Morning Worship: Mothering Sunday (4th Sunday of Lent)

A video of this service [YouTube, 22 min] is available.

Welcome to our service on Mothering Sunday.

Today is a special time to thank God for mothers and carers. We want to celebrate all they do to make our lives happy, healthy and safe. We want them to know that just as they care for us, so God loves and cares for them too.

We’re not all mothers ourselves but we all have a mother, whether or not they are still with us, and we are all children of God. No earthly family is perfect but in God we have a heavenly Father who loves us and always welcomes us with open arms.

A Prayer of Praise

We praise you, our God, for all mothers who have loved and laughed and laboured as they cared for their children.
Blessed be God for ever.

We praise you, our God, for all mothers who have wept in sorrow and joy for their children.
Blessed be God for ever.

We praise you, our God, for Jesus, born of a woman and nurtured in her love, and for Mary, a reminder of your patient waiting love.
Blessed be God for ever. Amen.

Collect

God of love,
passionate and strong, 
tender and careful:
watch over us and hold us 
all the days of our life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

New Testament Reading:

Colossians 3: 12-17

Gospel Reading:

John 19: 25-27

Talk

Creed

Let us declare our faith in God.

We believe in God the Father, 
from whom every family in heaven and earth is named.

We believe in God the Son,
who lives in our hearts through faith, 
and fills us with his love.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit, 
who strengthens us with power from on high.

We believe in One God;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.

Blessing

The Lord bless us and watch over us
the Lord make his face shine upon us
and be gracious to us
the Lord look kindly on us
and give us peace.
And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be among us and remain with us always.           
Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

Notices