Our household objects today are keepsakes and our Bible passage is Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.

Are you a hoarder or a de-clutterer? Keepsakes are usually objects that might not have a practical purpose in the home such as the washing-machine or vacuum cleaner but which we keep because of the memories that are attached to them or the sentimental value they have, being a gift from a loved one.

According to our Bible passage, there is a time to gather such objects and a time to let them go too. The Bible calls us to remember many things – chiefly the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, which we do most significantly as we share in Holy Communion, that love feast inaugurated immediately before His death – but it also reminds us that there are things we need to let go of and forget (see Isaiah 43:18). Getting the balance right isn’t always easy, but this Lent period is a good time perhaps to de-clutter (that ‘spring clean’ that is necessary to keep on top of things!) and to ponder what is really important and must always be remembered.

Dave spoke this morning on a mother’s love. A mother’s love is very great, and even as Jesus hung on the cross, He thought about His mother (see John 19:26-27). Today (Mothering Sunday in the UK) is the day when we pay tribute to mothers and are reminded that a mother’s love can be a reflection of God’s love to many (see Is 66:13). God wants to show His great love to people and often uses mothers as examples of godly love.

A mother cherishes her child, as 1 Kings 3 makes plain. There, two women came to Solomon asking him to discern whose child had died. Solomon was able to do this because the real mother would rather have given her child to the other than have it killed. God’s love is a cherishing love.

A mother is also known for comforting her children, for providing stability and security. God’s love is unchanging and reliable. We can rest in His comforting arms and can turn to Him at all times.

A mother sacrifices for her children, giving her everything for them. God gave His only Son for us, such is His love. (John 3:16)

A mother encourages her children, providing a listening ear and encouragement. God is always there, listening to us and encouraging us.

It’s apt that today’s object on Mothering Sunday is ‘family photos’. The Bible passage is Matthew 12:46-50, where Jesus talks about family, reminding us that ‘whoever does the will of my father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’

Family photos are a way of reminding us of special occasions and special people; my daughter-in-law trained in photography and so I have come to appreciate the joys of photoshoots where my grandchildren – who grow so quickly! – can be captured in time. As Gordon Giles says, the camera is ‘a mirror with a memory.’ (‘At Home In Lent’, P 106) For some people, families are a source of great pride and joy; for others, there is pain involved in the memories as relationships fragment or there is sadness because of the loss of family members. Mothering Sunday can be both a joyful occasion of celebration and a time of great pain and sadness, either because of an inability to have children or because of estrangement or bereavement.

In this passage, we see Jesus redefining what is meant by family, linking it to our connection to God even more than the blood ties which we usually use to define family. Gordon Giles speaks of ‘new bonds of connectedness that are based not on kinship but on common purpose, affection or service.’ (‘At Home In Lent’, P 105) Being a Christian means being connected to other believers in ways that are powerful and rewarding (as well as challenging!)

Today’s household object is the invisible but immensely useful electricity, and our Bible passage is Matthew 14:15-33, where Jesus walks on water in a storm and encourages Peter to do the same.

Electricity is another double-edged sword, so to speak, providing us with heat and light which fuel our everyday modern lives, but it has the potential to be deadly. The single phase electric power that runs through our walls carries alternating current between the power grid and the household, and is usually earthed to prevent damage from lightning. Circuit breakers and fuses are there to protect us from power surges or other problems. We often take these things for granted, but this is another example of something being a good servant when used wisely and a bad master!

Electricity is powerful but invisible, and reminds us that we can’t always see God or His power. Peter had to take a step of faith when he got out of the boat and started to walk on water, based on the fact he had seen Jesus do the same. When he took his eyes off Jesus, doubt resurfaced and he began to sink. It can be hard at times to believe in the power of God when we can’t see what He is doing.

Gordon Giles comments that ‘what we all need when we are sinking, or when the fuses are blown, is a renewed encounter, in the heart of the storm, with our Lord Jesus, the spiritual electrician of our buffeted souls. His call and His hand of help are offered and outstretched amid the short circuits of despair and the raging waters of self-doubt.’ (‘At Home In Lent’, P 102)