Radical Mothers’ Day Prayer
May 10, 2015

We often forget the radical roots of Mother’s Day.  Far from being an intimate celebration of family life, Mother’s Day had its origin in work for justice and peace. 

It all started in the 1850s, when West Virginia women's organizer Ann Reeves Jarvis held Mother's Day work clubs to improve sanitary conditions and try to lower infant mortality by fighting disease and curbing milk contamination, according to historian Katharine Antolini of West Virginia Wesleyan College. The groups also tended wounded soldiers from both sides during the U.S. Civil War from 1861 to 1865.

In the postwar years Jarvis and other women organized Mother's Friendship Day picnics and other events as pacifist strategies to unite former foes. Julia Ward Howe, for one—best known as the composer of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"—issued a widely read "Mother's Day Proclamation" in 1870, calling for women to take an active political role in promoting peace.

Around the same time, Jarvis had initiated a Mother's Friendship Day for Union and Confederate loyalists across her state. But it was her daughter Anna who was most responsible for what we call Mother's Day—and who would spend most of her later life fighting the limitation and sentimentality of what it had become.

This service was originally written for a year when Mothers’ Day fell on the Festival of Pentecost; its prayer to the Spirit seems appropriate for any time!

Leader: 	On the day of Pentecost, followers of Jesus gathered,
		including many women:

All: 		Mary, the mother of Jesus,
		Mary Magdalene, Mary and Martha,
		Salome, Susanna, Joanna,
		the Canaanite woman and her daughter,
		the Samaritan woman, Philip’s four daughters,
		Peter’s mother-in law,
		women who had been healed or touched by Jesus 
		and many, many more.

Leader: 	As the Spirit fell upon them,
		all hearts were opened and they began to prophesy:

All: 		Some used the utterance of wisdom,
		another the gift of knowledge,
		others became healers and interpreters of tongues.
		All used their gifts for the common good.
		In the presence of the Spirit, in the power of Pentecost love,
		they proclaimed a vision of God’s shalom.

Leader: 	Today, we remember the women of history
		who have been moved by the Spirit
		to proclaim and live out God’s vision of peace with justice:
		
		(Let us lift up the names of women who have worked for justice and peace to honor 
on this Mother’s Day)

All: 		May your daughters prophesy justice 
		and your sons dream peace!

Leader: 	On this Mother’s Day, let us lift up the names of women
		in our own lives who have mothered us and
		witnessed to us the power of love and the Spirit:

		(Let us lift up the names of women who have nurtured your life and educated you in faith)

All: 		May your daughters prophesy justice 
		and your sons dream peace!

Leader: 	As it happened on the day of Pentecost,
		let the Spirit come upon us 
		as we go about our ministry together,
		today and always.

All: 		Amen!

Radical Mothers’ Day was written by Ann L. Hanson, formerly Minister for Sexuality Education and Justice, Justice and Witness Ministries, UCC.

Copyright 2008 Local Church Ministries, Faith Formation Ministry Team, United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-1100. Permission granted to reproduce or adapt this material for use in services of worship or church education. All publishing rights
reserved.