Recommended readings from the fourth Sunday of Advent (from the Revised Common Lectionary):
Micah 5:2-5a
Luke 1:47-55 or
Psalm 80:1-7
Hebrews 10:5-10
Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)
God is turning the world right side-up! To me that is what the Magnificat (Mary's song of praise) is all about. God has regarded our helpless state (as sinners all), and has helped us by sending us a Savior. This is what we wait for (symbolically) during Advent. We remember the first waiting for Christ, we recall our own helpless state before we first welcomed the Savior into our lives, and we wait again for the Savior's return.
What I find fascinating is that Mary, a first-century Jew, sang about this coming as present fact. Though only in the beginnings of her pregnancy with the Holy Child, she celebrated what God was doing, as though it were already done. The longer I live, the more confused I tend to get about the yet-not-yet-ness of God's Reign. I suspect that this is because God has already accomplished salvation, even as in our time and space-bound reality, Christ is still reconciling all creation to God. Sometimes I see it as God having "turned loose" salvation in our time and space and it's a glorious, complex, seeing-it-only-from-the-wrong-side-of-the-canvas work in progress. Sometimes I just say "thank you" to God and leave off wordering about it.
Too seldom, however, do I sing for joy because of God's mercy in working salvation in our sinful world--and in sinful me. Dear God, accept today my echo of Mary's Magnificat. You have helped your servant Israel, and specifically you have helped, over and over again, this least of your ingrafted servants: me!
Holy is your name, and holy is the Child about to be born, again, in our midst!
Showing posts with label Mary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mary. Show all posts
Friday, December 22, 2006
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Advent, Week 2: Sunday - Tuesday
Recommended readings from the second Sunday of Advent (from the Revised Common Lectionary):
Malachi 3:1-4
Luke 1:68-79
Philippians 1:3-11
Luke 3:1-6
I have a few minutes before a church event this evening. I was reading at my friend Dr. Platypus's blog just now, which sparked inspiration for a catch-up post here at my own. (Sunday was our choir cantata and we're on the one-week countdown for the children's program next Sunday--what little time I've had to blog, I haven't had a single coherent thought! So thanks, Dr. P.!)
I used to love singing in my home church's folk choir. One of the songs we'd sing at this time of year was "Mary, Mary, what you gonna name that baby?" It's an Avery and Marsh collaboration, and strangely enough I can't find any online source so that I can post a link to the full text. But perhaps a brief description will give you the gist.
It's in the key of D minor and has a fairly slow, almost African-American spiritual style. The refrain consists of the title line, followed by "What you gonna call that holy baby?" Then four verses follow, most effectively sung by four different soloists, who in turn describe themselves us all as sheep looking for someone to guide them, as slaves needing a master, as hungry and poor and needing to be saved, and kings needing to be ruled. Then, following a voiced "Shhh," the full group agrees with the soloist, "Why don't we call him Shepherd/Lord/Savior/King?"
We sang the only choir arrangement of this song I know of, this past Sunday morning with my choir. It was part of an Advent service that was part cantata, part lessons and carols format. The late Lloyd Pfautsch arranged it, which is quite remarkable; Dr. Pfautsch, who was professor of choral conducting at SMU and a preeminent sacred choral composer, wasn't exactly the "folk choir" sort. But it is a nice little arrangement, which I was proud of my choir and our four soloists for presenting so well.
Mary named her baby "Jesus," the one who saves. As Emmanuel ("God with us"), he truly is our Savior, Shepherd, Lord, and King. As I review the many names of Jesus, I marvel at how he meets each of us where we are and how we need him, if we truly seek him.
Dr. P. wrote about "Mary, Did You Know?" on his blog. I don't think Mary could have known all that her coming Baby would become. But I rejoice in her "Yes!" to God's plan, in the birth of her son Jesus, and in what he means to me and to us all.
Come to my heart, Lord Jesus; there is room in my heart for thee.
Malachi 3:1-4
Luke 1:68-79
Philippians 1:3-11
Luke 3:1-6
I have a few minutes before a church event this evening. I was reading at my friend Dr. Platypus's blog just now, which sparked inspiration for a catch-up post here at my own. (Sunday was our choir cantata and we're on the one-week countdown for the children's program next Sunday--what little time I've had to blog, I haven't had a single coherent thought! So thanks, Dr. P.!)
I used to love singing in my home church's folk choir. One of the songs we'd sing at this time of year was "Mary, Mary, what you gonna name that baby?" It's an Avery and Marsh collaboration, and strangely enough I can't find any online source so that I can post a link to the full text. But perhaps a brief description will give you the gist.
It's in the key of D minor and has a fairly slow, almost African-American spiritual style. The refrain consists of the title line, followed by "What you gonna call that holy baby?" Then four verses follow, most effectively sung by four different soloists, who in turn describe themselves us all as sheep looking for someone to guide them, as slaves needing a master, as hungry and poor and needing to be saved, and kings needing to be ruled. Then, following a voiced "Shhh," the full group agrees with the soloist, "Why don't we call him Shepherd/Lord/Savior/King?"
We sang the only choir arrangement of this song I know of, this past Sunday morning with my choir. It was part of an Advent service that was part cantata, part lessons and carols format. The late Lloyd Pfautsch arranged it, which is quite remarkable; Dr. Pfautsch, who was professor of choral conducting at SMU and a preeminent sacred choral composer, wasn't exactly the "folk choir" sort. But it is a nice little arrangement, which I was proud of my choir and our four soloists for presenting so well.
Mary named her baby "Jesus," the one who saves. As Emmanuel ("God with us"), he truly is our Savior, Shepherd, Lord, and King. As I review the many names of Jesus, I marvel at how he meets each of us where we are and how we need him, if we truly seek him.
Dr. P. wrote about "Mary, Did You Know?" on his blog. I don't think Mary could have known all that her coming Baby would become. But I rejoice in her "Yes!" to God's plan, in the birth of her son Jesus, and in what he means to me and to us all.
Come to my heart, Lord Jesus; there is room in my heart for thee.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Advent, Week 1: Saturday - POSADA Chainblog 2006
Recommended readings from the second Sunday of Advent (from the Revised Common Lectionary):Malachi 3:1-4
Luke 1:68-79
Philippians 1:3-11
Luke 3:1-6
I suggest reading Malachi 3:1-4 and Philippians 1:3-11 in preparation for tomorrow's Old Testament and Epistle lessons.
I am hosting Mary and Joseph today for Andii Bowsher's wonderful Posada chainblog project. If you wish to follow the blog's progress, visit my friend Dr. Platypus tomorrow (Sunday, Dec. 10).
What always strikes me about this part of the Nativity story is the sheer danger of the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It was not an easy trip, even had Mary not been pregnant. It's easy for us to say, from the safety of 2,000+ years of history, that God protected them. It's true, but a very different thing for them to live in that trust than for us to celebrate it. I suspect that when I finally see "face to face" once this life is over, I will recognize the providence of God in many ways that I could not while on earth. The fact is, it took obedience, guts, and courage for the Holy Couple to trek from Galilee to the City of David. Then, to add insult to injury, they had to pay for the "privilege" of being enrolled in the census. They not only had to be obedient to the will of God, they had to be immediately obedient to the Roman authorities.
What a fascinating chain of events began with Mary's "Let it be with me according to your word" assent to God's will! Saying "yes" to God nearly always marks the beginning of an adventure.
As one of the pre-December 24 "hosts" of the Posada, I can give shelter only for this one day. It is my assigned role to send Mary and Joseph on their way with a "Sorry, no room" message. Realizing that fact has made me reflect, in writing this, on the times I have done exactly the same thing to "the least of these." There have been times when I've welcomed and served the least, as well.
Lord Jesus, please forgive my refusals and accept the halting welcomes you've received from me. Help me be more faithful, even as I now symbolically turn away your earthly parents.
Jennie hosted the Posada yesterday here. For more on the Posada chainblog, read Andii's initial post here.
Here is the rest of the Posada hosting schedule:
- Sun 10 Dec Dr Platypus
- Mon 11 Dec Sally Coleman
- Tue 12 Dec Jim Palmer
- Wed 13 Dec Anne Gogh
- Thu 14 Dec Weekend Fisher
- Fri 15 Dec Dave
- Sat 16 Dec John Cooper
- Sun 17 Dec Sue Wallace at Abbess
- Mon 18 Dec Lucas
- Tue 19 Joanna at Keeping Feet
- Wed 20 Adrian at Emerging Church info.
- Thu 21 Ian Mobsy at Mootblog
- Fri 22 Bob Carlton
- Sat 23 Chelley at Chelley's Teapot
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