A day for momhow it came to be and how we honor it
Shelly Webb
May 9, 2011
247
SUMMARY-- Its a day we all know well, Mothers Day, the day to honor mom with presents, special attention and gratitude, but when did it all start and how do we celebrate it today?
STORY-- Mothers Day, as you probably know is always celebrated on the second Sunday of the month of May. Normally on this day, mothers are given lots of attention; receive flowers, candy and other gifts. Of course it wasnt always this way, like many of our holidays, Mothers Day can be traced back to Greek and Roman festivals. But the earliest United States celebration of Mothers Day actually occurred when songwriter, Julia Ward Howe wrote the Mothers Day Proclamation in 1870 as a pacifist reaction to the Civil War. The Proclamation was connected to Howe's feminist belief that women had a responsibility to shape their societies at the political level.
In the years following the Mother's Day Proclamation, Ann Jarvis founded five Mothers' Day Work Clubs to improve sanitary and health conditions. In 1907, two years after Ann Jarvis' death, her daughter Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother and began a campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the United States. Jarvis accomplished this in 1914, but by 1920 she was already disappointed with the way the day had become commercialized.
Holmes County churches remembered local mothers this year in different ways with the bottom line being all about mom! Although only a few churches were able to share their celebration agendas, you can rest assured that every church in the county made mention of mothers and how special and important their role has always been.
Pastor David A. Stutzman of Berlin Christian Fellowship reminds us that honoring mothers (and fathers) is one of the ten-commandments and the only one that comes with a promise for obeying it.
Honoring your mother is one of the ten-commandments with a promise, he said. We read in Exodus 20:12 to, Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Notice it does not give any criteria as to what kind of mother. We are simply to honor (hold in high regard, ones right to great respect) our mother. Regardless of her current status, she is the one that gave you life. And if you honor and respect your life, then you will honor and respect her. My mother has always believed in me and constantly reminded me that God has a good plan for my life.
According to Stutzman, Berlin Christian Fellowship took the time to honor all women this past Mothers Day by showing their appreciation for their roles with a small gift.
Every woman received a small special gift, Stutzman shared. We also had different perspectives given in our service of a mother. These perspectives included views of a new mother, a grand mother, a son, and a husband. Also, Dawn Yoder provided special singing for all moms. It was a blessed and honoring time.
Union Grove Church of Christ honored all mothers with plants and gave special recognition to the oldest and youngest mother in the congregation. Honoring the oldest and youngest is a tradition that many churches take part in and one that is always fun to watch.
Faith Lutheran Church incorporated their children into the process of honoring moms, which is a little different but a very good idea, especially since Mothers Day is about both moms and their children.
We always have our children usher and greet on Mothers Day, Secretary Lisa Miller said. This is so nice for both the children and the moms. The children also passed out carnations and moms were our guest at a social hour that included donuts and fruit.
Like Faith Lutheran Church, many other churches throughout the area included their children in the honoring of moms.
Longenecker Mennonite Church incorporated their children into the celebrations by planning ahead and having their Sunday school classes work on special crafts and gifts to present to all mothers. Associate Pastor Kevin Himes appreciates all the hard work the Sunday school staff put into the ideas and crafts created by the children.
It was very nice and the Sunday school department did a great job with this, Himes shard. The kids made special gifts and flowers for the moms and used their own creativity in making the gifts. The childrens story also ended with all the kids giving out a loud chorus of, Happy Mothers Day to everyone in the congregation. Having the kids involved is really a great idea. The kids love it and the adults to as well.
All over the world, different countries celebrate Mothers Day in different ways. For the most part flowers and gifts are a traditional part of every cultures celebration. Regardless of whether or not gifts are a part of your Mothers Day celebration, as Pastor Stutzman pointed out, honoring mom with kindness and respect is the Biblical mandate. Also the action of honoring both, your father and mother is written in the continuous verb tense, meaning its not a one day a year event. For as long as you are blessed with a mother and a father, honor them, and receive the promise from God that accompanies his command.
