In My View Mothers’ Union not just for women but for all
Well, what is a bushel anyway? And what does it mean to hide, or not hide, one’s light under it? This is the story of the founder of the Mothers’ Union.
JESUS ENCOURAGES us, in Matthew’s Gospel, not to put our light under a bushel but to set it out on a lamp stand to give light to the house and to let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father in heaven.
What a difficult time it must have been 145 years ago when Mary Sumner started the Mothers’ Union. In 1848 she married Rev George Sumner, and Mary dedicated herself to raising her children and helping her husband in his ministry, in the Church of England Parish of Old Alresford, Hampshire. She timidly stood up at a meeting saying that mothers should give each other mutual support.
A number of women who heard her went back to their parishes and founded mothers’ meetings on Mary’s pattern. Mary’s courage grew and thankfully so did the Mothers’ Union movement. She clearly did not put her light under a bushel.
100 years ago last week, she sadly died but happily left a wonderful legacy of love and a sure path to follow, putting family life to the forefront.
Today, the Mothers’ Union is not just for women but for all people, young, old, male and female who wish to put family life and family values at the heart of their lives. Neither is it a movement which is confined to this country but it has spread across the entire world. I was watching a video of a male MU member from the Exeter Diocese and he says that he and his wife pray the Mary Sumner Prayer every day, praying that he may touch someone positively during the day. That prayer, written over a hundred years ago, is:
“All this day, Oh 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.”
How amazing that after very humble beginnings, 145 years ago, that the Mothers’ Union continues to inspire and invigorate members around the world. Each time a person takes up this vision and acts for positive change, the word of God is made present, and communities are improved the world over. The light of God shines out!
We read in Matthew’s Gospel a conversation between the disciples and Jesus. Jesus was thanking them for being compassionate to Him when He had no food, no clothes or when He was just being downtrodden. They asked when was this, since they had no recollection of helping Jesus in this way. Jesus replied that every time they helped anyone who is less fortunate than themselves, that they are doing it for
God. We, as members of the worldwide Mothers’ Union, can help so many others in so many different ways. We can just pray for the right way and the courage to shine our light clearly! By the way, a bushel is a basket, generally made of very thin wooden slats about two inches wide that could hold one bushel of produce.