1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), – Ephesians 6:1–2

Did you know…?

This Sunday, the U.S. will join Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Ecuador, Grenada, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, and much of Europe in celebrating Mother’s Day. Here in the U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill in 1914 that designated the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

While many countries have obviously adopted this date, countless others celebrate mothers at different times based on their own traditions. For example, in Mexico and many parts of Latin America, Mother’s Day is celebrated on May 10th every year. I’m told it’s a national holiday marked with people having off work and kids staying home from school. Come on, now that sounds like a great idea!

While there is debate over the origins of the day I’m blown away by the global excitement and embrace for Mother’s Day. It continually ranks as a top three holiday for flowers, cards, and eating out. And while most of us can do without the commercialization, we can at least be broadly encouraged that Mother’s and Father’s Day both coincide with a clear biblical principle.

You know the principle, right? It’s found in the verse above, “Honor your father and mother.” Friends, how encouraging is it to see biblical principle elevated in our world today? This year for Mother’s and Father’s Day we are going to pause our normal preaching series to look into God’s word to learn what Jesus not only taught but modeled regarding all of us honoring our mothers and fathers. As in the past, we’ll be sensitive to the vulnerabilities that surround these days. Take some time to read Matthew 15:3-9 and Luke 2:41-52 and prepare to “Grow Stronger” in the way of Jesus as we learn to honor our parents.

Love you Church!

Jerry Lingenfelter
Senior Pastor