"If you only knew your power...."

Presenter – Bishop Rosemarie Mallett 

The picturesque villageofOld Alresford in Hampshire is first mentioned in an Anglo Saxon charter of 701. Today its population stands at 600, little more than in 1850 when a new Rector moved with his wife into the building behind me. This might have been an everyday story of everyday church folk had not Mary Sumner called a group of local women to the Rectory in 1876 to discuss how they could support one another in bringing up their children.

That meeting 150 years ago saw the birth of what was to become a global woman’s organisation – the Mother’s Union. Today it has more than four million members in 84 countries, and its programmes promoting literacy, health and gender justice are transforming the lives of women around the world.

PRAYER –

Lord we give thanks for the life of Mary Sumner, for her obedience to your calling, for her vision for the Mothers’ Union. We pray that through the grace of your Holy Spirit we may receive renewed confidence in the power that you give us to work for justice, wholeness and peace …… Amen.

Hymn. The Summons by John Bell

ROSEMARIE LINK

Well, I’m inside Old Alresford place – which was the home of Mary Sumner – it’s a huge old Rectory – and this is where she first gathered local women together for that first meeting.

And with me are two Mothers union members, Clare Howarth who runs the organisations archives in London and Annette Doel, a former chair of the local branch here in the village.

Conversation between Rosemarie, Clare and Annette about Mary Sumner and the start and growth of the Mothers Union….

ROSEMARIE – Shall we pray ….

Listening, like Mary, we open our minds

Let us rejoice, God is with us

Watching, like Mary, as God surprises us

Let us rejoice, God is with us

Questioning, like Mary, as we engage with the world

 Let us rejoice, God is with us

Pledging, like Mary, to lift the humble high

 Let us rejoice, God is with us

We now hear a hymn - much loved by Mothers Union members; Tell Out My Soul - a modern version of the Magnificat , the song sung by another Mary who responded to God’s call to bear the Saviour of the world.

We’ve come across the way to Old Alresford church ……..and – why am I not surprised?! ….….there’s a welcoming party of Mothers Union members – and among them is my sister Bishop, the Bishop of Basingstoke, Kelly Betteridge ….

Bishop Rosemarie and Bishop Kelly talk about Kelly’s experience of the Mothers Union.

Well, there was no one recording that day in Tanzania - a few years ago now! …but we can listen to Mothers Union members in Burundi as they greet international visitors ..….”Welcome, we receive you in the name of Jesus, You have come from far away and are tired , Be at home, rest well.”

READING: Ephesians 3. 14-24…..

I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

In 1885 Mary Sumner and her husband moved into the cathedral close in Winchester. Mary worshipped in this cathedral almost daily until her death on this day in 1921. It’s testimony to her influence that more than 4000 women are said to have attended her funeral.

Perhaps the most important church composer of Mary’s time was Samuel Sebastian Wesley. He wrote the anthem “Lead me Lord” during his tenure as Organist and Master of the Choristers at this cathedral.

Anthem – Lead me Lord. By Samuel Sebastian Wesley.

We continue our worship in Mary Sumner House, the Mothers Union headquarters in Westminster. Rosemarie is joined by Mothers Union member from around the world to reflect on the Gospel reading.

GOSPEL READING. Mark chapter 5. Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”

Overhearing[a] what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Reflections on the gospel reading.

Music. Cantare - Siyahamba -

Prayers

Heavenly Father, Thank you for the bold, brilliant women you’ve created – full of sparkle, spirit and strength!

Thank you for the quiet warriors and the loud laughers, the organisers, the dreamers, the givers of grace.

We praise you for the creativity that bursts out of women all over the world through art, leadership, love and laughter

Bless every woman leading change today, - in boardrooms, kitchens, parliaments and playgrounds.

Let joy rise in their hearts and strength in their souls.

In Jesus name, Amen

Loving God, 

Creator, Sustainer and Source of all grace,

We thank you for the gift of Mothers’ Union

Our fellowship of faith, rooted in love, reaching across the world.

Thank you for every hand that serves, for hearts that give

For lives poured out in quiet faithfulness.

Thank you for families given rest, for prisoners supported,

For the lonely offered friendship and for the weary shown kindness.

Thank you for the prayers said, the stories shared, the things knitted, the bread broken- for lives touched and communities renewed.

And we ask your continued blessing on this holy and healing work – AMEN

Our Father

Who art in heaven

Hallowed be your name

Your kingdom come, your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven

Give us this day our daily bread

And forgive us our trespasses 

as we forgive those that trespass against us 

And lead us not into temptation 

but deliver us from evil 

For thine is the kingdom, 

the power and the glory 

for ever and ever, Amen

All this day, O Lord,
let me touch as many lives as possible for thee;
and every life I touch, do thou by thy spirit quicken,
whether through the word I speak,
the prayer I breathe,
or the life I live.

Amen.

CLOSING HYMN. Forth in thy name O Lord I go