Mother's Day Message 2026

Mother's Day Message from the General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Gina Jacobs-Strain, American Baptist Churches USA Office of the General Secretary Happy Joy filled Mother’s Day!   She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.” Proverbs 31:25-26   On this Mother’s Day, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to every mother for the many expressions of love, presence, and support that enrich our lives, our churches, and our communities. We honor mothers, grandmothers, godmothers, sisters, aunties and all who offer motherly wisdom, strength, and compassion in the lives of others. We celebrate the many ways love is shared, and lives are touched each day, reflecting the grace of God and sustaining hope across generations. We are also mindful that this day carries varied emotions. We hold in prayer those who grieve, those who have lost mothers and children, those who long to be mothers, those with complicated or painful relationships, and those whose journeys of motherhood are marked by complexity. May God’s abiding presence bring comfort, peace, and healing. May today be all about you. On behalf of American Baptist Churches USA, we pray that you will be renewed with joy and strengthened in spirit, knowing that your presence is a blessing in the world. Grace, peace and abundant blessings to you this Mother’s Day. Rev. Dr. Gina C. Jacobs-Strain General Secretary American Baptist Churches USA

American Baptist Churches USA | P.O. Box 851 | Valley Forge, PA 19482 US

Minute for Mission: Mother's Day

Do it again!

Emily Odom and grandson Elijah

At a memorable Montreat preaching conference some 25 years ago, the esteemed scholar Richard Lischer likened God’s singular pleasure at causing the sun to rise in the same way every day to a child’s utter delight at hearing the same book read over and over.

“Do it again!” sounds the familiar refrain at both the daily miracle of God’s sunrise and the repeated recitation of a beloved classic.

“Do it again” is a request I’ve heard rather often since becoming a grandmother to Elijah a year and a half ago.

As he and I thumb together impatiently through the well-worn pages of the still sturdy board book “The Very Busy Spider,” by Eric Carle, Elijah pauses at the pig to point and giggle.

But these days as Elijah begins to better understand and appreciate the people and creatures that surround him, I have been trying to teach him something more about what makes the pig so remarkable beyond the unparalleled wisdom that Carle offers to the youngest of readers.

Pigs, I tell him, love, follow and honor their mothers above all. For pigs, who live in matriarchal social structures, the female of the species is responsible for the care, nurture and safety of the entire family.

And so it is in many parts of our world, too, that women are the primary providers for their families.

It’s a reality that I’ll acknowledge this year by making a gift through the Presbyterian Giving Catalog to commemorate Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11, in honor of the unbreakable bond between mother and child — and grandmother and grandchild.

Whenever a donor decides to give a Catalog gift like Jerry Cans, Latrines, Health for Mothers and Newborns, or even a Piglet, they will be making a choice to honor a special parental figure by helping to create lasting, positive change around the world.

To that, I can only say, “Do it again!”

Emily Enders Odom, Associate Director of Mission Communications, Interim Unified Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

• Dhawn Martin, Coordinator for ACSWP, Executive Director’s Office, Interim Unified Agency
• James Martin, YAV Site Coordinator, Interim Unified Agency (Term)

Let us pray:

Help us to honor the parental figures who nurtured us by seeking to transform the lives of the individuals, families, and communities with whom we share God’s world. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Mother's Day

Later we will understand

May 12, 2024

Mother’s Day, the second Sunday in May, dates to the 

late 1850s as a day to learn to cook better and clean house 

to protect the family from disease. Mothering is not limited 

to moms, though. Children need many positive role models 

in life’s journey.

I keep thinking about the mother of the disciples James and John, you know her as the wife of Zebedee.

Her name was Salome, which means peace. She may have been the sister of Jesus’ mother, which would have made her Jesus’ aunt, and James and John, Jesus’ cousins. Jesus gave them the name Boanerges, which means “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17, Luke 9:54).

Salome was present at the crucifixion of Jesus and the empty tomb after Jesus’ resurrection. She is the mother who knelt before Jesus to ask if her two sons could sit next to Jesus in his kingdom, one on his right and the other on his left (Matthew 20:20–28).

I’d like to know if this was her idea or if her sons convinced her to ask Jesus for these places of honor. One thing is certain: It wasn’t their father Zebedee’s idea, since Salome refers to James and John as “these two sons of mine.”

Do you think Salome thought Jesus would say something like, “That’s a great idea, Salome. Should James be on my right and John on my left, or vice versa?”

Instead, Jesus basically said she didn’t really know what she was asking him to do. Turning his attention to James and John, Jesus asked them, “Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?”

They answered, “We are able.”

At this point in the story, I bet they got a little ahead of themselves. I bet they all three thought, ‘OK, we’ve got this.’

Then Jesus tells them they will indeed drink from the same cup, however, “to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

Parents typically want the very best for their children. Yet, Salome had not one son — but two — called by Jesus himself. Why wasn’t this enough for her? For them? Why did they want more greatness than that?

Jesus told his disciples that he came to serve, not to be served. He came to give his life “as a ransom for many.” Greatness in the world is different than greatness in the kingdom.

What do you think James and John were thinking later, as Jesus knelt down to wash their feet? (John 13:1–17).

Tammy Warren is a former communications associate with the Presbyterian Mission Agency.

Today’s Focus: Mother’s Day

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Robert Hay, Senior Ministry Relations Officer, Presbyterian Foundation 
Ben Hayden, Senior Vice President, CFO & acting COO, Presbyterian Foundation 

Let us pray

Lord, so often we don’t think our ideas through. Please forgive us. Thank you for giving us life and opportunities to serve one another where you have called us to be in this moment. Bless all who mother others, those who have given birth and those who have given love. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Mother’s Day

Later we will understand

May 9, 2021

Mother’s Day, the second Sunday in May, dates to the late 1850s as a day to learn to cook better and clean house to
protect the family from disease. Mothering is not limited to moms, though. Children need many positive role models in life’s journey.

I keep thinking about the mother of the disciples James and John, you know her as the wife of Zebedee.

Her name was Salome, which means peace. She may have been the sister of Jesus’ mother, which would have made her Jesus’ aunt, and James and John, Jesus’ cousins. Jesus gave them the name Boanerges, which means “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17, Luke 9:54).

Salome was present at the crucifixion of Jesus and the empty tomb after Jesus’ resurrection. She is the mother who knelt before Jesus to ask if her two sons could sit next to Jesus in his kingdom, one on his right and the other on his left (Matthew 20:20–28).

I’d like to know if this was her idea or if her sons convinced her to ask Jesus for these places of honor. One thing is certain: It wasn’t their father Zebedee’s idea, since Salome refers to James and John as “these two sons of mine.”

Do you think Salome thought Jesus would say something like, “That’s a great idea, Salome, should James be on my right and John on my left, or vice versa?”

Instead, Jesus basically said she didn’t really know what she was asking him to do. Turning his attention to James and John, Jesus asked them, “Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?”

They answered, “We are able.”

At this point in the story, I bet they got a little ahead of themselves. I bet they all three thought, ‘OK, we’ve got this.’

Then Jesus tells them they will indeed drink from the same cup, however, “to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

Parents typically want the very best for their children. Yet, Salome had not one son — but two — called by Jesus himself. Why wasn’t this enough for her? For them? Why did they want more greatness than that?

Jesus told his disciples that he came to serve, not to be served. He came to give his life “as a ransom for many.” Greatness in the world is different than greatness in the kingdom.

What do you think James and John were thinking later, as Jesus knelt down to wash their feet? (John 13:1–17)

Tammy Warren, Communications Associate, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for: 

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Sharon Kandel, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Hyo Jin Kang, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray:

Lord, so often we don’t think our ideas through. Please forgive us. Thank you for giving us life and opportunities to serve one another where you have called us to be in this moment. Bless all who mother others, those who have given birth and those who have given love. Amen.

Samaritan's Purse - Encouragement for Mothers from God’s Word

The way we celebrate Mother’s Day this year will likely look very different than ever before. The coronavirus pandemic has changed our daily routines and touched every mother’s life in some way.

Yes, even during this crisis, women can face the challenges of motherhood by relying on God's guidance and strength. Cissie Graham Lynch has prayerfully created a special gift that will invite mothers to receive refreshment and healing from Scripture. In a beautifully designed PDF that can be downloaded and printed, Cissie shares eight verses that the Lord has used to keep her anchored to His love and peace.

Read More

Samaritan’s Purse continues to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and to meet the physical needs of women living in impoverished communities across the world. This Mother’s Day, please pray that women and their children would receive the relief they need in these difficult times.

“This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your Word has revived me.”Psalm 119:50 (NASB)

Franklin Graham, President
© 2019 Samaritan's Purse
PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607
828-262-1980
SamaritansPurse.org
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