Yn Saesneg yn gyntaf yna Cymraeg

Mothering Sunday (22 March 2020)

Exodus 2:1-10, Psalm 34, 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 and John 19:25-27

I don’t think I ever in my wildest dreams imagined that I would write a sermon in these circumstances and send it out virtually rather than stand before people and engage with them. Covid-19 has changed lots of things. Indeed, almost everything. Before I look at the biblical texts, which I have also sent out and posted. Let me say one practical thing. It really is so important to socially keep our distance physically. There are ways of keeping close in other ways: phone, cards, letters and the opportunities on-line; and of course, there is also the wave or the smile that brightens each day. Let us not fall into the trap of believing that this disease cannot touch us. That would be silly.

The reading from the Hebrew Bible is from Exodus. It is the story of the birth of Moses, and how his mother placed him in the basket on the river Nile, and his discovery by the daughter of the Pharaoh. There are several elements to this story, the mother’s love that took the extraordinary risk to save her son. The daughter of the Pharaoh saving the life of the boy, who had been condemned to death. We cannot avoid that at the heart of the story is a tyrant who wishes to preserve his power, and a God who wants to liberate his people. It is unsurprising that the Exodus has stimulated the imaginations and spirits of liberation theologians working in Africa and Latin America. Not in our passage are the midwives who had defied the Pharaoh and saved the lives of many. Midwives may not naturally be subversive. But they were. In this present crisis, little acts of kindness can be subversive. The Christian faith has been at its best when it has been radical and recognised that the church exists for those who are not naturally seen as part of it. I wonder even when we are keeping our physical distance, who can you reach out to?

The reading from the Gospel takes us to the foot of the cross where Jesus’ mother and one of his closest friends are watching and waiting. Jesus entrusts each to the other. He could have rightly expected his brother James to have cared for his mother. Jesus always broke boundaries and continues to do so today. I have observed some wonderful things this week as people have supported each other. In Amlwch, children are being encouraged to draw and paint pictures to display in the windows of their houses just to make people smile as they go passed. We need to respect the rules of social distancing, but we can continue to follow the way of Jesus by not passing by on the other side, and yes, inconveniencing ourselves to help others. There is more to family than blood.

The Apostle Paul is writing to the scattered and besieged communities in and around Corinth. He wants to encourage them that in their suffering they are consoled by God. I hope that this is something that Christian people can hang on to. If I might digress for a moment, I have read some awful things online about the Coronavirus and God. This virus is not from God in any way, shape or form. To argue that is to misunderstand the God who we worship completely. It is false news.

When I was reading the passage, I initially misread ‘our hope for you is unshaken’ as ‘our hope is unshaken’. My hopes this week were challenged as my wife was taken to hospital. She was not admitted, although it was a scary 48 hours. Hope is important. Paul does suggest that those who are suffering will be consoled. I grew up in Sheffield with the stories of the Derbyshire village of Eyam. It was about how in another time of pandemic; a village chose to isolate itself and keep itself at a distance. All people of goodwill were involved in leading the village: political, community and religious leaders. It was a costly experiment. The vicar in Eyam spoke much about hope, compassion and generosity.

And so, we come to the Psalm. The psalms are a book of song that encompass every part of human emotion from sorrow to joy, mourning to dancing. The writer declares: ‘The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit’. many people are despondent at this time. Some of us are worried, even scared. We can get through this if we stand together.

We do this by radical acts of kindness: the smile and wave, as well as the letter and the food parcel. Most importantly we can pray. On Sunday evening (22 March 2020), I invite you to join with people of faith around the British Isles to light a candle, placing it carefully in your window as a sign of defiance against the darkness of the coronavirus. Each day at 12 Noon, I also invite you stop and breathe, reflecting on all that is happening and say the Lord’s prayer as an act of faith, hope and love.

The names of Moses mother and Pharaoh’s daughter are not mentioned. They were different people: one a princess, the other a slave, one Jew and the other an Egyptian. Both were thrown together by the baby in the basket. This strange time will see us appreciate each other in different ways. May we dare to rise to the challenge of being different and to respond to call to be subversive, this Mothering Sunday and always.

Questions to think about

1. Which of the passages speaks to you and why? Why not share your answer with another member of the congregation. Pick up the phone or send a card or email.

• What subversive act of kindness could you do?

Activity

Write a letter to someone who needs it.

Prayer

Pray for our health care professionals

Sul y Mamau (22 Mawrth 2020)

Exodus 2:1-10, Salm 34, 2 Corinthiad 1:3-7 and Ioan 19:25-27

Nid wyf yn credu imi ddychmygu erioed y byddwn yn ysgrifennu pregeth o dan yr amgylchiadau hyn a’i hanfon allan yn hytrach na sefyll o flaen pobl ac ymgysylltu â nhw. Mae Covid-19 wedi newid llawer o bethau. Mewn gwirionedd, bron popeth. Cyn i mi edrych ar y testunau Beiblaidd, rwyf hefyd wedi eu hanfon. Gadewch imi ddweud un peth ymarferol. Mae mor bwysig mewn gwirionedd cadw ein pellter yn gorfforol. Mae yna ffyrdd i aros yn agos mewn ffyrdd eraill: ffôn, cardiau, llythyrau a’r cyfleoedd ar-lein; ac wrth gwrs, mae yna hefyd y don neu’r wên a all oleuo diwrnod rhywun. Peidiwn â syrthio i’r fagl o gredu na all y clefyd hwn ein cyffwrdd. Byddai hynny’n wirion.

Daw darlleniad y Beibl Hebraeg o Exodus. Hanes genedigaeth Moses ydyw, a sut y gosododd ei fam ef yn y fasged ar afon Nile, a’i ddarganfyddiad gan ferch y Pharo. Mae yna sawl elfen i’r stori hon, cariad y fam a gymerodd y risg anhygoel i achub ei mab. Fe arbedodd merch Pharo fywyd y bachgen.

Ni allwn osgoi hynny wrth wraidd y stori mae teyrn sydd eisiau amddiffyn ei rym, a Duw sydd am ryddhau ei bobl. Nid yw’n syndod bod yr Exodus wedi ysgogi dychymyg ac ysbryd diwinyddion rhyddhad sy’n gweithio yn Affrica ac America Ladin. Roedd y bydwragedd a heriodd y Pharo ac achub bywydau llawer yn arwyr. Efallai na fydd bydwragedd yn wrthryfelwyr naturiol. Ond roedden nhw. Yn yr argyfwng presennol hwn, mae llawer o weithredoedd caredigrwydd yn ymddangos yn wrthryfelgar. Mae’r ffydd Gristnogol wedi bod ar ei gorau pan fu’n radical a chydnabod bod yr eglwys yn bodoli ar gyfer y rhai nad ydyn nhw’n cael eu hystyried yn naturiol yn rhan ohoni. Tybed hyd yn oed pan fyddwn yn cadw ein pellter corfforol, at bwy allwch chi estyn allan?

Mae darlleniad yr Efengyl yn mynd â ni at droed y groes lle mae mam Iesu ac un o’i ffrindiau agosaf yn gwylio ac yn aros. Mae Iesu’n ymddiried yn y llall. Gallai fod wedi disgwyl i’w frawd James fod wedi gofalu am ei fam. Roedd Iesu bob amser yn torri ffiniau ac yn parhau i wneud hynny heddiw. Rwyf wedi arsylwi rhai pethau rhyfeddol yr wythnos hon gan fod pobl wedi cefnogi ei gilydd. Yn Amlwch, anogir plant i dynnu a phaentio lluniau i’w harddangos yn ffenestri eu tai i wneud i bobl wenu wrth iddynt basio. Mae angen i ni barchu rheolau pellter cymdeithasol, ond gallwn ni ddilyn ffordd Iesu o hyd trwy beidio â phasio’r ochr arall, ac ie, anghyfleustra ein hunain i helpu eraill. Mae mwy i deulu na gwaed.

Mae’r Apostol Paul yn ysgrifennu at y cymunedau gwasgaredig a dan warchae yng Nghorinth a’r cyffiniau. Mae am eu hannog i gael eu cysuro gan Dduw yn eu dioddefaint. Gobeithio bod hyn yn rhywbeth y gall pobl Gristnogol ei hongian. Esgusodwch fi, os byddaf yn crwydro i ffwrdd am eiliad, rwyf wedi darllen rhai pethau erchyll ar-lein am y Coronafirws a Duw. Nid yw’r firws hwn gan Dduw mewn unrhyw ffordd, siâp na ffurf. Dadlau hynny yw camddeall yn llwyr y Duw rydyn ni’n ei addoli. Mae’n newyddion ffug.

Pan oeddwn yn darllen y darn, fe wnes i gamddarllen i ddechrau ‘nid yw ein gobaith amdanoch chi wedi’i dorri’ gan ‘nad yw ein gobaith wedi’i dorri’. Heriwyd fy ngobeithion yr wythnos hon wrth i’m gwraig gael ei chludo i’r ysbyty. Ni chafodd ei derbyn i’r ysbyty, er ei bod yn 48 awr frawychus. Mae gobaith yn bwysig. Mae Paul yn awgrymu y bydd y rhai sy’n dioddef yn cael eu cysuro. Cefais fy magu yn Sheffield gyda straeon pentref Eyam yn Swydd Derby. Roedd yn ymwneud â sut mewn cyfnod arall o bandemig; dewisodd pentref ynysu ei hun a chadw ei hun o bell. Roedd pawb o ewyllys da yn ymwneud ag arwain y pentref: arweinwyr gwleidyddol, cymunedol a chrefyddol. Roedd yn arbrawf costus. Siaradodd y ficer yn Eyam lawer am obaith, tosturi a haelioni.

Ac felly, rydyn ni’n dod at y Salm. Llyfr o gân yw’r salmau sy’n cwmpasu pob rhan o emosiwn dynol o dristwch i lawenydd, galaru i ddawnsio. Mae’r ysgrifennwr yn datgan: ‘Mae’r Arglwydd yn agos at y rhai toredig ac yn achub y rhai sy’n cael eu malu mewn ysbryd’. mae llawer o bobl yn ddigalon ar yr adeg hon. Mae rhai ohonom ni’n poeni, hyd yn oed yn ofnus. Gallwn fynd trwy hyn os ydym yn sefyll gyda’n gilydd.

Rydyn ni’n gwneud hyn trwy weithredoedd radical o garedigrwydd: y wên a’r don, yn ogystal â’r llythyren a’r parsel bwyd. Yn bwysicaf oll gallwn weddïo. Nos Sul (22 Mawrth 2020), fe’ch gwahoddaf i ymuno â phobl ffydd o amgylch Ynysoedd Prydain i gynnau cannwyll, gan ei gosod yn eich ffenestr yn ofalus fel arwydd o herfeiddiad yn erbyn tywyllwch y coronafirws. Bob dydd am hanner dydd, rwyf hefyd yn eich gwahodd i stopio ac anadlu, gan fyfyrio ar bopeth sy’n digwydd a dweud gweddi’r Arglwydd fel gweithred o ffydd, gobaith a chariad.

Ni chrybwyllir enwau mam Moses a merch Pharo. Roeddent yn bobl wahanol: un yn dywysoges, un yn gaethwas, un yn Iddew a’r llall yn Aifft. Cafodd y ddau eu taflu at ei gilydd gan y babi yn y fasged. Bydd yr amser rhyfedd hwn yn ein gweld ni’n gwerthfawrogi ein gilydd mewn gwahanol ffyrdd. Gawn ni feiddio ymateb i’r her o fod yn wahanol ac ymateb i alwad i fod yn wrthryfelwyr, Sul y Mamau hwn a bob amser.

Cwestiynau i feddwl amdanynt

1. Pa un o’r darnau sy’n siarad â chi a pham? Beth am rannu’ch ateb ag aelod arall o’r gynulleidfa. Codwch y ffôn neu anfonwch gerdyn neu e-bost.

• Pa weithred subversive o garedigrwydd allech chi ei wneud?

Gweithgaredd

Ysgrifennwch lythyr at rywun sydd ei angen.

Gweddi

Gweddïwch dros ein gweithwyr proffesiynol gofal iechyd