help us to turn not only from sin but to turn to you. Help us to say moment by moment ’not my will, but thine. We thank you that you do forgive sin and create a clean start.’
Prayer For the needs of others.
‘Mother’s day is a worldwide family day. Father we ask that you will be with mothers everywhere this day. That you grant safe travel to family get-togethers and home again. We ask that those who are missing family members will know your peace and also those visiting cemeteries to place flowers on graves. We also ask that you will move people to contact estranged parents today. For those helping the homeless, the abandoned, the addicts and the down and out - strengthen them and help us to remember that these are some mother’s sons or daughters. Dare we even ask that you move us also to some action. In Jesus’ name we make these requests. Amen’
Psalm Sing as this mornings Psalm
Hymn 16 AHB ‘The Lord’s my Shepherd’ (psalm 23)
Address
‘I’m drinking from my saucer ‘cause my cup has overflowed’
Mother’s day 2001 Grenfell - Preached by Don Needham
I really set out to deliberately NOT write a Mothers Day sermon for today but along the way was led to explore the relationship we have with God as one of sheep and shepherd or of child and Parent. We ended up with a Mother’s Day sermon after all, perhaps even more than if I had set out to write one.
That decided for me I thought I should look up a bit about Mother’s Day. I had always thought it was a crassly commercial card company concoction but I was wrong. Here is what I found.
“The woman credited with founding Mothers Day is Anna Jarvis. The Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia is called "the Mothers Day Church" because Anna Jarvis was active there; her home in Grafton is a national landmark. Anna Jarvis was inspired by HER mother, Anna Reeves Jarvis who organized "Mothers' Work Day Clubs" in the 1850's in the area. The clubs provided medicines for the poor, inspected milk for children, provided nursing care for the sick, and shelters for children with tuberculosis.
When the Civil War broke out she called together four of her clubs and asked them to make a pledge that friendship and good will would not be a casualty of the war. In a remarkable display of courage and compassion the women nursed soldiers from both sides and saved many lives from both sides.
As if that weren't enough, Anna Reeves Jarvis became a genuine peace maker after the war. The wounds and animosity between families who fought on either side were deep and harsh. Anna Reeves Jarvis organized "Mothers' Friendship Days" to bring together families across the Mason Dixon line.
Anna Jarvis was born in 1850 and was an impressionable child and teenager when her mother was at the peak of her courageous work. So in 1907, two years after her mother's death she organized the first "mothers' day" in Grafton, WV that the work of peacemaking and the war against poverty which her mother waged would not be forgotten.
Another one of the earliest promoters of the idea of Mother's Day was Julia Ward Howe. She is most famous as the author of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Julia Ward Howe was a militant abolitionist, and her "Battle Hymn" poem was inspirational to the cause of the Union Army in the Civil War, the troops sang "God's truth is marching on," as they headed into battle, and "As [Christ] died to make men holy, let us die to make men free."
But as the war dragged on and she saw the terrible price of conflict, Julia Ward Howe turned away from the militant attitude expressed so powerfully in her famous hymn. When the Civil War was over, she focused her attention on two other causes: voting rights for women, and world peace. In 1870 war broke out between France and Prussia. The war in Europe did not make sense to her and she wrote, "Why do not the mothers of mankind interfere in these matters to prevent the waste of that human life of which they alone know and bear the cost?"... "Arise ...Christian women of this day. As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war, let women on this day leave the duties of hearth and home to set out in the work of peace."
She began organizing what she called "Mothers' Peace Day" festivals which were celebrated annually on June 2nd.”
So there you have it. Mothers Day.
Now for the sermon.
We visit once more Psalm 23.
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
If ever there was a psalm to paint a picture of God this is the one. The surety and confidence in these words make it a continual favourite for funerals.
The writer, David, had been a shepherd and he knew what it was like to know his sheep as individuals. He had a special attachment for every one of them. He could call each one by name. When one of them got lost, he went after it. He rejoiced in his heart upon finding the lost one. He knew what it was like to guide the sheep down the right paths to green grass and still water. He had gone often to such a place with his own sheep. Above all, he knew perfectly well that God had done that for him often and that He would continue to do it in the years he had left.
Even in the presence of his enemies, as we explored last time I sermonized, the Lord spread a table for David. Not just to sufficiency but to abundance - overflowing.
David, the shepherd, saw God as his shepherd. We have Jesus, the good shepherd, to lead and guide us.
When He gave the sermon on the mount (part of which is our first reading) He was telling the listeners of the relationship they could have with Him.
Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
The words don’t translate into English with the full meaning. ‘Continue on asking, Continue on seeking, Continue on knocking.’ It is almost as if we are invited to be like a child who wants to ride the horse in the shopping mall. Jesus is saying if we keep on making our needs known - “Pray without ceasing” Paul stated - then we will continue receiving and we will continue on finding and we will continue on seeing the doors opened for us.. In abundance - overflowing.
He continues...
9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
He is showing us that even as we would look after and nurture our children God is able and wanting to do so much more.
Hey! Notice the word ‘good’ used twice in there?
We try to give our children healthy food and good example - same with God I reckon.
Here is a quote from Matthew Henry’s Bible commentary
“Here it is supposed, that his love, and tenderness, and goodness, far excel that of any earthly parent; and therefore it is argued with a much more, and it is grounded upon this undoubted truth, that God is a better Father, infinitely better than any earthly parents are; his thoughts are above theirs. Our earthly fathers have taken care of us; we have taken care of our children; much more will God take care of his; for they are evil, originally so; the degenerate seed of fallen Adam; they have lost much of the good nature that belonged to humanity, and among other corruptions, have that of crossness and unkindness in them; yet they give good things to their children, and they know how to give, suitably and seasonably; much more will God, for he takes up when they forsake. And God is more knowing; parents are often foolishly fond, but God is wise, infinitely so; he knows what we need, what we desire, and what is fit for us.”
Sometimes unanswered prayer could be like us badgering God for the wrong things. For that which in the long run is not good for us.
Our second reading talks of the grace of God.
John 1:14 ‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth…. 16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.’
Some translations say ‘we have received grace upon grace.’
Now Grace is a big word in the meaning stakes.
One way of looking at grace is to read ‘undeserved gift’. This is not the full meaning but gives us a start.
‘From the fullness of his undeserved gifts we have received undeserved gift upon undeserved gift.’
The span of God’s Grace is more than we can comprehend.
A few years ago a woman came into the service station and said “He just can’t understand it.”
Of course I asked ‘Understand? What about’?
She had had words with her teenaged son and he had retaliated with ‘don’t you love me’
This lady then said to him “I love you son but I don’t have to like you.”
Hence the “He just can’t understand it.”
“I love you son but I don’t have to like you.”
I think we come to the same situation in our walk with God.
We have trouble with the concept of ‘hate the sin but love the sinner’ in two ways:
Firstly; in our own lives if we have strayed it is easy to give up because we think that God couldn’t possibly love us. We fail to see at this time that God is sad to see where we are taking our lives. That He loves us and like the shepherd who searches for and finds the lost sheep will rejoice over our return.
Secondly and more so; we have trouble with this concept when it applies to others. Perhaps good things happen to bad people because God loves them. God sends His rain on the just and the unjust alike we are told. We too easily give up on people but God does not. He sees not a sinner but some mother’s son - one of his own - going the wrong way.
For instance: Harry Herbert’s safe injecting room. I cannot condone this approach to drug addiction but while preparing this sermon I have had to admit that at least Harry Herbert is not writing off the addicts as unsaveable and to be truthful I think I was.
I’ve brought up the subject only to leave a loose end. I still think the AA and Salvation army approach is the right one for the management of addiction. But my thinking about God’s love has been challenged.
Who am I to say that I deserve my undeserved gifts but someone else….. Well you get the idea.
Here is Jesus looking towards Jerusalem and knowing he was to go there to die for the very people of whom he speaks.
Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.
As the lady said. ‘I love you son but I don’t have to like you.’
I have one more blessing to bring into this discussion.
Romans 8:28And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose.
29For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: 30and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
The Good Shepherd, Our Father in Heaven who cares for us more than the most loving mother, and that is saying something, who gives us every good thing, calls us and glorifies us making everything - EVERYTHING - work together for good in our lives. This means that for the follower of Christ the highs and lows actually combine to make it better and better.
My cup has overflowed and I’m
DRINKING FROM MY SAUCER
I've never made a fortune
and it's probably too late now.
But I don't worry about that much,
I'm happy anyhow.
And as I go along life's way,
I'm reaping better than I sowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed
Haven't got a lot of riches,
and sometimes the going's tough.
But I've got loving ones around me,
and that makes me rich enough.
I thank God for his blessings,
and the mercies He's bestowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'cause my cup has overflowed.
O, Remember times when things went wrong,
My faith wore somewhat thin.
But all at once the dark clouds broke,
and sun peeped through again.
So Lord, help me not to gripe
about the tough rows that I've hoed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
‘Cause my cup has overflowed.
If God gives me strength and courage,
When the way grows steep and rough.
I'll not ask for other blessings,
I'm already blessed enough.
And may I never be too busy,
to help others bear their loads.
Then I'll keep drinking from my saucer,
‘Cause my cup has overflowed.
Amen
Hymn 14 AHB ‘Now Thank we all our God’
Blessing ‘Now as we each go our several ways, may God keep us mindful that we are part of his family. May we remember our responsibilities and appreciate His blessings day by day.’ Amen
Benediction ‘May God’s blessing surround you each day’.
