* Joshua 5:9-12 * Psalm 32 * 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 * Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Drill Sergeant  Morrison was frustrated in her efforts to make a soldier out of a certain new recruit.

The trainee soldier lagged behind on marches.

He used any excuse to go to the sick bay at any opportunity, grumbled constantly about the food, and never made his bed properly.

But one day, a noticeable change took place in the young man’s attitude.

When asked to what she attributed the soldiers change in attitude, the drill sergeant explained,

“Threats and punishment did not work, bribery did not work …. so I had to resort to the ultimate weapon: I called his mother!”

Today is of course Mother’s Day – or to give it the more traditional title Mothering Sunday.

Telephone companies around the world record Mother’s Day as the busiest day of the year – that text or Instagram message just won’t do – many children everywhere (of varying  ages) feel the need to actually hear their mother’s voice on this day.

I wonder if you can identify these famous mothers from the names of their children –

• Charles, Ann, Andrew and Edward
• Bart, Lisa and Maggie
• Carol and Mark
• Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper

I wonder if we were to ask any of these four famous mothers to explain the joy of motherhood what they might say?

One extremely wise mother when asked that very question gave this explanation:

“The joy of motherhood ….. is what a woman experiences (Slow) when all the children are finally in bed”.

So why – on this Mothering Sunday – did we have a story about a father and his two sons in our gospel?

Well, of course the story is about a parents love – though it may be a father in this instance, rather than a mother.

Unconditional, forgiving, welcoming us despite all our faults and failings.

Now most of us from our own experience, understand that real parents are human – just like their children – and sometimes our relationships are not quite all ‘wine and roses’.

Sometimes we have experienced better relationships with people who are not our birth parents, and the love and guidance we have received from them has been more significant in building and shaping our character and sense of identity.

But today, the father of the prodigal son reminds us of the  love that God has for each of us. A love that really is unconditional, forgiving, and welcomes us with open arms despite our many failings.

A love that is so strong that he gave his only son so that, just like the prodigal son in today’s gospel, we too will be welcomed home with great rejoicing when our time comes.

Today is a day for greetings …. A day for expressions of love.

And it is also a day for remembering.

There are some of us whose mothers or other significant figures in our lives have already been welcomed home as we will one day be – and maybe that was a long time ago for some of us – maybe more recently for others and I’d like us to take a moment now to remember them.

Just take a minute or two and call to mind your mother and those who have loved you – those who guided you, provided for you and cared for you.

Almighty God,

We thank you for those who have cared for us. For those who have shaped our character and those who brought us to know love and acceptance for who we are. We give thanks for those who we love but who we see no more. Rest eternal grant into them and let light perpetual shine upon them.

Amen.

ANSWERS TO FAMOUS MOTHERS

1. Queen Elizabeth II (Our beloved late Queen)
2. Marge Simpson (The Simpsons cartoon)
3. Margaret Thatcher (First UK female prime minister)
4. Victoria Beckham (AKA Posh Spice from The Spice Girls)