Sermon - A Circle of Trust - Advent 4

Luke 1: 26-56                                                                      December 21, 2014                  

In the early 1980’s an article was published in The Christian Century which claimed Mary as a significant role model for women.  One pastor wrote back, saying “that would be tragic.  Half of humanity would miss Luke’s point.”  Luke perceived Mary as a significant role model for all of us, women and men alike.  Every day we find that the world cannot possibly live up to its promises or our expectations.  People we trust let us down, situations are not what they seem, and we find ourselves desperately in need of direction and hope. 

But Luke points out to us someone who is very much like us.  He gives us Mary, as mother of our
Lord, and as example of the faithful trust.  Mary heard the angel’s word, she believed, and she acted out that trust in discipleship.  She responded to God’s word, both in song and in deed, as she brought into the world a Savior, who we call Christ the Lord.

Everybody who has ever given birth to a child has a birth story. Whether it’s going into labor, getting to the hospital (or sometimes not getting there), the circumstances surrounding the delivery, or something memorable that happened in the aftermath, some of the most often-told stories are those about being born. And none of us has a birth story any more remarkable than the story about Jesus’ birth.

I imagine it was a pretty stressful day or week or month for Mary.  An angel visitation, a disturbing message, an unusual burden to bear.  And while she was convinced by the angel’s explanation, I’m sure that she needed confirmation to make sure that it was not all a dream.  So in the verses after today’s reading, she took off to see Elizabeth.  Maybe she needed to confirm what the angel had told her about Elizabeth’s pregnancy.  Maybe she needed to say, “You’re not going to believe this, but…”  What a wonderful trusting relationship to share -- being able to have Elizabeth know without even being told all that Mary was going through.  What a safe place to stay -- a place to process all that had happened so far and all that would happen in the future.

Our children’s Christmas pageant today reminds of the characters in the story and how Jesus came to the young and old, rich and poor alike. But in all likelihood, it was not quite the silent night we sing about each year. Afraid and alone except for her husband, Mary gave birth to a son in uncertain circumstance, and that was only the beginning of the story.

The Blue Madonna
Chartres Cathedral, France

Who of us would really want to be in Mary’s shoes?  Pregnant out of wedlock in a society that didn’t tolerate that kind of behavior.  About to marry a man she hardly knew, bringing a ready-made family into the world, and all at the will of God.  How Mary must have trusted the Lord!  Trusted God to know that in the end it would be OK... that in the end the Lord’s word and work would be fulfilled. 

Would any of us want to be in Mary’s shoes, knowing that her son would be born in less than honorable circumstances far away from home? Knowing that her husband would die before her son reached the age of adulthood, and that Jesus would leave the family business to become an itinerant preacher? Who of us would be happy to see him followed around by a band of disciples who never seemed to get the point of his teachings?

Would any of us want to be Mary, seeing her son convicted and sentenced to die, then sitting at the foot of the cross, watching and waiting for the angel’s word to be fulfilled?

The circle of trust that existed between Mary and God was not just born as she carried her son and gave birth in that stable in Bethlehem.  It was not just lived out as she dressed him and fed him and played with him and educated him in her home.  It was a circle that extended out as she and Joseph dedicated him at the Temple, and looked for him when he had gone back to talk to the rabbis.  And it went out further as she became a part of his ministry, traveling with him throughout the Gallilean and Judean countrysides.  And it was fulfilled as she saw that same son, our Savior, die. 

And because his life did not end in that moment, in his resurrection, she must have felt and believed more fully those words which rang out even before his birth, “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.   He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

The song of Mary rings forth in the world.  It is a song of hope, of faith, and of trust that God will not abandon God’s people.  Let it also be the song sung out in our hearts.  Let us a people a people who can sing “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;  for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”  And let us believe it and mean it, and live it out every day.  

Let the circle of trust be unbroken from day and forever more.  Amen.

Let us pray:

God of hope, who brought love into this world,
be the love that dwells between us.
God of hope, who brought peace into this world,
be the peace that dwells between us.
God of hope, who brought joy into this world,
be the joy that dwells between us.
God of hope, the rock we stand upon,
be the centre, the focus of our lives
always, and particularly this Advent time. In your name we pray, Amen.

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#AdventUs ~ Day 5

Sarah said, "God has brought laughter for me." (Genesis 21:6)

Sarah's laughter has come because she has finally gotten what she had waited her whole life for... a child... and who wouldn't laugh about that?

Lots of studies show that laughter really is some of the best medicine around, for physical, mental and spiritual well-being. But sometimes laughter is hard to come by.

We watch this program from the BBC called "Top Gear." It's about cars, so that makes my husband happy, so that makes me happy. These three middle aged men review cars, drive them in all kinds of crazy road test, and generally make fools of themselves while imparting a small drop of valuable knowledge each week.

And every once in a while, they do something that is so absolutely hilarious, I am literally crying before it's all said and done. For a while, we kept some of the episodes on our DVR so that we could watch them whenever we needed another good laugh. Which is kind of amazing, because even if you've seen them a dozen times, the really funny ones are still just as funny another time around.

Supermarket Sweep with 1980's hatchbacks, anyone?

Now don't you feel better?

Peace, Deb

#AdventUs - Day 4

Hagar named God, "You are El-roi." (The God who sees me) Genesis 16:13

It's sometimes hard to believe that God sees us, no matter how much we want to hide behind our beauty, our possessions, our careers, our desires...

What's even harder to believe is that God sees us with love - no matter what.

#AdventUs - Day 3

Day 3 - "Am I my sister's/brother's keeper?" Genesis 4:9

"Sibling Rivalry" is one of the oldest story types in the bible, closely following "It's All About Me" and "Now You've Done It" as recorded in the first few chapters of the book of Genesis.

I don't know about you, but there have been a few bouts of this in my family and in other families I have known, but nothing close to what happens in this primal Hebrew story. Even so, as Cain responds to God's question about where Abel is after Cain has killed him, I hear in his voice a level of defensiveness that is not unfamiliar to me.

We expect that there will be a certain level of discord between enemies, based on differing belief systems and assumptions about truth and world view. But it seems more and more that there is a rising level of distrust among friends. We allow small matters to divide us and eventually treat one another as if we had never had anything in common at all.

What would happen if we did believe that we were our brother or sister's keeper? Not in a way that binds them, but in a way that frees then to know that someone cares about what they think and do and how they live? What if we followed the early church instructions to love in all things and to keep unity as a primary goal of what it means to be a community of faith?

I hope it means the world would look a little different than it does now... that our churches would love more and fight less... that our world would live a little less on the brink of disaster...

Do you think that's even possible? What would it take to make that happen?

Peace, Deb

Finlandia: lyrics by Lloyd Stone, music by Jean Sibelius 

This is my song, O God of all the nations,

a song of peace for lands afar and mine.

This is my home, the country where my heart is;

here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine;

but other hearts in other lands are beating

with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,

and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine;

but other lands have sunlight too, and clover,

and skies are everywhere as blue as mine.

O hear my song, thou God of all the nations,

a song of peace for their land and for mine.

"This is My Song" sung by Cantus

#Advent Us - Day 2

Day 2 - "In the beginning, God created." Genesis 1:1

Creation is good... God said it many times.

And God is not the only one who creates. Made in God's image, we are also called to be creative - to make something from nothing - to bring beauty to light where once their was silence.

I love the creative people in my life. Potters... bakers... cooks... knitters & crocheters... musicians... photographers...scrapbookers... painters... decorators... these are just a few of the ways I see people creating in the world today.

Once of upon a time, if you had asked me if I was a creative person, I would have said no. But I have changed my mind about that. As I have quilted lap blankets for each of my nieces and nephews, and as I crochet scarves and shawls and blankets, as I prepare food for parties or church socials or for evening meals, I experience the joy that creating something new brings. And I'm guessing it's the same for you.

So think about it... what have you created lately? Here's a few of my latest creations!

Peace, Deb

Baby Blanket & Hat

Quilt #7

Everything's better with pie

#Advent Us - Day 1

Day 1 - Prepare ye the way of the Lord. (Mark 1:3)

A few weeks ago, we watched the movie, Evan Almighty. Besides being really funny, it stirred up some real conversation, which is always a bonus, in my opinion. 

When I saw today's verse, I immediately thought of this clip, where God and Evan talk about preparing for the day to come.

It's always at least a little inconvenient, and sometimes frightening, when God's plans fall on a different path from our plans. But preparing the way of the Lord means being willing to follow where we are called, even when people think it's a little crazy.

What shape would the world be in if we lived by guidance God gave Evan... "If you want to change the world, it happens one Act of Random Kindness at a time... you build it, I'll fill it."

How DO we prepare the way for the Lord?

Peace, Deb