Take us to Bethlehem, House of Bread
Where the hungry are filled
And the satisfied sent empty away
Where the poor find riches
And the rich recognize their poverty
And all who worship are filled with awe.
Song “Canticle of the turning”
When the light is low
Kindle in us hope, compassion, breathing life into the
The embers of our lives
Fire in our beings
Resolve in our souls.
The candle is lit.
We light a candle for light, sending our
prayers high into the inky heavens and
dreams deep into our human soul.
We light a candle for light. May it light our way.
We say the Lords Prayer in our own language
Reflection on Luke 1v46-55
On this Sunday we remember Mary, chosen by God to give birth to Jesus. Mary was a young girl probably a teenager. She suddenly finds herself pregnant and visited by angels. It was potentially a bad day! But the child she is carrying is destined to fulfil the prophesies concerning the Jewish Messiah. He will change history and be a beacon for those who are oppressed, a standard for all to live by in opposition to the standards of society. She knew it was going to be hard and she was very young. In her life she had some hard journeys to make.
Mary went to stay with her cousin Elizabeth who also was expecting a baby but was further advanced in her pregnancy. She went to a town in the hill country of Judea. The Song of Mary is in the form of a hymn of praise directed to God for his kindness toward Mary, with particular reference to remnant Israel and reflecting the Old Testament sense of God's covenant loyalty and loving kindness toward Israel, his hesed, (Heb., his faithful love). To those who acknowledge God's position and authority, his mercy will extend to all people in all ages. Mary stayed approximately three months, probably until the birth of John (the Baptist).
There will be light in the darkness for Gods people, because as the passage goes on to say a child will be born who will save the people. This child, this Jesus. And so like the rest of the church throughout the world we are waiting this Advent time for that child to be born again, in our hearts, in our lives, in our communities, our countries. God with us. Immanuel.
Some of us have travelled long journeys away from our place of birth to where we are today. Some of us have travelled hard journeys.
Mary knew what her son's birth was meant to bring and the message the angel gave to Mary was a manifesto, an agenda. The Magnificat sung by Mary as she carries the baby born to be such an important person in human history, gives us hope of material relief from poverty. We know from Matthew that Joseph, thinking the worst, planned to divorce her. It's a story with ominous beginnings. A story of crisis. Many of us have our own crisis this Christmas.
So the Christmas story begins with shame, the shame of a pregnant unmarried mother and an imminent divorce. It goes on to release its power through the childless, the dumb, the poor. This Christmas they are all with us. Those who are vulnerable because they are women or young or powerless, homeless, refugees. It is to these and to us that the Christ light gives hope, lifting up the lowly, proclaiming release to the captives. God is with us.
May this Christmas be a vehicle, a carrier of hope for us all to feed our spirits and our imaginations and to inspire us, with the angel’s message, to bring good news and peace on earth.
This week take time and space to be still before God, and the God of Hope, the God of Light will be with you, and you will know it by the peace in your heart. And of such stuff are dreams made of and of such stuff is the journey that as Christians we embark on when we decide to truly follow the Light of All Lights. Amen
We pray for those who have no money, no food and no home today.
For those far from home in a strange country
For those experiencing war and hatred
Especially the children.
The poor of our world are thirsty for justice
Our God is thirsty for justice.
May we bring it to pass. Amen
Song “The Angel Gabriel to Mary came”
Come to us Holy one
shatter our coldness
Whisper through our lives
Scatter the darkness
Be born in us today.
