The sermon discusses using one's gifts to help others. It encourages the congregation to reflect on their talents and strengths, such as cooking, tutoring, or organizing. The speaker gives examples of how congregation members' gifts could help those in need, such as cooking meals for youth or reading to elderly people. The sermon closes by having the congregation pray and discuss with each other how they can use their gifts, and commit to specific actions to help others in the community.

1. Mother’s Day Sermon 2014
For All Saint’s Church, Trinidad - Andrea Rochford
May the words of my lips and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thine sight
Oh Lord.
Good morning everyone! I was deeply honoured when Fr. West asked me to preach on
Mother’s Day here at All Saints. It was only when I accepted, that he told me that I
had the joy of doing all three services , so I would like to thank him for that.
I would to wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all Mother and to all women and fathers who
act as Mothers even though they are not biologically mothers I know you play an
important role.
I would like to take the opportunity to also acknowledge the three women before me
in my family, who would have been so happy and proud to see me here. Amy Henry,
Esmee Ottley and Kathleen Rochford; my great grandmother, grandmother and
mother. They loved All Saints and spent a lot of their life in this church.
When I studied the reading and thought about today, one item stood out for me the
most. The reading spoke about a decision having to be made - how to move forward
since things were being neglected. Therefore not everyone could play the same role.
Some persons came forward to play a particular role.
The fact is that everyone has a gift

2. Not everyone can be the leader or be in front but the role that each person has to
play IS vital. Not everyone will do the same thing with their gift. We have all heard
this before right?! YADA YADA YADA use your gifts for the glory of God. What does
that REALLY mean?! Last week Sunday I was bawling, sobbing, why? Because someone
who truly used her gifts was gone… suddenly. 
No matter a persons’ age, gender, level of education we all have something that we
are good at that we can use to HELP others. That is why we are here, isn’t it? To help
others!!!!???
What are YOU good at?
Can you cook the best pelau, the sweetest sweet and sour shrimp?
Can you spell extremely well?
Are you obsessively neat?
Does that mean that the next time young people are having a retreat you will cook for
them?
For the person who can spell extremely well, what about an after school tutoring
session for the children who are waiting for their parents after work?
For the person who is obsessively neat I know that Fr. West can find something that
needs organizing in the parish office or even the Bishop could do with some help
organizing some items in the Diocesan office.
Let’s talk about the younger ones. Can you read? I know there are some older persons
who would love to have items read to them such as their favorite Psalm or the article
in the newspaper. Can you colour? You would be surprised how a picture will brighten

3. someone’s day. Can you play cricket or rounders then organize a game and get us
older folk to play, we need the exercise and the stress release!!
No matter how big or how small we ALL have gifts.
We talk about making our home, our job, our school, our church, our country a better
place. We are always talking about how others should move differently about the
things that our government should do, what our priest should do, what our boss have
to do this and our principal have to do that… STOP! It is not about what they are going
to do differently… it is about what YOU are going to do.
Please close your eyes and repeat after me:
GOD please reveal to me my gift that you have blessed me with, show me how I
can use it to help others.
(**A few minutes of silence after the prayer**)
Now we are going to do something a little different. Please turn to someone close to
you, if you are not near to someone then move close to someone. Now share with that
person what you think your gift is and how you can use to help others.
(** Five minutes given for the congregation to share with each other**)
Now pick one place, work, community, school, church, what specifically are you going
to do to use that gift. When I speak to young people and we are making goals and
doing vision we speak about the fact that it needs to be very specific. An exact time
and exact action: 11 am this Monday, I will call Joan and give the commitment to
cook sweet and sour shrimp or that ‘bess’ pelau for the youth at the next retreat.
Yes each one of us CAN make a difference, Amy did, Esmee did, Kathleen did, Dana
did, Jesus did. ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! You can too. Your
difference, can make a difference in someone’s life and this is what this is all about,

4. right?! Love thy neighbor as thyself. Our gifts are not to be used for ourselves, it is to
be used for our neighbor as well.
I said yes to this sermon because, as you may have guessed by now, I love to talk and I
love people that is why I agreed to do the three sermons today. I hope you will use
your gifts to make a difference.
Please remember that age does not matter. No matter how old or young you can
always have something or do something to help someone else.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!