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MOTHER’S DAY

MUSIC & WORSHIP RESOURCES

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Brandon A. Boyd, Member of the Lectionary Young Adult Liturgists’ Team

“Mama Sing Your Love Song” Precious memories of my Mama By Darlene Moore

“When I wake up, whether it is a cool morning or a school morning, I can hear my Mama sing her love song. I can hear the sounds of bath water running for her children. I warmly notice my clothes freshly ironed, laid on my bedside chair. I awaken more fully and I reach for my soft slippers, one being pushed farther under my bed. I hear the birds humming and the feet of squirrels shuffling over my head. I then quickly get up and I hear my Pops (Dad) singing loud, proud, and way up out of tune doing the quick step all while mowing the grass or taking out the trash. Mama is still singing, Pops is still singing, and suddenly my small radio starts playing Louie Armstrong or some other blues, Mama’s and Pop’s alarm rings out joyously, I better hurry, pray, dress, eat and sing my tune. It’s time, it’s time, it’s time—it’s time to go to school. Then I chant my Big Mama’s words, “Hurry, hurry now child, you can’t stay around here all day, you must hurry, go and learn something at school.”

Worship Planning Notes

This worship unit is designed as a resource for a creative and meaningful worship service in celebration of motherhood. On this Sunday we give thanks to God for mothers. They are special creatures who bring forth and nurture life. Celebrate them to the fullest!

During your Mother’s Day tributes:

• Have your children/youth/teens/tweens create cards, t-shirts, or coffee mugs to celebrate the mothers of the congregation.
  
  
• Give every mother a red rose—to symbolize the beauty they bring to the earth.
  
  
• Recognize women who are celebrating their very first Mother’s Day.
  
  
• Ask the congregation to think of the most influential woman in their lives, whether it’s their mother or a mother-figure. Then, ask everyone to share with the persons to their left or right how that person impacted their lives.
  
  
• Before worship begins or after the benediction, play the song entitled “Mama” from the movie Soul Food.

1. Litany and Responsive Reading

(a) A Litany for Mother’s Day
By Peggy Emerson

Leader:	Mothers come in many different forms, and today we celebrate them all!
All:	Thank God for mothers!
Leader:	Everyone here is either a son or a daughter.
All:	Thank God for my mother!
Leader:	For those women who have joined God in Heaven and whom we miss dearly here on earth.
All:	Thank God for the mothers of the past.
Leader:	For every woman who is working day and night to raise her children right now.
All:	Thank God for the mothers of today.
Leader:	For all the women who are expecting, but aren’t quite mothers yet!
All:	Thank God for the soon-to-be-mothers.
Leader:	For the women who took in others’ children through adoption and foster care.
All:	Thank God for the mothers with hearts so big.
Leader:	For those women who have lost a child to death and must carry on.
All:	Thank God for the mothers who are so strong.
Leader:	For all the women who wanted to have children of their own, but chose instead to mother everyone else.
All:	Thank God for the mothers in spirit. We thank you, Lord, for the women who have influenced our lives in so many ways. We pray that we will honor them in everything we do. Amen.

(b) Responsive Reading

Mother’s Day

During the Responsive Reading, show photos of women from your congregation on the jumbotrons/screens.

Worship Leader:	We have come today to celebrate the life that you have given us through the lives of mothers.
People:	We sing praises to your name. You are the creator of life.
Worship Leader:	You have given us the gift of life and we say thank you for it.
People:	We sing praises to your name. You are the creator of life.
Worship Leader:	As our Creator, we honor you in this service today with gifts of song, dance, poetry, and acts of love to the mothers you have blessed to be here today.
People:	We sing praises to your name. You are the creator of life.
ALL:	We celebrate mothers, whether biological or those given us through bonding relationships. We sing praises to your name, O God. We know that you are the creator of life.

2. Hymns and Congregational Songs
(a) For the Beauty of the Earth. Text and Tune, (DIX), by Folliott Pierpoint

(b) O Perfect Love, All Human Thought Transcending. By Dorothy Gurney. Tune, (O PERFECT LOVE), by Joseph Barney

(c) Faith of Our Mothers. By A. B. Patten. Tune, (ST. CATHERINE), by Henri Hemy

3. Spirituals or Traditional Songs
(a) Same Train. Arr. By Roland Carter

(b) Gwine to See My Mother Some O’ These Mornin’s. Spiritual

(c) I Thank You Jesus, I Thank You Lord. By Kenneth Morris. Arr. By Joseph Joubert

4. Gospel Songs for Choirs or Ensembles
(a) I Remember Mama. By Shirley Caesar, Bernard Sterling, and Michael Mathis

(b) I Still Hear Mama Praying. By Chester D.T. Baldwin

(c) Mama Prayed Us Through. By Thomas Cain

(d) When I Rose This Morning. By Jerry Smith

5. Liturgical Dance or Mime Ministry Music
(a) Order My Steps. By Glenn Burleigh

(b) The Prayer. By David Foster and Carol Sager

6. Anthems
(a) Grace. Arr. By Mark Hayes

(b) Some Day. Arr. By Nathan Carter

(c) Lord, We Give Thanks to Thee. By Undine Smith Moore

7. Modern Songs (Written between 2000-2011)
(a) Back to Eden. By Donald Lawrence

(b) High Places. Arr. By Sigmund Morriar

(c) How Excellent Is Thy Name. By Eddie Robinson

8. Offertory Song or Instrumental
(a) Running Over. By Joe Pace

(b) Lord, You Are Awesome. By William Murphy

(c) O Give Thanks. By Charles Nicks

9. Song or Instrumental for the Period of Prayer
(a) Somebody Prayed for Me. By Alvin Darling and Dorothy Norwood

(b) Come By Here My Lord. Arr. By Uzee Brown

(c) I Still Hear Mama Praying. By Chester D.T. Baldwin

10. Sermonic Selection
(a) Jesus Christ Is the Way. By Walter Hawkins

(b) I Really Love the Lord. By Milton Biggham

(c) If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again. By James Rowe and James Vaughan

11. Invitational Song or Instrumental
(a) We Offer Christ. By Joel Britton

(b) While You Wait. By Joe Pace

(c) Give of Your Best to the Master. By Howard Grose

12. Benediction Song or Instrumental
(a) ‘Til We Meet Again. By Kirk Franklin

(b) Shalom to You. By Elise Eslinger. Tune, (SOMOS DEL SENOR), by Carlton Young

(c) Always Remember. By Andraé Crouch

Cites and Additional Information for Music and Material Listed

Worship Planning Notes
Mama Sing Your Love Song. By Darlene Moore
Location:
1. Responsive Reading and Litany
(a) A Litany for Mother’s Day. By Peggy Emerson
Location:
(b) Responsive Reading: “Mother’s Day”
Location:
2. Hymns and Congregational Songs
(a) For the Beauty of the Earth. Text and Tune, (DIX), by Folliott Pierpoint
Location:
(b) O Perfect Love, All Human Thought Transcending. By Dorothy Gurney. Tune, (O PERFECT LOVE), by Joseph Barney
Location:
(c) Faith of Our Mothers. By A. B. Patten. Tune, (ST. CATHERINE), by Henri Hemy
Location:
3. Spirituals or Congregational Songs
(a) Same Train. Arr. By Roland Carter
Location:
(b) Gwine to See My Mother Some O’ These Mornin’s. Spiritual
Location:
(c) I Thank You Jesus, I Thank You Lord. By Kenneth Morris. Arr. By Joseph Joubert
Location:
4. Gospel Songs for Choirs or Ensembles
(a) I Remember Mama. By Shirley Caesar, Bernard Sterling, and Michael Mathis
Location:
(b) I Still Hear Mama Praying. By Chester D.T. Baldwin
Location:
(c) Mama Prayed Us Through. By Thomas Cain
Location:
(d) When I Rose This Morning. By Jerry Smith
Location:
5. Liturgical Dance or Mime Ministry Music
(a) Order My Steps. By Glenn Burleigh
Location:
(b) The Prayer. By David Foster and Carol Sager
Location:
6. Anthems
(a) Grace. By Mark Hayes
Location:
(b) Some Day. Arr. By Nathan Carter
Location:
(c) Lord, We Give Thanks to Thee. By Undine Smith Moore
Location:
7. Modern Songs  (Written between 2000-2011)
(a) Back to Eden. By Donald Lawrence
Location:
(b) High Places. Arr. By Sigmund Morriar
Location:
(c) How Excellent Is Thy Name. By Eddie Robinson
Location:
8. Offertory Song or Instrumental
(a) Running Over. By Joe Pace
Location:
(b) Lord, You Are Awesome. By William Murphy
Location:
(c) O Give Thanks. By Charles Nicks
Location:
9. Song or Instrumental for the Period of Prayer
(a) Somebody Prayed for Me. By Alvin Darling and Dorothy Norwood
Location:
(b) Come by Here My Lord. By Uzee Brown
Location:
(c) I Still Hear Mama Praying. By Chester D.T. Baldwin
Location:
10. Sermonic Selection
(a) Jesus Christ Is the Way. By Walter Hawkins
Location:
(b) I Really Love the Lord. By Milton Biggham
Location:
(c) If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again. By James Rowe and James Vaughan
Location:
11. Invitational Song or Instrumental
(a) We Offer Christ. By Joel Britton
Location:
(b) While You Wait. By Joe Pace
Location:
(c) Give of Your Best to the Master. By Howard Grose
Location:
12. Benediction Song or Instrumental
(a) ‘Til We Meet Again. By Kirk Franklin
Location: Location:
(b) Shalom to You. By Elise Eslinger. Tune, (SOMOS DEL SENOR), by Carlton Young
Location:
(c) Always Remember. By Andraé Crouch
Location:

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