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Pastor's Message - Nov/Dec 2009
Mary’s Song of Praise
“My
soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for
he has looked with favour 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”. Luke 1:46-55
I’ve
often wondered how Mary could sing such a song. Mary really had no
reason to sing. She was poor, pregnant, and unmarried. I can only
imagine how frightened she must have felt. Think about it! She is
betrothed to Joseph. This is a legal and binding contract. Joseph knows
this baby isn’t his; how easy it would be to put an end to the
relationship. If he had, the social and economic consequences for Mary
and her unborn child would have been catastrophic. Yet Mary’s response
to the angel Gabriel’s message is simply, “Here am I, the servant of
the Lord; let it be with me according to your word”. No, I don’t think
that is how I would have responded to such news. Mary’s
song, often called the Magnificat (magnify, in Latin), reveals some key
themes in Luke’s narrative. Faithful Jews had been waiting for a very
long time for God to keep ancient promises and repair a damaged
creation. The way this would happen would be by turning the world
upside-down, by reversing the situation of the poor, the hungry, and
the lonely. The lowly would be lifted up, the hungry filled, and the
rich sent away empty. To see how this theme recurs, compare 1:46-55
with Luke 6:20-26 and Luke 4:18-19. And that is just what
Jesus did-he turned the world upside-down. He paid attention to the
poor, the outcast, the sick, and the lonely. He ministered to the
marginalized. He welcomed all into the wide embrace of God’s love and
mercy, and commanded his followers to do the same, saying, “This is my
commandment, that you love one another as I have love you” (John
15:12). But it was dangerous work and got him into an awful lot of
trouble. We know how the story ends-or should I say-how the story
begins, because Jesus’ death on the cross was a far cry from an
ending. Advent is a season of waiting, preparing for, and
celebrating Christ’s coming. During this season, I invite you to
reflect on the way in which we wait. What is dangerous about thinking
the world needs to be turned upside-down. What is dangerous about
thinking that it does not need to be turned upside-down? Do we wait
inactively in expectation, or do we play a part in the coming of Christ
to a needy and hungry world? Our Evangelical Lutheran Worship contains a Magnificat for the 21st century. You will find it at #723, Canticle of the Turning: My soul cries out with a joyful shout that the God of my heart is great,
and my spirit sings of the wondrous things that you bring to the ones who wait.
You fixed your sight on your servant’s plight, and my weakness you did not spurn,
so from east to west shall my name be blessed. Could the world be about to turn?
What are you waiting for?
Wishing you a blessed season of active waiting,
Jennifer Famme
(Placement Student)
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