At D+1 tonight for a joint service.  Pretty poor turnout of my folk but to be honest probably would have been much the same had we been on our own.

It was 'a service in three parts' and it was very effective.

Part 1 beginning with Psalm 131 (weaned child on mother's knee) was about human mothers and was handled with appropriate sensitivity to those who aren't, without demeaning those who are, and had careful acknowledgement of when motherhood is trial rather than joy

Part 2 was about church as mother, picking up on the Ephesians 5 image of the church as feminine and bride of Christ, and spoke of the church birthing new Christians and then nurturing them.  This section culminated in Communion and I was invited to do the thanksgiving prayer - just wished I could have recalled more of the Mother's Shabbat prayer as it would have fitted; in the end I used the opening line (Blessed art Thou, oh Lord, our God, King of the Universe) and then extemporised.

Part 3 was about God as mother, drawing on a couple of beautiful images from Isaiah 49:15 (can a mother forget the baby at her breast) and Isaiah 66:10-13 (As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you) and the lovely Lukan hen and chicks.

It was a very comforting service - or at least I found it so - though I guess some may have found the feminine imagery a bit challenging.

Definitely a good approach to Mothering Sunday/Mother's Day, and it was a good place to be.