IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME: MARY AND ELIZABETH

To watch a video of this message which includes the lighting of the Advent Candle, scripture readings and prayer, click on:

 https://youtu.be/3uqHF-HkuL0

The video will be available after 9 am, EST.




Luke 1:39-56

In the fullness of time …

What I find awesome and joy-inspiring in the stories of the first chapter of Luke is watching God in and through the lives of ordinary people like you and me, ordering the fulfillment of his promises of deliverance and salvation for humanity and all of creation.

This is the third Sunday of Advent, and the theme is “joy.”  The joy candle in the Advent wreath is pink representing the lifting of the darkness in anticipation of the birth of Jesus.


The Church of the Visitation (formerly Abbey Church of St John in the Woods) is a  Catholic church in Ein Karem Jerusalem, and honors the visit of Mary to Elizabeth.  Traditionally, this site is where Mary recited her song of joy and praise, the Magnificat.

 The courtyard contains a statue of Mary and Elizabeth, and on the wall opposite the entrance to the lower church are forty-two ceramic tablets bearing the verses of the Magnificat in as many different languages.

 In response to Elizabeth’s confirmation of God’s actions in Mary’s life through the response of her unborn child and her prophetic words echoing the angel, Gabriel, Mary begins her song with “My soul magnifies the Lord…”

We magnify God not by making Him bigger than He truly is, but by making Him greater in our thoughts, in our affections, in our memories, and in our expectations.  In doing so, we enter into a hyper-awareness of God with us and our response is an expression of joy.

Nehemiah 8:10 tells us, “The joy of the Lord is your strength”

Joy is the product of our faith in the future based on what God has done in the past and in the present.  It gives us the strength to be obedient and to live sacrificially.

Because God had proven repeatedly his steadfast love and mercy, and with the proof of the truth of the angel’s words, she had the joy of the Lord that would be her strength even to watching her son die on a cross for our sins.  She rejoiced because forgiveness, deliverance and restoration were at hand.

 

My husband, Tom, and I faced many challenges during our time together.  We got married during the crash of the auto industry in Michigan and the recession.  We faced times of unemployment and under employment, life changes, disappointments and loss.  We learned life lessons and grew from our experiences and saw God at work in our lives. 

When something major would happen, we would affirm this with each other:  God got us through all those tough times, and God will get us through this.  Remember and rejoicing in what God had done for us sustained us.  

So, let’s be honest, this year, Christmas will not be all that merry and bright for any of us.  But has every Christmas been wonderful?  Where there years when the lights were dimmed by the loss of a loved one, worries over the future or being far away from family and friends?  How was God present with us during those times?

 How is God with us this year?  How is God sustaining us?

Joy is the product of our faith in the future based on what God has done in the past and in the present.  It is our strength in times like these.

 


 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CHRISTIANS AND COFFEE BEANS

Image
1 Peter 1:17-23 John 17:14-19 Potatoes, eggs or coffee beans? Which are Christians called to be? We're going to find out as we explore what it means to be “in the world but not of the world” in today's message, “Christians and Coffee Beans.” Put three pots of water on to boil. When the water begins to boil, put some potatoes in one, eggs in another pot, and coffee beans in the third point. Boil for 20 minutes The potatoes went into the pot hard. After boiling in the hot water, they are now soft, easily broken up and mashed. The eggs, with their fragile shells and soft centers, are also changed. They are now hard-boiled. The coffee beans are different. While they look the same as they did when they were put into the water, they have transformed the water. The water has taken on the smell, taste and color of the coffee Jesus was not of this world, yet he came into the world to redeem the world by his death and resurrection an...
Read more

OATHS -- GONE WITH THE WIND?

Image
Leviticus 19:11-12 Matthew 5:33-37 Even if we've never seen the movie, Gone with the Wind, we're probably familiar with Scarlett O'Hara's oath. Framed by the sunset, Scarlet raises her fist in defiance and says, “As God is my witness, I will never be hungry again!” In today's passage from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus leads us into a new understanding of oaths and profanity. Did the character, Scarlett O’Hara in the movie, Gone with the Wind , take the Lord’s name in vain when she made her famous oath? “As God is my witness, as God is my witness, they’re not going to lick me. I’m going to live through this and when it’s all over, I’ll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again. Leviticus 19:11-12 tells us not to take oaths, make promises that profane the Lord’s name, that is take the Lord’s name in vain. Scarlett’s oath is a profane ...
Read more

ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER

Image
"...  and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds...  " --  Hebrews 10:24  ( Amplified Bible) "Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing."  -- I Thessalonians 5:11 (NRSV)       To encourage means to:   give support, confidence, or hope to someone; give support and advice to someone to help them do or continue to do something; thelp stiulate development.  Encourage and building each other up go hand in hand.  Here are some ways we can encourage and build each other up which will in turn help us become healthy, thriving churches. 1.  Have high regards, great respect and favorable thoughts for each other. 2.  Be thoughtful and intentional when you speak.  Consider where someone is coming from and choose wisely your words. 3.  Be gracious.  When someone makes a mistake, be quick to forgive...
Read more