Today's selected readings: – 2 Cor 5: 16-21

Kid's Church talk: -

• Is your mum special? Why? (Discuss)
• Mums have always been special and that is why we have today which is a custom from England (Do you know what a custom us?)
• Today's also has a number of names - Mid Lent Sunday, Refreshment Sunday (The original readings included the feeding of the 5000 when the people on the hillside were refreshed by Jesus), Mothering Sunday (Different from the Australian Mothers Day which is in May).
• The festival came about when the apprentices were allowed home that weekend to see their Mothers and they (the family) all went off to church together to their 'Mother Church'
• The apprentices took home with them the mothering Cake also called the Simnel Cake. (Simnel means finest flour)
• Today we are going to honour our Mums by making a small posy for them
• Because Mums are so special, we should always do something special for them every day. (What might be some of the things we could do)
• Eg: Dishes, make our beds, not leave things around for Mum to pick up, offering to do things for them etc.
• But today also tells a story about not judging others.
• It is so easy to be critical of others, when we may not be perfect ourselves.
• But when it comes to our Mums, we know she is a living example of how Jesus would want us to live our lives.
• Mum have plenty of opportunities to criticise others and to judge us by the silly things we do. But she loves us no matter what we do.
• We should be like Mum. eg: If Mum looks sad, or tired etc. Do we notice this, and if so what can we do about it (Discuss)
• This is what true caring and being non judgmental is all about. Being concerned towards those we love.
• Jesus also had a great mum and he too would have made sure that she knew she was special.
• When was the last time you told Mum you loved her?
• Then tomorrow would be a good time to start afresh and do the right thing and Jesus and the angels in heaven would be singing your name aloud.

Kids Church Activity:
Traditionally on Mothering Sunday the children make posies, cut and wrap the simnel cake etc for the Mums and Grand-mums. Blindness theme can also be used when we consider how we are blind to needs around us or when we fail to see how we have hurt someone. Even the way we hurt our Mums by our attitude or selfishness. The flowers are used in the church until the activity when they are added to the flower pile for the children to make posies.

What you need to get ready:
Simnel cake iced (enquire in congregation who normally does this), pink serviettes, large knife, flowers suitable for posies, tie wire, cutters, foil, extra sprigs of gypsophila and soft ferns to add body to posies.

Simnel Cake Recipe:
Simnel Cake
Ingredients:
6 oz. butter/margarine
6 oz. sugar
3 eggs
8oz. flour
1 teasp. baking powder
1 teasp. mixed (cake) spice
1 lb mixed dried fruit
3 oz. chopped glace cherries
3 oz chopped candied peel
2 oz.chopped blanched almonds
2 tablesp. milk.
Ingredients for marzipan:
(or use ready prepared!)
8 oz. ground almonds
4 oz. castor sugar
4 oz. sieved icing sugar
2 egg yolks or 1 egg to bind
egg white for glaze & a little sieved jam (jelly)
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Prepare the marzipan by mixing all the ingredients together. Roll out into two 8 inch rounds.
Cream the butter/margarine together until soft and light. Gradually beat in the eggs, add a little sieved flour if the mixture shows signs of curdling. Sieve flour, baking powder and spice and fold into the egg mixture. Add the fruit and milk.
Put half the mixture into a greased and floured 8-inch cake tin. Cover with one on the rounds of marzipan and then add the rest of the cake mixture.
Bake for about 2hrs 15 mins at 325-350deg.F, 160deg.C, Gas mark 3.
Test to see if it is cooked - the cake should have stopped "singing" and be firm to the touch!
Allow the cake to cool on a wire tray. Brush the top with the sieved jam (jelly) and cover with the second round of marzipan. Brush with the egg white and brown for a little time under a pre-heated low grill. Decorate with sugar flowers etc and tie a ribbon around the edge!