As we are all getting used to new rhythms of life in this season of Coronavirus, I imagine that many of you are growing fond of having the ability to worship in your living rooms, wearing bathrobes, exercise clothes, and pajamas… Others are longing for the return of in-person gatherings and dressing up in our Sunday best. (I think I find myself in both camps.)

Mother’s Day can be a big day in the life of a church. Although it is not a liturgical holiday, it is a time for families to gather together and celebrate the unique love a mother has for her children. And on Mother’s Day we also celebrate the love of God shown to us through many “motherly” people in our lives. Mother’s Day is a joyous day, for all of these and so many more reasons.

Yet for some, Mother’s Day is not so joyous. Rather, it is a day filled with grief for mothers who are no longer with us. It is a day of despair over infertility and child loss. For some, Mother’s Day is a painful reminder of all that never was, all that might have been, and all that is lost.

So on this day, we come to God with all that we have – all of our pain, all of our doubt, and all of our joy – and we trust that in God’s wild and expansive embrace, we can rest, we can let go, and we can be made new.