The Church Is Our Mother
Jeff, a long-time member of Salem, makes lots of phone calls. He leads the Tuesday prayer room. If you fill out a yellow prayer card and put it in the offering, Jeff and others will pray for your request. He will likely call you to see if there has been an answer to the prayer.
He calls people in the church regularly. A year ago, we asked Jeff made calls to church members as part of the Salem Rising capital campaign to encourage them to come to worship for the Salem Rising kick-off.
That Sunday, a woman in our congregation (who said I could share this) came out after the 11 am service and said, “Now, who is this Jeff that called me?” I looked around and saw Jeff getting into his car and pointed him out. I said, “There he is.”
She said, “He called me.”
I said, “Yes, he made calls this week to members to encourage them to come to worship today.”
She said, “Oh, he called everyone?”
I said, “Yes.”
She looked around sheepishly and said, “When I got the call I was in Las Vegas, and I couldn’t believe I went to Vegas and my church called me!”
That’s a great story because it represents what the Church is: our mother. This goes back a long ways. In the fourth century, Augustine said the Church is our mother.
Pope Francis, the current head of the Roman Catholic church, spoke earlier this year about this doctrine. He said the model of motherhood for the Church is the Blessed Virgin Mary who gave birth to the Son of God. Her motherhood continues through the Church, bringing forth sons and daughters through baptism. The Church is our mother who has at heart the good of her children.
So it’s wonderful and natural to hear…I went to Vegas, and my Church called me. I got married, and my Church called me. I had a baby and my Church called me. I lost my job, and my Church called me. I haven’t been home in awhile, and my Church called me. Why is the Church calling all the time? Because the Church is your mother who has at heart the good of her children. She cares about you.
The Church cares about you enough to get into your business. She is, after all, a Jewish mother. She celebrates with indomitable pride the person you are. She teaches and nurtures. She hassles and harangues and tells you the truth. She is your mother, and your business is her business. She always has a response for you.
My oldest daughter, Kaitlyn, was helping my daughter, Annie, sell candy and nuts for a school fundraiser to help with a school trip. They were talking to people in the fellowship room and they asked Jeff Cook if he wanted anything. He looked at the catalog. He said the candy coated peanuts looked pretty good. “How much are they?”he asked.
Annie said, “Nine dollars.”
Jeff said, “Nine dollars?! I don’t want to buy the whole catalog! When will they come in?”
Annie said, “In a month.”
Jeff said, “In a month!? That long? I might be dead by then.”
Without missing a beat, Kaitlyn piped in, “We’ll deliver them to the cemetery.”
He calls people in the church regularly. A year ago, we asked Jeff made calls to church members as part of the Salem Rising capital campaign to encourage them to come to worship for the Salem Rising kick-off.
That Sunday, a woman in our congregation (who said I could share this) came out after the 11 am service and said, “Now, who is this Jeff that called me?” I looked around and saw Jeff getting into his car and pointed him out. I said, “There he is.”
She said, “He called me.”
I said, “Yes, he made calls this week to members to encourage them to come to worship today.”
She said, “Oh, he called everyone?”
I said, “Yes.”
She looked around sheepishly and said, “When I got the call I was in Las Vegas, and I couldn’t believe I went to Vegas and my church called me!”
That’s a great story because it represents what the Church is: our mother. This goes back a long ways. In the fourth century, Augustine said the Church is our mother.
Pope Francis, the current head of the Roman Catholic church, spoke earlier this year about this doctrine. He said the model of motherhood for the Church is the Blessed Virgin Mary who gave birth to the Son of God. Her motherhood continues through the Church, bringing forth sons and daughters through baptism. The Church is our mother who has at heart the good of her children.
So it’s wonderful and natural to hear…I went to Vegas, and my Church called me. I got married, and my Church called me. I had a baby and my Church called me. I lost my job, and my Church called me. I haven’t been home in awhile, and my Church called me. Why is the Church calling all the time? Because the Church is your mother who has at heart the good of her children. She cares about you.
The Church cares about you enough to get into your business. She is, after all, a Jewish mother. She celebrates with indomitable pride the person you are. She teaches and nurtures. She hassles and harangues and tells you the truth. She is your mother, and your business is her business. She always has a response for you.
My oldest daughter, Kaitlyn, was helping my daughter, Annie, sell candy and nuts for a school fundraiser to help with a school trip. They were talking to people in the fellowship room and they asked Jeff Cook if he wanted anything. He looked at the catalog. He said the candy coated peanuts looked pretty good. “How much are they?”he asked.
Annie said, “Nine dollars.”
Jeff said, “Nine dollars?! I don’t want to buy the whole catalog! When will they come in?”
Annie said, “In a month.”
Jeff said, “In a month!? That long? I might be dead by then.”
Without missing a beat, Kaitlyn piped in, “We’ll deliver them to the cemetery.”
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