“Faith of Our Mothers” May 9, 2021 Pastor Heather 2 Timothy 1: 1-5 2 Timothy 3: 14-15

As a child, I remember singing “Faith of Our fathers . . .living still.” We sang it so many Sundays in Worship I was able to memorize most of it. “. . . inspite of dungeon, fi re and sword O how our hearts beat high with joy When’ever we hear that glorious word! Faith of our fathers, holy faith We will be true to thee to death.”

I sang it - but never really understood all that it meant. Frederick Faber wrote this hymn in the 19th century to try to get the Church of England to return to Roman Catholicism . . . something they did not do! A lot of books, articles and sermons are written on faith of our fathers . . . but seldom do I read or hear about “faith of our mothers”.

So today in honor of Mother’s Day, I’m going to share about 2 little known Bible Mothers: Eunice and Lois. Their names might not be familiar to you, but what an important infl uence they had on the spread of Christianity!

Her name is Jeanne, but it could just as well have been Eunice or Lois, our Bible Mothers. Jeanne taught Bible Stories to her 2 little girls. She read them to them long before they were able to read any words for themselves . . .stories about Jesus, Peter, Paul, Mary, Ruth and so many others. The large 365 Bible Bedtime stories became ragged and the back cover came off . But little hands could always fi nd their favorite stories. Along with the stories, Jeanne taught them about God’s love and what it means to believe in Jesus Christ. Jeanne’s children and grandchildren are grown now. One daughter became a pastor and sometimes people say to her: “Pastor Heather, you make the Bible Stories come alive, when you read scripture” It’s true. They are alive for me, because my mother shared them so beautifully, so many years ago. I, in turn, shared Bible Stories with my children, and now grandchildren as well as children I’ve met in each of the churches I’ve served. Just as my mother did with me. My faith was handed down by my mother and hers from her mother and grandmother before her. Faith of our (my) mothers.

The teacher Paul in the Bible helped spread Christianity around the then known world. He recognized faith, quality and potential in a young man named Timothy. He met Timothy in Asia Minor and asked him to accompany him on his travels to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In our 2nd Timothy scripture today, a picture is painted of the boy’s infl uential home and upbringing. No mention is made of Timothy’s father . . .but his home was a place where scripture had been opened to Timothy by his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois. They taught Timothy the law, the prophets, and the poetic writings of what we know today as the Old Testament. They steeped him in the stories and truths. As a historian, a piece I’ve always found missing in this important story is: Who taught Lois about Jesus, so that she in turn could teach Eunice and then Timothy? Did Lois learn her faith from one of the men or women who followed Jesus? If so, which one?

Whatever the origins, Eunice, Timothy’s mother was a Christian - a follower of Jesus Christ. Acts 16: 1 tells us that when Paul went to Lystra he found a disciple named Timothy there: “son of a Jewish woman who was a believer”. Eunice had taught the boy how the scriptures had been fulfi lled in Jesus of Nazareth. Mother and grandmother Lois taught Timothy how to love the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

As an associate of Paul, Timothy visited congregations with words and messages from the apostle. Later, Timothy became the pastor of the church in Ephesus. In the New Testament, the 2 letters to Timothy are addressed to him there. They contain counsel and advice on how to carry out his pastoral duties. Eunice and Lois are now in the background; it was Timothy who became the pastor and evangelist. But Paul was quick to see that the godly upbringing by Eunice and Lois was the key to his strong Christian faith and his ability to share the Good News of the Gospel with other people. It was being passed on to the next generation.

Today, for a few minutes, we are going to look at how this Bible passage can speak to us at Calvary as a community of faith.

How can we help our children, grandchildren and those from the neighborhood who enjoy playing on our swing set, become as familiar with Bible stories as they are with fairy tales?

“David and Goliath” is as exciting a story as “Jack and the Beanstalk”. In our Library, we have a book cart with “free” books. There are a number of children’s books there that friends have donated. In addition we have duplicates in our children’s classrooms. How can we get them into the hands and hearts of children? Some of them (as well as adult books) do get picked up when we’d, before Covid, wheel the cart into a JAVA or Silver Sneakers meeting area.

Jean Adkins has a dream. She’d like to see a “Free Little Library” in our playground area. When I shared that idea with Scout Leaders looking for Eagle Scout projects, there was interest. Is there someone this morning that might be willing to co-ordinate this outreach ministry? Giving books about Jesus and heroes in the Bible to more children is a way to pass on our Christian heritage and faith.

Secondly, how willing are you this summer to share your time on a Sunday morning in either worship service teaching children about Jesus. Elaine Rowlett has set the basics in place. Monthly, a faith based newsletter has been sent to parents of children who are toddler age and younger. We have some new toy donations in our nursery thanks to the Miller family. With Covid restrictions lifting, we are looking at new faith based activities for children both on Sundays and for children who attend our JAVA meetings with their families. “Love is Spelled Time” is the title of an older contemporary Christian song. This summer let’s reach out and teach more children about Jesus. Time you share reading stories will create the kind of good memories that will last a lifetime. Children’s minds are like sponges. They absorb not only facts but the knowledge that you cared enough to spend TIME with them.

Everything we teach children is important. Paul mentions 2 specifi c infl uences in regards to Timothy’s home: 1) the faith of the parents and guardians is crucial. Those who practice and confess their faith have great infl uence 2 Timothy 1: 5: “Your sincere faith, which 1st lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice . . .now lives in your also”.

2) the teaching and sharing of God’s Word is imperative. To me it is amazing how God can bring children (other than our own) into our lives and allow us the opportunity to provide a child with a spiritual foundation.

For the last 10 years of her life, my mother was the “adopted grandma” to a young Canadian family with 3 daughters who moved in next door to her. The oldest daughter had cerebral palsy and spent her days in a wheel chair (sometimes she’d show my mother how she could do wheelies in her driveway). The younger 2 girls off ered to weed my mother’s fl ower beds and take her garbage can in and out. My mother off ered to sit with Chelsea in her wheelchair while the family went to the younger girls sports activities. This is an unchurched family and so 1st my mother began telling them stories about her childhood . . .she was raised in a log cabin in Northern Saskatchewan near an Indian reservation and had her own dog team in winter (published a book of poetry at age 74). She built a relationship with them and then began telling them stories about Jesus as they gathered on her front porch after school for cookies and conversation. After a couple of years, she began taking them to church with her on Sundays and they became active later in the youth group there. One day my mother called me and said “please send a Bible Story Book - like we used to have when you were kids so that I can read them more stories.” This is the book I sent. When my mother thanked me she said “my grandchildren don’t live nearby but I can help these 3 girls learn about Jesus.”

On this Mother’s Day look around you . . . do you see some children that you could reach out to this week? Are you willing to share Jesus with them?

A symbol of the faith my grandmother Laura (who died before I was born) are these pearls that were hers from 1900 - over a century old. I wear them today as well as my mother’s wedding rings. I put those on my right hand the day of her funeral. FAITH OF OUR MOTHERS LIVING STILL.

Amen.