Scripture Reading
Luke 1:46-55 (Book of Common Prayer)
Blog Reflection
The recitation of the Magnificat (Song of Mary) is among my favorite parts of Evening Prayer. The beauty of the words and the many chant and musical melodies are reminders of how wonderful Mary's song really is.
The Magnificat mirrors the Canticle of Hannah from 1 Samuel 2: 1-8 which you will find below.
Mary's powerful hymn as well as Hannah's praises God for upsetting the imbalance of power in the world. Mary's reflection on the powerful being brought down from their thrones and the lowly being lifted up. Hannah's song declares that the weapons of those who are mighty are rendered powerless, while the strength of the "feeble" gain strength.
We in America know all about how out of balance the powers of the rich vs the poor have been at work this year. We have seen the rich and wealthy work harder and harder to take away more and more from middle class and low income people.
Gov. Walker's bill that stripped Union Workers of their collective bargaining rights.
The situation with Crystal Sugar tossing their Union Workers out over the executives needs to protect their billion dollar profits, while keeping their organized employees from fair health care benefits.
The funds that protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid for retired and disabled Americans are under constant attack in a need to satisfy those who have abundant wealth and just want more power to go with the money.
The announcement that Mary was chosen by God's random act of grace to conceive and bear Jesus so that humankind could have forgiveness of our sins and the hope of everlasting life, greets the ears of all of us in different ways. Yet, there is one resounding theme that does not go anywhere. God wants to feed those who are hungry. Lift up those who are low. God wants to show the strength of God's arm, while scattering the proud in their conceit.
I think in many ways that is what the Occupy Movement has done. The Occupy Movement is calling out to those who are consistently losing to the careless abuses of bad financial investments and loaded mortgages. The movement calls to people who have been soaking up all the money in profits, while those who need help to own a home, fund their education, keep their retirement savings and hope for the future just keeps disappearing with every passing moment.
God came to us in the Incarnate Word in the midst of a dirty cave where animals fed on hey and messed their business. Jesus was born not with royalty and splendor given first by humankind. Jesus arrived so that we would know Emmanuel. "God with us" (see Matthew 1: 23). In Jesus is God's perfect revelation of Self, who is with all of us in our lowly, poor and hungry state. The rich, the powerful and the mighty are on a different tier as God comes to the marginalized, sick, lonely and discouraged among us.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer who share in the sufferings of Christ in a Church and world, by being "despised and rejected" have a very special place with the Incarnate Word. As Jesus came and loved differently, so do LGBTQ people. As Jesus was rejected for his revolutionary way of loving and being, so are LGBTQ people. Just as the death of Jesus was not the end of a new chapter in human history, there is resurrection for LGBTQ people along with the risen and ascended Christ.
Mary's Song and Hannah's are the hope that God's establishment of a new world. In the words of the hymns, that new world already exists. We in the 21st Century know that the new world where the poor are lifted up and the rich go away hungry is not yet.
In the perfect revelation of God in Christ, the world by which God brings justice and inclusion for all who are stigmatized and experience discrimination is already here. Throughout the Gospel Jesus meets those separated due to political, economic and social bias are given a place of honor and dignity in the house of God. Here and now, we see great progress in the wider acceptance of LGBTQ people in both the Church and society. But, we have not yet achieved full equality and inclusion.
Just as Jesus being born in Bethlehem changed the world, but not yet. So the work of justice, equality and inclusion has already happened for LGBT people and many others who are on the margins, but it is not yet accomplished. There is more work to be done.
Hannah's Hymn and Mary's Canticle give us hope that God who came into human history is here with us now in the Holy Spirit working in hearts, minds, lives and actions for a better future for all people.
May our Christmas celebrations this year help us to remember that God is with us in Christ. All of us have and continue to receive the fullness of God's grace and truth.
Prayers
Luke 1:46-55 (Book of Common Prayer)
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Blog Reflection
The recitation of the Magnificat (Song of Mary) is among my favorite parts of Evening Prayer. The beauty of the words and the many chant and musical melodies are reminders of how wonderful Mary's song really is.
The Magnificat mirrors the Canticle of Hannah from 1 Samuel 2: 1-8 which you will find below.
Hannah prayed and said,
‘My heart exults in the Lord;
my strength is exalted in my God.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in my victory.
‘There is no Holy One like the Lord,
no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
Talk no more so very proudly,
let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the feeble gird on strength.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry are fat with spoil.
The barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.
The Lord kills and brings to life;
he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low, he also exalts.
He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honour.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
and on them he has set the world.
Mary's powerful hymn as well as Hannah's praises God for upsetting the imbalance of power in the world. Mary's reflection on the powerful being brought down from their thrones and the lowly being lifted up. Hannah's song declares that the weapons of those who are mighty are rendered powerless, while the strength of the "feeble" gain strength.
We in America know all about how out of balance the powers of the rich vs the poor have been at work this year. We have seen the rich and wealthy work harder and harder to take away more and more from middle class and low income people.
Gov. Walker's bill that stripped Union Workers of their collective bargaining rights.
The situation with Crystal Sugar tossing their Union Workers out over the executives needs to protect their billion dollar profits, while keeping their organized employees from fair health care benefits.
The funds that protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid for retired and disabled Americans are under constant attack in a need to satisfy those who have abundant wealth and just want more power to go with the money.
The announcement that Mary was chosen by God's random act of grace to conceive and bear Jesus so that humankind could have forgiveness of our sins and the hope of everlasting life, greets the ears of all of us in different ways. Yet, there is one resounding theme that does not go anywhere. God wants to feed those who are hungry. Lift up those who are low. God wants to show the strength of God's arm, while scattering the proud in their conceit.
I think in many ways that is what the Occupy Movement has done. The Occupy Movement is calling out to those who are consistently losing to the careless abuses of bad financial investments and loaded mortgages. The movement calls to people who have been soaking up all the money in profits, while those who need help to own a home, fund their education, keep their retirement savings and hope for the future just keeps disappearing with every passing moment.
God came to us in the Incarnate Word in the midst of a dirty cave where animals fed on hey and messed their business. Jesus was born not with royalty and splendor given first by humankind. Jesus arrived so that we would know Emmanuel. "God with us" (see Matthew 1: 23). In Jesus is God's perfect revelation of Self, who is with all of us in our lowly, poor and hungry state. The rich, the powerful and the mighty are on a different tier as God comes to the marginalized, sick, lonely and discouraged among us.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer who share in the sufferings of Christ in a Church and world, by being "despised and rejected" have a very special place with the Incarnate Word. As Jesus came and loved differently, so do LGBTQ people. As Jesus was rejected for his revolutionary way of loving and being, so are LGBTQ people. Just as the death of Jesus was not the end of a new chapter in human history, there is resurrection for LGBTQ people along with the risen and ascended Christ.
Mary's Song and Hannah's are the hope that God's establishment of a new world. In the words of the hymns, that new world already exists. We in the 21st Century know that the new world where the poor are lifted up and the rich go away hungry is not yet.
In the perfect revelation of God in Christ, the world by which God brings justice and inclusion for all who are stigmatized and experience discrimination is already here. Throughout the Gospel Jesus meets those separated due to political, economic and social bias are given a place of honor and dignity in the house of God. Here and now, we see great progress in the wider acceptance of LGBTQ people in both the Church and society. But, we have not yet achieved full equality and inclusion.
Just as Jesus being born in Bethlehem changed the world, but not yet. So the work of justice, equality and inclusion has already happened for LGBT people and many others who are on the margins, but it is not yet accomplished. There is more work to be done.
Hannah's Hymn and Mary's Canticle give us hope that God who came into human history is here with us now in the Holy Spirit working in hearts, minds, lives and actions for a better future for all people.
May our Christmas celebrations this year help us to remember that God is with us in Christ. All of us have and continue to receive the fullness of God's grace and truth.
Prayers
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation,
that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a
mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen. (Fourth Sunday of Advent, Book of Common Prayer, page 212).
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on
the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within
the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit
that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those
who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for
the honor of your Name. Amen. (Prayer for Mission, Book of Common Prayer, page 101).
Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you
all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us
to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick,
and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those
who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow
into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for
our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Poor and Neglected, Book of Common Prayer, page 826).
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