Minute for Mission: Mother’s Day

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On my third day in the Stewardship & Funds Development office of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), I saw a sign for the Pillars recurring gifts platform: “What if you could change the world every day?”

Mothers often do. Children change constantly — what worked last week rarely works this week — so the adults raising them must keep reshaping their worlds so they can thrive.

And the world does need changing. People are dying. Hatred is mistaken for power. Compassion is mocked. Division spreads. What we need isn’t just any change, but the nurturing change Jesus envisioned: a beloved community grounded in grace and love.

That vision was never about elevating ourselves — our power, prestige or wealth. It was about serving one another and cultivating communities where all can flourish, even as circumstances — and we ourselves — change.

It isn’t easy. Matthew 23:37 pictures Jesus longing to gather God’s children like a mother hen gathers her chicks, yet we scatter. Hosea 11:3–4 shows God teaching Israel to walk, leading with “cords of human kindness … bands of love” lifting them close.

This kind of nurturing love isn’t limited to mothers, but it reflects the best of motherhood: steady, adaptive care that helps others grow. Through that love — in our families, congregations and communities — we participate in the change that moves the world closer to Christ’s vision.

Mothers have the chance to change the world every day. Their choices ripple far beyond their own lives. And you don’t have to be a mother to do the same. Each of us can nurture, encourage and shape the world around us for the better starting now. Mother’s Day is a fitting place to begin.

If you want to explore how you can change the world every day by joining the Pillars community, go to PILLARS | Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and find out more.

Mary Beene, Stewardship Officer West, Office of Stewardship & Funds Development, Administrative Services Group, Inc.

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff:

Suzi Gwinn, Manager, Investor Services, Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program
Beth Haendiges, Associate for Marketing & Client Services, Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program

Let us pray:

God of Life, Change and Love, bless us with the vision of Jesus for a world that allows all people to thrive. May we be a part of the change to make that vision a reality through the grace and power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Mother’s Day

Later we will understand

May 14, 2023

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, Former Communications Associate, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Sharon Castillo, Director, Delivery & Administration, Benefits, Board of Pensions
Lee Catoe, Managing Editor, Unbound & Associate for Young Adult Social Witness, 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.