Mother Mary is a woman worthy of remembrance, celebration and emulation.
One tradition is the “May Crowning,” when little children make flower crowns and adorn statues of Mary to celebrate her life and leadership. I dig that. If ever there was a woman to remember it would be the brown teenage mother who sang:
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. … He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy.”
Mary got it. She understood the movements of God in history to be for the lowly, the hungry and those who need help and mercy. Mother Mary picked up on God’s rhythms of care and nurture and let them move her own hands and feet to the beat of mercy’s drum, come what may.
Mother’s Day can drum up a lot of things for us. Some of us look forward to a day to make our mamas feel extra special. Others of us come to this day with much grief to bear. The rest of us carry a mixed bag of both; we are grateful for those who mother us well and we are grossed out by the Hallmark marketization of the whole ordeal.
What does Mother’s Day have to do with worship anyway?
Mother Mary can help. Her song of radical trust and hope can tickle our ears to mercy’s drum. Her determined faithfulness in raising the divine child can encourage us to keep showing up to the children in our lives. The memory of her urging Jesus to make wine, to step into his time, can rustle us out of indecision and into God’s banquet today.
Mother’s Day is fraught, but less so with Mother Mary keeping the beat.
As we prepare for worship, remember her words and maybe you’ll find yourself tapping your foot to mercy’s drum.