Mother's Day Scriptures and Prayer of the Day

I had trouble finding alternate Mother's Day texts (or prayers), so I assume you might have too. Here is an alternate prayer of the day I wrote up. Use it as you will. And here are some texts that I know will fit service at our congregation. I also always encourage the reading of Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation. You can find it here. 

Peace, all.  -Tom

PRAYER OF THE DAY

God before all gods, our source and our destination, you are the presence of grace and truth among us in the kind touch of love and the healing embrace of liberating solidarity. Through the eternal dance of Beloved, Lover, and Love, in Trinity you give birth to all creation, calling us good, gifting every creature with the mutual enjoyment of every good thing and commissioning us to show mutual care and lovingkindness to one another. Be with us in our struggles and in our doubts. Where love has expired and hearts desire only rest, give us healing. Hide us beneath your wings. Be our rock. Give us strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. May we find in the presence of one another a foretaste of your feast to come, through Jesus, our Resurrection and Life. Amen.

READINGS

ISAIAH 49:8-15

8 Thus says the Lord:

In a time of favor I have answered you,

   on a day of salvation I have helped you;

I have kept you and given you

   as a covenant to the people,

to establish the land,

   to apportion the desolate heritages;

saying to the prisoners, “Come out,”

   to those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves.”

They shall feed along the ways,

   on all the bare heights shall be their pasture;

they shall not hunger or thirst,

   neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down,

for the one who has pity on them will lead them,

   and by springs of water will guide them.

And I will turn all my mountains into a road,

   and my highways shall be raised up.

Lo, these shall come from far away,

   and lo, these from the north and from the west,

   and these from the land of Syene.

Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;

   break forth, O mountains, into singing!

For the Lord has comforted the people,

   and will have compassion on all who suffer.

But Zion said, “God has forsaken me,

   my God has forgotten me.”

Can a woman forget her nursing child,

   or show no compassion for the child of her womb?

Even these may forget,

   yet I will never forget you.

1 PETER 2:1-5

Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. 2Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— 3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 Come to the living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house.

MATTHEW 23:37-38

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you, desolate.[h] 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”