It is that time of year again…Mother’s Day is upon us…and soon Father’s Day. And a very dignified purpose they have in giving honor to those to whom it is due. It is the opportunity for me to thank my Mom as well as honor my Wife and the mother of my children.
However, if not handled carefully, it may inflict pain along with giving joy.
We do not observe Mother’s or Father’s Day at Central Baptist, and not because we hate parents, but because we love all of God’s people…let me explain.
Along with appropriately appreciating Fathers and Mothers (Eph. 6:1-3) at Central Baptist we also revere The Lord on a “Day” set apart unto him (Rev. 1:10) aka Sunday. On the 52 Sundays that make up the year our congregation gathers to receive and enjoy instruction as well as encouragement from the Word of God, prayer, Lord’s Supper, and fellowship (Acts 2:42). As children of God we make it a habit to gather regularly for the honor of the Lord and edification of our faith. Such activity is paramount for the Lord’s Day.
With that in mind, we do not observe Mother’s Day or Father’s Day at Central Baptist because:
(1) The Pain of Strained Relations: The older I get the more I see much pain tied to the parent-child relationship. This takes many forms so that in the congregation there may be an adult child whose relationship to mother/father is rocky. There may also be a parent whose child is estranged.
(2) The Distance of Proximity: In the transient age we live it is very common for adult children to live at a great distance from mom and dad. This often creates a situation where mom and dad wish to be with their children on that day but for many practical reasons they cannot.
(3) Pain of Deceased Parents: Mother’s and Father’s Day can be quite painful for those who have recently lost a parent to death. While others are buying flowers and cards to give their mother at dinner, they are left with a relational void and a measure of heart ache.
(4) Pain of Infertility: This was the straw that broke the camels back for me. As a pastor I have ministered to a number of couples who have struggled with this. Anyone who has experienced this or walked with a close friend who deals with this, knows it is a unique and sharp pain.
As a pastor I could not justify constructing a whole Sunday Service that would stir up unnecessary pain and detract from the encouragement and instruction that comes to us each Lord’s Day by the Word and prayer. I found no biblical motive to insert the observation of a holiday which not only removes the emphasis from God, but also creates a space of unhelpful pain.
As said above, this is not a condemnation of the celebrating parents. For those who do not have any of the challenges and pains named above, there is yet the rest of the day. But for 1 or 2 or 3 hours we need a space for those who are pained by the day to have opportunity to find comfort in the gospel as they engage in hymn singing, hearing from the Word, and the other various ways in which God blesses his people on the Lord’s Day.
PS — And to those last words: Remember that the day in question is first and foremost The Lord’s Day. We ought to observe and promote it biblically and decry that which detracts from it’s biblical purposes.
The Reforming Raker 