Today's Scripture Readings
Micah 5: 2-5a (NRSV)
But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace.
Psalm 80:1-7 (BCP., p.702)
Hebrews 10:5-10 (NRSV)
Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
"Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), then he added, "See, I have come to do your will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And it is by God's will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
but a body you have prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said, 'See, God, I have come to do your will, O God'
(in the scroll of the book it is written of me)."
Luke 1:39-55 (NRSV)
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."
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.
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.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
Blog Reflection
I once again ask the pardon of my readers. Last weekend my family gathered in my hometown of Wareham, Massachusetts for my Mother's Mass of Christian Burial. I am also very thankful for your prayers and concern during this difficult time. You are all a great blessing to me.
It goes without saying, but, our world is messed up. The political party debates. The violence that is out of control world wide. The attitudes of racism, sexism, heterosexism and any number of issues that divide people for any assorted reasons run as freely as a herd of caribou. Christians of all sects are still arguing about doctrine and who is in a place of leadership and who is "serving" while the Gospel remains an abstraction Other Christians are so concerned about winning political campaigns and raising outrageous amounts of money for them. Meanwhile the Person of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word who came to be the face of God and be the deliverer for the poor and oppressed; becomes an after thought.
On this Fourth Sunday of Advent, our Gospel directs our minds and hearts towards the joy Christ brings; while turning the world as we know it upside down.
The Magnificat (or Song of Mary) that we read from Luke 1:46-55 is not the first time we have read or heard a lovely song of the contradictions God brings. It mirrors the Canticle of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2:1-8. The Good News of these canticles and narratives, is that when we reach out for God and God comes to us; the poor become rich, the hungry are fed, those who are mighty become powerless and those who are often rendered powerless are given the grace to rise above the status quo.
Last year while we were attending Sunday Eucharist at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in St. Paul, MN; the preacher was The Rev. Barbara Mraz. She spoke about how in many countries where there was a dictator in control, The Magnificat was banned. The words, "He has cast the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly" were often used by protesters. The words were painted on poster boards and even card boards and nailed to trees and fence posts. The words were viewed as threatening and therefore were banned, even in churches and monasteries.
One has to wonder, is the meaning of Jesus Christ coming to us in the Incarnate Word banned? Are we still in a time when the wealthy are dictating that the poor remain poor? As States pass laws turning away Syrian refugees, we must ask if the mighty insist on keeping their thrones while the lowly have no opportunity to have their dignity upheld? This includes immigrants, women, LGBT people, Muslims, our Jewish sisters and brothers and others who are marginalized in the Church and society.
The celebration of the Nativity of Jesus Christ is less than seven days away. We will again celebrate that Christ was born on Christmas, singing the beautiful carols, exchanging gifts and spend time with family and friends. These and many other things we do during the celebration of Christmas are important. However, it is also important for Christians to remember that Jesus was born into a very imperfect society around Him, as we live in the midst of one now. Just Jesus' birth interfered with business as usual. Christians should be no less surprised that when we live Jesus' Gospel message of salvation and hope for every human person that we disturb a lot of other things going on around us. Jesus' Nativity ought to make us feel displaced. Jesus brought in a new era of contradiction after contradiction.
If there was one thing that Jesus avoided was one person or group of people dominating another. Christians have an opportunity to do the same. May we not miss the opportunity.
Amen.
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. (Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Advent. The Book of Common Prayer, p.212).
Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn
but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the
strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that
all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of
Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and
glory, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for Peace. The Book of Common Prayer, p.815).
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Human Family. The Book of Common Prayer, p. 815).
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