Advent Day 9- Difficult Blessing

Mary sang: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.  Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed....(Luke 1:46-48)

Yesterday I  attended the worship service where three young adults were ordained to be pastors in the Lutheran church.  I had had the privilege of working with one of the young women when she was a counselor at confirmation camp.  It was obvious then, more than eight years ago, that she was gifted in ministry and a person of faith.

In his sermon yesterday, the bishop reminded the three ordinands of all that they had been through to get to ordination (a college degree, three academic years of seminary, a semester of clinical pastoral education, a year of internship, endless interviews and questioning by candidacy committees and congregations).  On one hand they must be proud of their accomplishments, the bishop said.  But from this day forward, their accomplishments were not the point anymore.  It was no longer about them, but Christ.  They would need the help of others.  They would absolutely need to trust Christ. They would disappoint many.  Their calling would be hard.

And yet, after their vows were said, there were many tears of absolute joy and gratitude to God for calling these people and giving them the strength to serve the church in this difficult time.  And I, as an older pastor, who can count the years on one hand until I retire (maybe), felt such gratitude for their young voices to speak to a searching generation in a way that I can't.  How I pray a blessing for them!

From now on all generations will call me blessed.  Mary said that , not because of her accomplishments.  Not because this mother of Jesus role was about her any more than it is for any follower of Jesus.  Mary is called blessed because of what God is doing through her, just as the Church called the three newly ordained pastors blessed because of what God would do through them.

The "blessing" was difficult for Mary too.  At the time of her song in Luke's gospel, it is unsure whether Joseph or her immediate family had signed on to stand by her pregnancy.  Later she and Joseph would have to leave the country and flee to Egypt to save the child's life from a jealous ruler. For Mary, there would be  years of baking bread, cleaning house, washing Jesus' clothes and hunting him when, after visiting Jerusalem, he stayed behind in the temple without telling her.  Then there was the time she watched him die at the foot of the cross where he hung.  Blessing?  There was nothing rosy colored about that blessing.  Mary's life could be called a blessing only because God was using her life to bring blessing to the world.

Pray with me for all those---whether bus drivers, news reporters, physical therapists, teachers, insurance agents---who by what they do bring God's blessing to others.  Being blessed by God isn't about us at all, but about the blessing we, with God's Spirit guiding, bring to others.  God's blessing will bring, as it did Mary, many inevitable challenges.  So challenging, in fact, that we will only be able to trust God to see the next step.

A Sabbath Advent Day 8

As I write this, it is still Saturday.  Tomorrow, Sunday, I will take a sabbath from writing. (Not from work:  two worship services, a congregational meeting, a mission project in the city and an ordination.)  By the end of the day, I will sit still and listen to this beautiful anthem written by Christine McIntosh that a friend posted.

I can imagine these words being whispered by pregnant Mary that first night in Elizabeth's home.  Full of Elizabeth's warm welcome and blessing, drained by the exuberance and intensity of her own singing (Luke 1:46-55), but still too restless to shut her eyes, Mary steps out of the home of her sleeping friends and stares into the moonless sky.  I may do the same by the time I get home after tomorrow.

Advent Song

by Christine McIntosh

Look, God look

in the vastness of your dark

hear the song

in the chorus of the world

where I sing

for the glory of your coming

held by love

as the music pours from me

a flame within

as the night falls around me

hear my prayer

and come through the darkness

hold me waiting

as you wait to be born.

You can listen to it here.  Blessings on your sabbath and 8th day of advent waiting.

Advent day 7- What do you want to be when you grow up?

And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.  (Luke 1:46-48)

Were you ever asked what you wanted to be when you grew up?  Did any of you answer a servant?  What about a slave? I'm guessing not.  It might have been an actor, a baseball player, a train engineer, a teacher....

Even if you are not a Downton Abbey fan, you are probably familiar through books or movies with the British butler, the lady's maid, the housekeeper, the cook, the chauffeur, etc.  The servants on the estate were not enslaved by any means, but they were certainly expected to serve with impeccable obedience to the will of the lord, lady, earl, duchess, etc.

The Greek word for servant that is used in Luke is "doulos," meaning a servant or slave.  In the Christian scriptures, servant/slave is a common term the early Christians used to describe their position in relation to Jesus Christ. For example, the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans wrote, "Paul, a servant (slave) of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God...."  And Peter, preaching to the crowds, quotes a scripture, "Even upon my slaves (servants), both men and women, in those days I (God) will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy."

Mary says she is the servant of the Lord.  She unmistakably has had God's spirit poured out on her as she carries this Son.  In her song, which I am reflecting on this advent, she certainly prophesies (in the biblical sense) about what God is doing.  She has been obedient to Gabriel's message from God that she will bear the messiah:  "Here am I, the servant of the Lord.  Let it be with me according to your word." Luke 1:38.  And now Mary has gone to visit Elizabeth for awhile at Gabriel's request.  So far she is serving with obedience the will of the Lord and setting the standard for all future servants of Christ, including Paul and Peter, and down to us.

What am I going to be when I grow up?  A servant?  A slave of Christ?

My answer at this late stage of my life is that I hope so.  I am certain, however, that I have not nor ever will serve impeccably.  But then, neither did Paul or Peter.......or the Downton Abbey crew for that matter.

Advent Day 6- Long way from Lord to lowliness

And Mary said:  My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.  (Luke 1:46-48)

There's a long way from Lord to lowliness.  A long way from the Mighty One, the Holy One, Creator of the Universe, God of Israel and all the famous personages of the scriptures, to a teen-age peasant girl whose parents (Jesus' maternal grandparents) are not even named in the gospels.  A long way, and Mary knew it.

This song (dig out your bibles and keep reading on) reflects how she found the whole thing amazing, humbling, and a great reversal of the way things are run in the world.  That the God of Israel should choose to keep the centuries old promise through her was mind blowing.  Heart stopping.  It's a long way from Lord to lowliness.

But there is one thing that Mary may not have grasped quite yet.  Even the gospel writers and we ourselves are confounded with the mystery.  The Lord of the universe is not simply looking "down" with favor on a "lowly" Mary.  The Lord of the Universe is becoming "lowly" in order to serve Mary and all of us.

In her book, Fragments of Your Ancient Name, Joyce Rupp writes:

"Lord."  That word sounds extremely patriarchal.
Definite.  No compromising.  Heavy-handed.
"Lording it over," so the phrase goes,
Implying one who wields power callously.
But your coming to dwell among us
Expressed the very opposite of this.
You, Lord, washed feet, touched lepers,
Wept with the grieving, forgave sinners.
You did not over-power.  You empowered.
Restoring dignity and self-confidence.

And the apostle Paul writes in Philippians 2 that Christ

"...though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death---even death on a cross.

Yes, Mary, it is a long way from Lord to lowliness, but a greater mystery how the Lord becomes the epitome of lowliness itself.

Advent Day 5- A grandfather's favor

Mary's song continues:

My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. (Luke 1:46-48)

Do you know that safe feeling when there is someone in our lives that "looks with favor" upon us? 

I remember my grandfather, Charles Dickerson.  What I know about him is that he grew up on a farm in Delaware and eventually made his way to Norfolk where he proudly sold Pontiac cars.  I know he kept his own car polished and gleaming in the driveway.  I know he raised beautiful flowers in the small, immaculately groomed yard of my grandparents' city home.  The colorful gladiolas he grew garnered a lot of attention.

I also know without a doubt that he looked with favor upon his three grandchildren---and I was the first, therefore the oldest, and the only granddaughter, so, unless the Ed Sullivan show was on,  I managed to garner a lot of his attention too.  I am positive that he never spoke a cross word to me (or my brothers) and that his heart burst with pride whenever he got to show us off.  This wasn't often, because we drove the 300 miles to visit only twice a year.  If our visit was over a Sunday, my grandfather absolutely glowed.  He was the superintendent (I think, remember these are childhood memories) of a crowded men's Sunday School class.  As a nine and ten year old,  I was learning to play piano at the time.  He took special delight in having me play something for their opening exercises.  I must have played whatever music I was working on for a recital and am almost certain it had nothing to do with church and was quite ordinary. But for my grandfather, it didn't matter.  It wasn't what I did; it was simply who I was, and for that he looked on me with favor.  Looking back on it, my grandfather's church friends must have been quite gracious as well.

Mary knows that although she is quite ordinary and she has done nothing special, God has looked on her with favor, enough favor to choose her as the one to give birth to and raise the Messiah. It is for her, quite amazing that God would take notice and turn God's caring attention upon her in such a way.

But then, that's the way God is for all of us.  Listen to what the apostle Paul says in Ephesians about God:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as chose us in Christ before the foundations of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.  He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Doesn't that sound like we are looked upon with favor?  And before we've even done anything to earn it!  So with all of that favor of God being bestowed on us perhaps, on this fifth day of advent, while we wait for Christ to come, we can also be bestowers of God's favor upon the ordinary people around us.  There are so many people who need to know about this, including our own incredulous hearts.

Advent Day 4-One requirement for a Savior

My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior (Luke 1:46-47)

People spend a lot of effort on do-it-yourself stuff, sometimes for the satisfaction of it, sometimes to save money.  Right now I am waiting for a do-it-yourself Christmas present that my husband is giving me.  It is a kit to make a camping quilt and sleeping pad.  The materials are supposed be awesomely light for those who don't want to carry heavy packs on the trail.   I will receive the basic materials and directions, but then I will have to cut and sew it myself.

Ever since most of us were little kids we have wanted to do things ourselves whether it is to walk or tie our shoes or ride a bike.  We want to be independent and not need anyone to help us.  It's part of growing up.  When as adults we relax and depend on others to do some things-like fill our coffee cups, clean our office, build our houses---our independence comes out in other ways.  In whatever areas we are supposed to be qualified and expert, we really do not want to ask for help.  We want to solve our own problems, get ourselves out of jams, be in control of difficult situations, not admit to any weaknesses, surround ourselves with success, pretend we'll stay young forever. Some of us work hard not to need help. 

But here's the dilemma.   In order to rejoice "in God my Savior" there is a requirement.  Yes, I know we talk about grace, but there is  no getting around this requirement.  By definition the requirement is that we have to have a need.   By definition, a savior rescues/heals/saves from a desperate need.  If you have no needs, then there is no necessity for a savior, is there?  On the other hand, anyone who has a great need which that person cannot do for themselves needs a savior.

"...my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."

We can only guess at Mary's personal needs.  Safety through her first childbirth.  A husband who wouldn't reject a child not his own.  Food on the table.  Freedom from Rome's oppresion on town's streets.

In our "can do" and "do-it-yourself" world,  it would be wise to pause and name our needs--ours personally and ours globally.  The thunderous explosion of a school being bombed.  A tsunami crashing into a village.  An eviction notice.  The divorce papers.  The words of the doctor, "There is no more we can do."  If we refuse to acknowledge our needs, we might not recognize the Savior saving.

 

Advent Day 3: Rejoice? Really?

"My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior," sings Mary. (Luke 1:46-47)


In spite of all I wrote yesterday (or in addition to all I wrote yesterday),  I must ask:  Rejoice?  Really?


I would have said that "My spirit trusts in God"  might be a more appropriate wording for Mary here.  It seems a bit premature, doesn't it, to talk about rejoicing?  For the moment the mighty are still on their thrones and the proud haven't been scattered anywhere. (You have to keep reading after verse 47) Nor have the lowly had any change in life circumstance.  Rome, ever the conquering tyrant, is still in control about to demand a new round of taxes.  And besides, childbirth in Mary's time, brought all sorts of risks.  Of course she would have to trust God.  But rejoice about it?

And if one peeks into Matthew's gospel, it gets worse.  Joseph is questioning whether to marry Mary after all.  The birth of her baby followed by a visit by eastern sages will send the governing authorities searching to kill her child along with a village of toddlers.  There will be plenty of opportunities to trust God through dangerous circumstances on her flight into Egypt, but rejoice?  Really?

Yes.   Mary trusts God so much, trusts that God will bring good and keep promises so much,  that she rejoices in what is yet to be accomplished.  She can sing and rejoice with such gusto because there is an underlying trust that God is going to keep the promises.

So it is not only rejoicing going on here. Nor is it a simple question of is-your-cup-half-full-or-half-empty optimism. In fact Mary's belly-laugh rejoicing is a testimony to gut-wrenching trust in the face of danger and misunderstanding.  Woman made brave by a Holy Spirit turned loose! Radical trust bursts like flame into an exquisite rejoicing over what is yet to be!

Is it really only for Mary?  Will God help us to trust God's promises like that?