Worship on the Christian Family Sunday and Mother’s Day
10:00 am May 10, 2026
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalists: Peter and Cheryl Sheridan
Elder: Sam Malayang
Children’s time: Courtney Vaughan Reader: Tracy Childs
We gather to worship God
Music prelude
Greeting
L: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you
P: and also with you
Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship
Call to worship:
L: Let us see you this day, Lord
P: Come to us as light
L: Let us hear you this day, Lord
P: Come to us as truth
L: Let us sense your presence, Lord
P: Come to us as love
L: Come, let us worship the Lord of light, truth and love. Amen
Opening praise: Come, now is the time to worship
Prayers of approach and confession
God of life,
we praise you this day for the gift of your creation
as new life rises around us in flower beds and farmers’ fields,
in the nests and burrows of your creatures.
We praise you for the gift of our lives, and for all those people—
from our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents
to our teachers and coaches and good friends—
who have encouraged us along the way.
In this time of worship,
encourage us in the present moments of our lives,
challenging as they may seem.
Refresh us with the new life you promise us in Christ Jesus
in whose name we praise you as the Spirit prays within us.
God of love,
we are grateful for the love you bless us with in our homes and families.
Yet you know family life is not always easy.
Our love for each other gets strained some days.
Forgive us if we have taken our family for granted.
Give us grace to repair relationships where strain is showing. Amen.
Response: I will trust in the Lord
Assurance of God’s pardon
Hear the good news! Who is in a position to condemn?
Only Christ—and Christ died for us; Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us.
Believe the good news of the gospel. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven
and set free to love more fully by God’s generous grace.
We listen for the voice of God
Song: Open our eyes, Lord (445)
Children’s time
Hello, children. Can anyone tell me what today is? (Pause for responses)
Today is a very special day, because it’s Mother’s Day!
We all have women in our lives who are mother figures – whether it’s our own mom, our bonus mom, grandmothers, aunts, and even our friends’ moms! Mother’s are everywhere, and they love us unconditionally … just like Jesus does.
Have you hugged your mother yet today? Well, if you haven’t already, make sure you do it before the day is over.
Did you know that the Bible has a lot to say about our mothers? Mothers who love God – those who try to teach their children about God – have a very special place in His heart. In fact, God made a promise to the children who love and honour their mother and father. The Bible says, “Honour your father and mother. Then, you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12)
Does your mother carry a purse?
Let me go grab MY mother’s purse for this little demonstration!?!
Most mothers carry a pretty big purse like this one. Have you ever looked inside your mother’s purse – with her permission, of course?
You might be surprised at what we might find inside. Let’s take a look and see the things my mom carries around with her that could maybe help teach us about God.
(Pull out each item and talk about how it relates to what a Christian mother might teach a child.)
- A small flashlight: Jesus is the light of the world, and we can count on Him to help make the path easier to follow when the world seems dark and lonely.
- Tissues: These are always handy for a runny nose, of course. Sometimes, when we are scared or worried, we might shed a few tears. God is always there to help us feel better and wipe away our sorrows.
- Candy: A mother should always have something sweet on hand to encourage others when they are down in the dumps. She also can provide sweet words to help bring hope in troubled times.
- Comb or brush: This could be a reminder that each of us represents the Lord. Every morning, when you comb or brush your hair and you step out to face the world, YOU are a disciple of Jesus. Put your best self forward and know that God is with you every step of your journey.
- Bible: A mother should always keep the Word of God handy. It can be kept close enough to read a little bit every day, and it will serve as a reliable guide when helping others to stay on the right path.
- A wallet: A mother must always be prepared in case of a financial emergency. But this wallet can also represent the value our faith brings to our lives. Knowing and loving God makes us richer, in all the BEST ways!
We have so much to be thankful for when it comes to our moms and those who love us like mothers. God uses mothers every day to lead us and love us completely … just like He does.
As we celebrate Mother’s Day, tell your Mom that you love her. But more importantly, let’s remember to show her that she’s loved. In the same way, let’s tell God that we love Him today. But more importantly, let’s remember to show Him that we love Him through worship and by loving one another.
Let us pray:
Thank you, God, for mothers. Thank you for their love, patience, kindness, and wisdom. We are thankful that they are always prepared to help their children and lead them along the right path … just like Jesus does.
And now, together, we’ll say the prayer that you taught us, saying “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name …”
The Lord’s Prayer (535)
Song: King of Kings 266
Scripture: 1 Peter 3:13-22 & John 14:15-21
Response: Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord
Message: The Hope that You Have
We are a people called not live our faith openly and with truth, never giving up our zeal for doing what is right. In this world, doing right may not always mean being rewarded for it. At times, we are harmed by it. But we are called, nonetheless, to speak the good news in word and deed, and never to shy away.
A few years ago, I came to know a Christian family seeking refuge in Canada. Eventually many family members made it into the country, but the patriarch made sure everyone else got out first. They loved the country they came from but the government was and is still very hostile to non-Muslims. This family patriarch was a respected bank manager. He was also fairly open about his faith in Jesus. People knew he was trying to reach a place where he and his family could worship freely. And that was the problem.
One day he was arrested on what appeared to be very flimsy evidence for embezzlement. In prison he was then charged with Blasphemy. This is of course typical. According to Pew Research, out of the 50 Muslim majority countries in the world, 47 have clear blasphemy laws very much intended to kill or imprison Christians and the other 3 have different titled laws that do the same thing but claim all non-Muslims are by default “inciting religious enmity”. At the same time, there are 152 majority Christian nations and not a single one punishes Muslims for their faith. That should speak volumes. Yet, we do live in a very messy world. And in the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf States, most non-Muslims fear for their lives and have to make attempts to escape to the places with the most religious freedom. But that’s not easy to do.
During the trial the father of the now “Canadian kids” was released for a short time on bail, and during that time of release, one day he fell to his death down an open elevator from the top floor of a building in a neighbourhood, he’d never been previously known to visit. Additionally, the security cameras were mysteriously off at the time of the incident. Those close to the family believe he was murdered because he refused to stop following Jesus. Most of his family eventually reached safety and now live across Saskatchewan. By all accounts, they are doing more than fine. All but one of them. One died. Or more likely, one was murdered.
As John Calvin once wrote, “Against the persecution of a tyrant, the godly have no remedy but prayer.” Doing what is right does not always bring immediate reward. Sometimes it brings more trouble.
This is exactly the situation Peter was addressing. His readers were scattered as exiles across a hostile Roman Empire. They faced suspicion, slander, discrimination, and sometimes outright suffering simply because they belonged to Jesus. But Peter does not tell them to hide their faith, compromise their convictions, or fight back with anger and bitterness. Instead, he calls them, and us, to not be afraid of their threats and to continue on in faithfulness and in “eagerly doing good”.
Even though the cost of following Jesus in Canada is not our lives, standing up for Christ can still cost us comfort, reputation, opportunities, or relationships.
Peter says, “But in your hearts honour Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience…”
When Christ is Lord in our hearts, we can live with courageous hope and gentle boldness even when doing good brings suffering. And even if we live in a place that hates us, we can still be bold. Yet I must say, I wonder how the Bold in other countries think of us and how quiet we often are. Do you?
Peter begins with realism, not romance. Listen to verse 13: “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?”
In a perfect world, goodness would always be rewarded. But we don’t live in a perfect world. Peter knows that. So, he immediately adds, “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled” (v. 14).
And then, Peter goes even further in verse 17: “For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.”
So, here’s a question we need to ask ourselves as a church and as individual believers: Are we known in our community as people who are zealous for what is good? Or have we become timid, shrinking back to avoid discomfort or conflict?
Peter gives us three vital instructions. They form the heart of how we live as exiles with hope.
First: Honour Christ the Lord as holy in your hearts.
This is the foundation. Peter is saying: Give Jesus the highest place in your inner life. He is not just your Saviour or a helpful spiritual advisor. He is Lord. When Christ is enthroned in your heart, the fear of people is dethroned. Worry about consequences loses its power.
Is Christ truly Lord over our fears, our reputation, our career plans, our social media, and our family decisions? When anxiety starts to rise, do we run to Him first? When pressure comes to stay silent or soften our convictions, do we remember who sits on the throne of your heart?
When this is true of us, we are freed to live differently. But that doesn’t mean , just because we love Jesus, are bold enough to say it and bold enough to live it out, that things are going to go well. Peter knows very well, that some of us are being thrown down the elevator shaft. He just wants us to know that following Jesus is still worth it.
In the hills outside Los Angeles in 2004, Lisa Torti and her friends were in a serious car accident. One of them, Alexandra Van Horn, was trapped inside the wreckage. Fearing the car might explode, Torti pulled Van Horn out of the fiery car by her arms to safety. Van Horn had survived the crash but was paralyzed. But instead of gratitude, Alexadra Van Horn sued her best friend and rescuer, claiming that Torti’s actions worsened her spinal injuries.
The case went all the way to the California State Supreme Court, which ruled in a split decision that Good Samaritan protections for non-medical rescuers are limited. In other words, Torti could be held liable for the way she performed the rescue. What should have been a heroic act turned into years of legal battles and stress for the woman who risked her life to save a friend’s.
How do we live in a world where “no good deed goes unpunished?” Peter gives us the heart of the matter. It is not about being rewarded. It’s about doing what is right.
Second: Always be prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.
Peter says, we can’t stay silent about who we worship or why we do good. Notice Peter does not say, “Always be prepared to argue with everyone who disagrees with you.” He says be ready to give a gentle, respectful answer to anyone who asks about the hope inside you.
As I am very found of saying, “People make the best advertisements for the gospel.” When your life is marked by joy, integrity, and steady hope in hard times, people eventually notice. Evangelism is far less about cold-call preaching and more about being ready to respond when the door opens and not being afraid to be faithful.
An inner-city free clinic in Chicago announced sudden budget cuts and let go of nearly half the staff on the spot one morning. The waiting room filled with worried patients. Many employees walked out in frustration. But one man, Dan, stayed despite no longer being paid. But he kept showing up, calm and kind, handing out forms, answering questions, and trying to bring order to the chaos only now as a volunteer.
One afternoon a nurse named Sarah, who had barely spoken to him before, watched him for a long moment and then asked, “How are you not falling apart right now? Everyone else is panicking or angry.”
Dan paused, then said, “I don’t always feel okay. Some days I’m fighting fear just like everyone else. But every night my mother used to light a small candle and name one thing she trusted would still be true in the morning when she woke up. Then she would pray, blow the candle out and let the smoke carry her thanks to God for that one thing. I’ve started doing the same, one small truth at a time.
Sarah didn’t say much that day, but she sat down and started helping. The problems at the clinic didn’t disappear. But something quieter and stronger settled in the room, and in their hearts.
I think that is the kind of hope Peter is talking about. It is not vague positive thinking. It is the confident expectation that we are forgiven, that we have new life now, and that eternal glory is coming, because Jesus rose from the dead. The resurrection is the reason we believe the best is yet to come. Death is defeated. This broken world will be made new. We belong to a living Saviour.
Third: Do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a good conscience.
Our defence of the hope must match the hope itself. Harsh, angry, self-righteous answers undermine the very gospel we defend. A good conscience matters. We cannot live like the world during the week and then try to defend the hope we have only on Sunday. And I am working on that.
Here Peter grounds everything in the gospel itself.
How can we live in hope even when suffering comes? Because of what Christ has done.
“Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (v. 18). He died. But death could not hold Him. He rose victorious. Just as God saved Noah and his family safely through the waters of judgment, He saves us through the waters of baptism, not as a magical ritual, but as the outward sign of an inner appeal to God for a clean conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because Christ has already won, we can endure. Because no snide looks or mockery or elevator shafts can every change that.
We live in a world where good deeds are sometimes punished and faithfulness can be costly.
In such a world, Peter’s words are not naïve, they are powerful. No, it is not likely that in Canada someone will throw you down an elevator shaft for your faith, but they might belittle you. They might insult you. They might consider you to be “less than” at times.
Set Christ apart as Lord in your heart. Stay ready with a gentle, respectful answer. Our hope is not fragile optimism. It is resurrection hope. It thrives even in suffering. It refuses to be silenced. And when we live this way, our lives become a quiet but powerful testimony that makes people ask, “What is different about you?”
May God make us a church known for being zealous for good, gentle in spirit, and unshakably hopeful, because Jesus is Lord, He has risen, and our future is secure in Him no matter what else may happen. Amen.
Song: Spirit, come dispel our sadness (380)
We respond to serve God
Our time of giving
The Apostle Paul declared that in God, we live and move and have our being. We offer our gifts to God in thanksgiving for all we enjoy in life, praying that our generosity will become a blessing throughout all God’s precious creation.
Prayers of the people
God our Creator and Redeemer, you made us in love to share that love with neighbour and stranger as Jesus commanded. Take our gifts and make them tokens of your love that we can share throughout our community and in the world you love.
God of homes and families, this Sunday we give you thanks for our families, especially remembering mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers.
We are grateful for their love and attention, their hard work and the deep hope they have cherished for each one of us.
We honour before you each one who has mothered us and now lives with you in your eternal care.
And we ask your blessing on each one in our family who continues to care for us, cook for us and worry about us.
God with a loving heart,
Hear our prayer.
God of connections and compassion, today we thank you for our friends and relations, for the neighbours and fellow citizens who help to make our lives complete.
We thank you for glad times shared, helping hands offered, commitments honoured.
And we pray for those around us facing particular challenges this day.
Keep silence for 15 seconds.
God with a loving heart,
Hear our prayer.
God of courage and new possibility, today we pray for all those who feel life or love slipping through their fingers, for those who face the loss of good health, and for those who face the loss of good times.
We pray for communities facing upheaval through natural disaster and human misjudgement, and for countries facing economic turbulence and environmental collapse.
Keep silence for 15 seconds.
God with a loving heart,
Hear our prayer.
God of forgiveness and renewal, today we pray for those caught up in relationships in need of repair and for all who seek peace and seek to make peace.
We pray for families, churches, communities, and countries caught up in division.
Keep silence for 15 seconds.
Send your Spirit to bring peace to troubled lives.
God with a loving heart,
Hear our prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father,
On this day and every day, we come before You with hearts full of gratitude for the beautiful gift of mothers. Thank You for creating them with such tender hearts, endless strength, and unconditional love that reflects Your own.
Lord, bless every mother who has poured herself out in quiet, unseen ways — the late nights comforting crying babies, the gentle hands that wiped away tears, the sacrifices made without complaint, and the endless prayers whispered over her children. For the mothers who loved fiercely through exhaustion, who gave when she had nothing left, and who carried both joy and worry in the same heartbeat… hold them close today.
Wrap them in Your comforting embrace. Renew their weary spirits, restore their joy, and let them feel deeply how precious they are. Remind them that their love has shaped lives in ways that will echo through generations. Give them moments of sweet rest, laughter that fills their souls, and the assurance that they are seen, valued, and loved beyond measure — not just by their families, but by You.
May every mother know today how irreplaceable she is, and may she feel Your gentle presence walking beside her every step of the way.
In Jesus’ name, we pray with love and thanksgiving, Amen.
Song: When we are living (630)
Sending out with God’s blessing
Walk in the love of the Lord, as Jesus taught us, showing that love to all whom you meet. And may grace, mercy and peace from God, our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, be with you, now and evermore. Amen.
Response: God to enfold you
Music postlude
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Numbers in brackets after a song/hymn indicate that it is from the 1997 Book of Praise of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Those and other songs are being used in accordance with the specifications of Dayspring’s licensing with One License (3095377) and CLC (A735555).
The Rev. Brad Childs retains the copyright (© 2026) on all original material in this service. As far as Brad Childs is aware, all of the material that has not been attributed to others is his own creation or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.
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