Advent 4 - Love

I am still feeling warm and fuzzy from Thursday evening’s “Christmas with Peninsula Musicians and Friends” concert. Well over 60 people came out on a stormy night to hear the music of several combinations and permutations of local musicians, including our own Tobermory United choir. Comments I’ve heard today are about blessedness. How blessed we are to live in a generous and connected community. How blessed we are to have such musicians among us. The vibe was warmth.  The vibe was community and generosity. The vibe was love.

And this week in our worship, we get to focus on love. I know no better way to talk about love than by looking at the text that has come to be known as the Magnificat. This year, in the lectionary readings, Luke 1:46-55 was included in Advent 3, but I wanted to preach on this text in Advent 4 (love), so I switched the readings. Every year that I consider these few verses, I become more convinced of their power. When Mary has for so long been depicted as silent, these lines, in her voice, tell us that she was not silent, in fact, that her words are powerful beyond measure.

This is the last Sunday before Christmas eve. We have been journeying to Bethlehem these past four weeks, pondering hope, peace, joy, and now love. It is quite the story we encounter, the same every year, and yet also new. I think it’s us who come to it with new eyes, and new ears to hear…

To prepare for Sunday’s service, read Luke 1:46-55 and ponder the following:

1.      These words have been outlawed in certain regimes through history. Why do you think that is?

2.      Do these words surprise you, coming from Mary?

Image: “A Mother’s Love Holds the World,” 2008, Mary Jane Miller, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN