​Pastor Christine Jones holds degrees in both Religious Studies and English. She spent many years traveling in China, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates as an English Composition professor. She returned to the US in 2016 and, in 2022, answered God's call to ministry as a bi-vocational local pastor, working in the local church and also teaching at Glendale Community College. Christine brings a wealth of experience and a passion for ministry as she takes on the role of pastor at Community Church of Buckeye. She believes strongly that every member of the congregation has a role in "Serving God and Community that all may be one" John 17:21. 

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Celebrating the Gift of Nurture

Think for a moment about the people who have truly nurtured you. Maybe it was someone who saw your potential even when you couldn't see it yourself. Someone who loved you patiently through your worst moments. Someone who taught you not just with words but with the steady presence of their care. These nurturers, whether they gave birth to us or not, have shaped who we are today through their compassion, guidance, and faithful love.

That's what we're really celebrating on Mother's Day: the sacred gift of nurture. And when we understand it this way, mothering becomes so much bigger than biology.

Now, I know Mother's Day can be complicated. For many, it's a joyful day marked by brunches, flowers, and heartfelt cards. But for others, it carries pain. Maybe your mother has passed, or your relationship with her isn't what you had hoped. Perhaps you've longed for children, but that dream hasn't unfolded as you imagined. Or maybe your family just doesn't look like the picture-perfect, Instagram-worthy families that seem to set the standard. If Mother's Day is hard for you, you're not alone, and your feelings are valid.

But here's the beautiful truth we can embrace together: nurture shows up in so many forms, and every one of us has been touched by it.

Scripture shows us this broader vision of motherhood again and again. Think about Ruth's devotion to Naomi, a relationship rooted not in biology but in loyalty, compassion, and care. Ruth chose to nurture Naomi through life's hardest moments, and their bond became one of the most beautiful stories in the Bible. Or consider how Paul mentored Timothy, recognizing that spiritual care and guidance create bonds every bit as powerful as family. Paul even honored the lineage of faith that shaped Timothy, writing, "I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also" (2 Timothy 1:5). Notice how Paul celebrates not just Timothy's biological mother, but his grandmother and the entire web of spiritual nurture that formed him.

That's the invitation for us this Mother's Day: to expand our gratitude beyond our immediate family and intentionally honor those who have nurtured us spiritually and emotionally. Take a moment this month to send a note, make a call, or reach out to someone who has mothered you through their kindness, patience, and guidance. It might be a grandmother, a teacher, a neighbor, a friend, or a mentor. Tell them what their care has meant to you. Your acknowledgment might mean more than you realize.

And let's not forget our own role as nurturers. Every one of us, regardless of gender or parental status, has opportunities to nurture others. We can be intentional about creating space in our lives to mentor, support, and encourage those around us: children in our church, young adults navigating life decisions, peers facing challenges, or elders who might feel overlooked. Spring reminds us that new life is always possible, that growth happens when we tend to it with care, and that small acts of nurture can yield abundant fruit.

Because ultimately, nurturing love in its truest sense reflects the way God cares for us all: compassionate, patient, persistent, and deeply loving. The prophet Isaiah captures this beautifully, quoting God's words: "As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you" (Isaiah 66:13). This image reminds us that the nurturing love we celebrate on Mother's Day is sacred. It's a reflection of God's own heart.

So this Mother's Day, let's open our hearts a little wider. Let's celebrate and honor those who have nurtured us, recognizing that these bonds of care come in many forms. Let's acknowledge that for some, this day is tender and complicated, and that's okay. And let's accept the sacred invitation to nurture others in return, becoming the people who see potential, offer steady presence, and love patiently—just as we have been loved.

After all, we are people of the resurrection, people who believe that new life springs forth even from places of loss and longing. We know that love multiplies when it's shared, that comfort grows when we offer it to others, and that God's nurturing presence holds us all.
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Growing with you in love and grace,
Pastor Christine