Mary's Hope for the World

December 11, 2022 Luke 1:46-55 Mary’s Hope for the World Year A Third Sunday of Advent Opening Song Welcome Advent Hymn Lighting of the Advent Candle CALL TO WORSHIP One: Our souls magnify the Lord. Our spirits rejoice in God our Savior! All: We come today with eager hope, awaiting God’s new revelation. One: The mighty One has done great things! God’s mercy covers generations. All: We come today with ready peace, trusting with anticipation. One: The One who lifted up the lowly And filled the hungry, dwells with us. All: We come today with fervent joy, we worship with great expectation. (Inspired by Luke 1:46b-55, The Magnificat) (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Mia McClain) INVOCATION God of Mary, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Rahab— God of us all, your children here and your children afar— We enter this moment of worship with eager anticipation. We know that even before a child would come to lead the way, You were leading our way. From the valleys of the shadows of death to the tables in the presence of enemies, you have never left us nor forsaken us. You rod and your staff have guided us. Guide us now, O God. Make your presence known as we worship you in spirit and in truth. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Mia McClain) Song Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming UMH 216 Children’s Sermon Object suggested: Magnifying glass and objects that would be interesting to view when magnified such as a leaf, blade of grass, print in a book, a bug. It is fun to look at ordinary things through a magnifying glass. The magnifying glass makes an object appear larger. We can see details we didn’t know were there. A magnifying glass helps us get a closer look at things. Let’s take some time to see what we can discover. See how the print in this book gets larger as you pull the magnifying glass away from the page? Look at your fingernails and hands through the magnifying glass. Do you see anything that surprises you? (Provide various objects that would interest children.) The word “magnify” has two meanings. It means to make things larger, as when we look through a magnifying glass, and it also means to “praise” or “give thanks.” In the Bible, as we read about the birth of Jesus, we learn that Mary felt joy because she had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus and she gave thanks to God. She said, “My soul magnifies the Lord” (1:46). “My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior…” (1:47). The joy that Mary felt, as she prepared for the arrival of Jesus, is available to us as we celebrate his birth. Tonight, Christmas Eve, we have the opportunity to praise God and give thanks for his love. We “magnify the Lord” as we sing Christmas carols, read from the Bible, light candles, pray, and listen to the story of the birth of Jesus. Take a closer look at God’s love that is offered to us through the Christ child. “Magnify the Lord.” Scripture quotations from the World English Bible Copyright 2008, Richard Niell Donovan Prayer of Confession (Isaiah 35, Luke 1, Matthew 11) Upside-down God, you announce your coming with exciting news: the hungry will eat their fill, the oppressed will dance in newfound freedom; you proclaim your mission with hard news: the well fed will go hungry, the powerful will lose their status. We find ourselves squirming as we acknowledge our participation in structures that oppress and marginalize. Help us accept and proclaim the coming of your Son as truly good news. Give us the courage to set aside our privilege, and help bring about this upside-down world, where everyone can sing together for joy. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Laura Bartlett) Words of Assurance (Isaiah 35) The desert shall rejoice and blossom. Waters shall break forth in the wilderness. The burning sand shall become a pool. The God who can transform the dry lands can also transform the desert of our lives. Abundant forgiveness is ours from the God who turns sorrow and sighing into joy and gladness. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Laura Bartlett) Passing the Peace of Christ (Isaiah 35) The coming of Christ turns the world upside down. For folks who are quite content with things as they are, this may not feel like good news! But a greater vision lies before us—God’s vision of real life for all. Comfort one another with these words of encouragement: “Be strong, do not fear.” Respond in kind with these words of hope: “God will come and save you.” Scripture And Responsive Reading Luke 1:46-55 UMH 199 Sermon Mary’s Hope for the World Have you ever imagined that your life was a Broadway musical? And you are just going about your everyday life, say washing the dishes and all of a sudden, you just break out in a song? I bet you think that it would never happen – perhaps you are saying that there is nothing worth singing about in your life, or perhaps you are not that dramatic, or maybe you think that you are not that good of a singer. What if I told you that you do it every week. We come to church, we listen to scripture, we pray, we take it all in, and what do we do – we sing about it. We even stand up and sing songs that we all know (most of the time). We sing about whatever the lesson is for the day. So you see, being a Christian is a lot like starring in a Broadway musical. You probably never realized that the book of Luke is actually written as a musical. Luke loves for his main characters to burst out in song, praising God and celebrating the good things that God has done for them. There is the book of psalms – which are songs of faith for every occasion in life. In the first two chapters of Luke, there are 4 important songs that are critical to our faith. Today, we focus on the Song of Mary. Imagine the scene – Mary has been visited by an angel and told that she will bear a son – this son is the answer to the prayers of the nation. The angel tells her that she does not have to bear the child alone – because she has a cousin (or perhaps an aunt) Elizabeth who also has a special pregnancy. She needs to get a way and process all of this, so she decides to visit Elizabeth. When she arrives, Elizabeth and the unborn baby celebrate Mary. And right on cue – Mary breaks out in the song – My soul magnifies the Lord. She says that she is blessed and special because God has showed her mercy – God will provide for those in need. Before Jesus gives the sermon on the mount and says blessed are those who hunger and thirst, for they will be fed. His Mother said He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away. Now some say Mary was just singing the words of a hymn that she would have known by heart, some say that this song was an impromptu response to the joy of the moment. We are not sure where Luke got this song – but we do know that the broadway moment continues today – not only when we sing, but as we live out our faith and follow her son jesus in everything that we do. Through this song of Mary we feel her expressing her faith and vision, and asking the right questions. In an old biography of Francis of Assisi, the story is told of a night he spent in the castle of an Italian nobleman. The host was curious as to the secret of Francis' remarkable vitality, so he arranged to have Francis spend the night in the chamber adjacent to his own. As soon as they retired, the nobleman watched to see what Francis would do, and it turned out to be quite simple. He knelt by his bed and prayed over and over again, "O Lord, who art thou, and who am I? Who art thou and who am I? Who art thou and who am I?" The biographer concludes that this is one of the clues of Francis' greatness. All his life he continued to ask the right questions, he never tired of trying to penetrate ever more deeply into the core of our existence. After all, the God-question and self-question are the ultimate realities. If we would grow in spiritual intensity, here are two frontiers on which the Magnificat is built. I love St Francis’ questions to God – Who are you and who am I. Advent is our season for asking the same questions. This is sort of the season for questions isn't it? Especially questions about the Christmas Story. There are so many elements that are just barely touched on. We get the smallest glimpse of what they really were. Yet we read them with the familiarity of our favorite children's bedtime story. We know every detail of the story. We know everyone of the characters. And we don't dare leave one out. You know, at the time of her conversation with Gabriel, Mary didn’t think of herself as the mother of God. There are a lot of misconceptions about Mary. Nowhere in the Bible does it say where to worship Mary. Nowhere in the Bible does it say we are to pray to Mary. Nowhere in the Bible does it say she was perfect or sinless. Nowhere does it say that she was God or even co-equal with God. What is so special about Mary is, she was so un-special. God took an ordinary, run of the mill, teenage, peasant girl and used her in an unbelievably extraordinary way. At the time of the conversation, not only was Mary Unspecial, she was also unlikely. But that is why she is singing – God has turned everything upside down. For once – the little guy wins and finds favor with God. The people who were lost in the dessert are now redeemed, those who were exiles are now favored children of God, God is not only the defender of the poor and vulnerable – God gives them justice and gifts. Brayden was about nine years old when he came to the church after school program. He was staying with his grandma who had to work until 6. The principal recommended that he come to the program so that he would be alone at home. Everything changed when he walked in. In Sunday School he would ask questions that were not appropriate for children. He would terrorize the girls in the class by pulling their chairs from under him. The teachers were always on edge with him. The staff would have special meeting, just to talk about what to do with him. Unlike a lot of the children he was there every week. When he saw the staff on the street, he would point them out. He even introduced his Sunday school teacher to his grandma who worked at the local grocery store. One lesson before Christmas, the class was talking about home – they were talking about where they were going to celebrate Christmas. When it came Brayden’s turn he could not talk about the place where he felt the spirit of love. First he said that he had lived a lot of different places. Then he was asked where he felt the most secure. Matter of factly, Brayden said – right here in my church. The person that the teacher felt was the least likely to get the message – understood the best. God comes to us in the least likely people, in the least likely places and the least expected places. – and when he does – we break out in song – or at least Luke’s characters do. Mary’s song is just the beginning of Luke’s story. There are at least 40 songs of faith in the book of Luke. For Luke, when we sing – we are invited into a triangle with God. We are called to live a life of service to bring about a balanced world for all. Just as the birth of the messiah came through the life of an ordinary unspecial young woman, miracles happen every day. When we get together and sing – the world changes. On Christmas Day a small manger scene sat on a table just inside the doorway to a neatly kept home. People hurried past it all day. They barely noticed tiny figures gathered around the infant tucked in the straw. In the morning children raced by it on their way to the Christmas tree. At noon, arriving guests pushed past it to get to the dining room. One accidentally knocked over a shepherd as he took off his winter coat. Later in the afternoon a well-fed group of adults and children moved somewhat slowly by the manger again as they drifted from the dining room back to the living room. Almost none of them stopped to look at the manger. In fact, none of them even noticed it, except two. An elderly woman, walking with a cane, paused in front of the scene. Gently she set the shepherd back in an upright position. Then she looked at the Christ child in the middle of all the figures. As she stood there, she became aware of her small grandson standing by her side. As the voices drifted in from the living room, the two continued to look at the manger scene. At length a smile spread across the woman's face and the child took her hand. In the midst of a day filled with so much busyness, food and opening, the two of them quietly received God's gift. Today we come face to face with a mind-boggling, bumfuzzling, unlikely idea and story. It's a story that is almost incomprehensible in its simplicity and truth. It's a story that is, in itself, a gift. It's a gift wrapped with the most exquisite paper imaginable, a bundle of swaddling clothes. This gift was left for each of us, under the tree of life nearly 2,000 years ago by Him whose birthday we celebrate today. This gift has been offered to everyone. Some have left their packages unclaimed. Others have graciously accepted the gift and carry it around everywhere they go. Unfortunately, they've failed to begin unwrapping and discovering the hidden splendor and grace of God's love. The packages are all alike: in each one is a scroll addressed to us individually, on which is written, "I love you!" and it's signed God. Although it seems like such an Unlikely Gift, born in such an Unlikely Place, to such Unlikely Parents and for such an Unlikely Purpose, it’s really the work of God. All you have to do is reach out and accept the gift which God has for you? Don't leave it under the tree. Find the gift in Mary’s story and her song. Now it is time for us to stand and sing the finale! Amen. Song I want to Walk as a Child of the Light UMH 206 Prayer Lord of delight and surprises, you come to us each day with opportunity, love, support. You pour your blessings on us, reminding us of your compassionate presence with us. Help us to be people of loving service. Help us to see the ways in which you enter our lives and enable us to serve you by serving your people. As we have come to you this day, bringing our concerns for healing and hope, remind us that you are with us all and that your healing mercies are given. Give us the courage to be faithful stewards of your creation and bring us together with one another in celebration and service. Lift us up, bring us forward, give us peace. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook God forth with great expectation Waiting for God’s mercy to fill us Wait for the God’s grace to surround us Wait for God’s child to lead us And in that waiting, May God bless and keep you May God’s face shine upon you May God be gracious to you And give you peace. Amen ( United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Mia McClain) Community Time Benediction Let the love of God flow into your hearts. Believe in the power of God to change your life. Behold the goodness of God in creation and in others. Be at peace and celebrate God’s good news. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Additional Illustrations An eight-year-old girl was showing her preschool sister a picture of Mary and the baby Jesus. The younger girl examined the picture closely and then she asked, "Where's Joseph?" The older sister thought for a moment and then replied, "He's taking the picture." (1) Bruce Larson tells a beautiful and true Christmas story that appeared sometime back in the Denver Post. It seems, a week or so before Christmas, a pastor told his congregation about a needy family facing a bleak Christmas. One young father decided to do something about it. He and his son set out in the family pickup to cut down a fresh evergreen and deliver it to this needy family. They ran into a rock slide and a boulder hit the truck. It was totally wrecked. The windshield was smashed and while the father wasn't hurt, the young boy was cut by the glass and bleeding severely. They tried to wave down a passing motorist to help, but to no avail. Finally, after over two hundred cars had whizzed by, one stopped. The couple in the car took care of the injured boy, returned the two to their home, and then went on. The father and son never got the names of their two ministering angels. I'm sure it was a little bit of Christmas miracle, because in a week's time the truck was repaired and the boy's injury healed. On Christmas Eve, the pastor asked this same man if he'd deliver a basket of food and toys to the needy family he'd set out to bring the tree to earlier. He loaded up his truck and drove to the address he was given and rang the doorbell. Who should answer the door but the couple who'd stopped to help him on the highway just weeks before? (2) Life does not always work out quite that neatly. But the story does point to what Mary teaches us. Life IS Hard but in the midst of all the hardship the world can throw our way, God Is Good. An eight-year-old girl was showing her preschool sister a picture of Mary and the baby Jesus. The younger girl examined the picture closely and then she asked, "Where's Joseph?" The older sister thought for a moment and then replied, "He's taking the picture." (1) This is sort of the season for questions isn't it? Especially questions about the Christmas Story. There are so many elements that are just barely touched on. We get the smallest glimpse of what they really were. Yet we read them with the familiarity of our favorite children's bedtime story. We know every detail of the story. We know everyone of the characters. And we don't dare leave one out. It's right under your nose, so don’t miss it like the editor of that paper did when the Wright brothers made their first flight. In the year 1870 the Methodists in Indiana were having their Annual Conference. At one point, the president of the college where they were meeting said, "I think we live in a very exciting age." The presiding bishop said "What do you see in our future?" The college president responded, "I believe we are coming into a time of great inventions. I believe, for example, that men will fly through the air like birds." The Bishop was indignant and said, "That's heresy! The Bible says that flight is reserved for the angels. We will have no more such talk here." After the Annual Conference was over, the bishop, whose name was Wright, went home to his two small sons, Orville and Wilbur. And, of course, you know what they did to their father's vision.(1) You probably remember that when they were older, the Wright brothers, had a bicycle shop, which was the source of their income for their experiments in flight. They had tried repeatedly to fly a heavier-than-air craft. Finally on December 17, 1903, on the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, they did what no one had never done before. They actually flew under engine power! Elated, they wired their sister Katherine, "We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas." Their sister was so excited, she ran down the street, shoved the telegram with the news scoop of the century, into the hands of the city editor of the local paper. He read it carefully, smiled and said, "Well, well! How nice the boys will be home for Christmas!" And the next day, buried on page 16, underneath the obituaries, was this notice: "Local bicycle merchants to spend holidays at home." Can you believe it? One of the major events of the twentieth century, and the editor completely missed it, even though it was right under his own nose! (2) Why? Because at the time it seemed so unlikely. The Christmas is about the Unlikely as well