Mother’s Day Service: 8/5/16
Happy Mother’s Day! Last Sunday, Realife was all about the beautiful mothers in our church. The theme of the day was ‘I Am’: a reminder of a mother’s identity in Christ.
The creative design team’s talents are always unparalleled, and Sunday was absolutely no exception: from the moment you walked in the building you were greeted with the sight of gorgeous floral displays. The whole atmosphere was so warm and pretty, and even the most macho of the congregation were in awe!
Free coffees (the way to all of our hearts) were given to mothers and, as a sweet treat, homemade scones with jam and cream. These were a hit, so thank you so much to the catering team! Your hard work will never go unnoticed.
The service itself did not begin as usual, which is always an exciting thing. Two of our very own radiant ladies, Lisa and Tracey, opened with inspirational short skits in which their characters transformed from unconfident, weak and fearful mothers into mothers who realised their preciousness in God. I took away some beautiful one-liners, like, ‘I am more than a conqueror in Him!’ ‘I am victorious!’ ‘I am fearless!’
The worship then continued to build a powerful atmosphere that confirmed the tangible presence of Jesus in the room. The entire set was acoustic, and therefore intimate, and all the hands were raised in reverence. If you’ve never experienced an atmosphere of God before, you need to. It will utterly change your life.
Another skit, this time a monologue and performed again by Tracey, provided more inspiration and insight into what a Christian mother’s mindset needs to be. It was amazing not only for the mothers, but for every demographic in the room. We were reminded that no matter how worn out parents and guardians may feel, they are so crucial to a child’s spiritual development and are called and chosen to be amazing, confident examples of righteousness.
Then came a video further explaining the awesome identity of mothers which made so many of us women cry. I can’t speak for the other ladies who were there, but I know that whenever something on a screen makes my cry, it has metaphorically slapped me in the face and changed the way I think. I love it when that happens!
Now the message… What a message! It was phenomenal! If you weren’t there but want to hear it, which I can’t recommend highly enough, you can download it [here]. Spoken by stunning pocket rocket and new mum, Veronica Gullo, we learned what our identity as women is in God. Eve was the subject, and Veronica shared some things about the first woman that many of us hadn’t known before. Despite all of our shortcomings and self-criticisms (which women tend to specialise in), we are not failures. Our value in God’s eyes is never dependent on our actions. God loves women (and men) regardless – and this is a concept that is too quickly forgotten. So thank you, Veronica! God spoke through you to provide us with the best Mother’s Day sermon Realife has seen!
The after-the-service shenanigans were just as lovely. We had more scones and hot drinks, kids activities, and the highlight was the photobooth. Our resident experts took perfect photos of mums and their kin, capturing the magic of the family unit. It was genius.
Thanks again to all who were involved. We hope you had a beautiful day, as we did. See you next week, God bless you and yours, and remember:
You are fearless, you are blessed, you are beautiful, you are strong, you are confident, you are a conquerer, and, very importantly, you are loved.
Emma J. Ware.
