This time of year, we tend to hear many meaningful and serious reflections on motherhood. I came across this list of humorous insights into the real value of mothers, and thought it might strike a chord with some of you as we worship together on this Mother's Day:

Things My Mother Taught Me:

My Mother taught me LOGIC . . . "If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can't go to the store with me."

My Mother taught me MEDICINE . . . "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they're going to freeze that way."

My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT . . . "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up.

My mother taught me about GENETICS . . . "You are just like your father!"

My mother taught me about the WISDOM of AGE . . . "When you get to be my age, you will understand."

My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION . . . "Just wait until your father gets home."

My mother taught me about JUSTICE . . . "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like YOU . . . then you'll see what it's like."

Indeed, we have all learned a great deal from our mothers, and this is the day on which we honor them and the many ways in which we have experienced their loving care. And not just from birth mothers, but from all those special women whose love has helped raise up generation after generation. You know, we thought about adding a new category to our Mother honorees this year, one which would honor a woman in the congregation who had mothered many through her work and service in the church. We quickly realized that there were far too many who qualified to allow us ever to make a decision on just one winner.

Thanks be to God for mothers, grandmothers, aunts, godmothers, sisters, friends . . . all those whose lives reveal for us a mother's love, not so different from the love of God, to which Jesus calls us in the Gospel of John, as the anthem which Aram sang so beautifully reveals. For this is a love that is often self-giving, patient, seemingly endless, and abundantly generous.

Jesus' words which we hear today, his new commandment to us, are that we are to love one another as he has loved us. After washing the disciples' feet, while they are still sitting around the table at what we call "The Last Supper," he gives this new commandment. The foot-washing demonstrated powerfully and poignantly the nature of his love, and then he followed up by putting his deepest hope for his followers into words. He commanded, "Love one another, as I have loved you."

Several scholars, commenting on this passage, were concerned that most worshipers in contemporary congregations, such as ours, had never experienced foot-washing in worship and so might miss the power of this passage.  While that might well be true, it occurred to me that mothers-and fathers in this day and age-would have no trouble at all relating to foot-washing. Those who have bathed babies, and those who have bathed loved ones when ill, and those who have bathed elders at the sunset of life, already know the healing touch of the water, the humbling act of bathing another, the joy and refreshment received, the love transmitted in the simple, commonplace act of washing and caring for another child of God.

I give you a new commandment, that you are to love one another, as I have loved you.

Even in the best of families, there are limits to what we can learn about love. Even perfect families are not always perfect. The love is not always all we might hope for. Most of us grow up with some hurt places, some disappointments. I suppose it's what keeps therapists in business! Fortunately, whatever our personal childhood experience has been, whatever our experience of parenting has been, there is grace in the love of God to welcome and embrace us all.

Mothers, children, youth, dads. Here, in the church, we're all drawn together into the love of God, where the springs of the water of life flow abundantly and without ceasing. Here, through our baptism, we are water-washed and Spirit-born. Here we are compassed with love and light. Here, in the fullness of who we are, we are accepted and loved. Here we are sons and daughters of a God whose dream is to recreate and transform us into heirs of the holy inheritance of Christ.

All this, freely given, in our baptism. Today as we baptize Kyle Alexander, Devon Elizabeth and Katherine Laura, the waters of God's love flow freely over these sons and daughters, numbered now among God's people, drawn into the fellowship of the church, counted as disciples of the one who gave us a new commandment to love one another. And no doubt, over the course of their lives, in the church as in their families, they will learn that loving means more than feeling kindly towards one another. They will learn that loving is more importantly, the doing of love, living it out, towards all those in the family: the ones who are easy to love, and the hard ones; the likable ones, and the ones who push all our buttons; the ones who fit our image of what is right and good, and all the others, as well.

And we learn as well, that when we fall short, we will be held accountable, and we will also be offered forgiveness and healing.

In this passage, Jesus calls us "little children." The One who pours out his life to cleanse and sanctify the world, reveals a mother's love towards his disciples. A love unto the love of God. An embodied love that gives and gives and gives again and does not count the cost.

And then, he calls us to do the same. Indeed, our future will depend on our love for him and for one another. And so, he washes our feet, and blesses us, and sends us out, to work for God's kingdom and answer the call.

© Patricia E. Farris, 2001. Permission is given for brief quotation with attribution. All other rights reserved.