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Advent 4: Mary

12/19/2022

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be always acceptable in your sight, Oh Lord, or strength and our redeemer. Amen.

We’re in the final stretch of our Advent Journey.
Christmas is quickly upon us:
And that means that our Jesse tree adventure is nearing its end too.

But not quite yet.
We’re not quite there.

Last week we explored the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah.
More specifically, Zechariah:
How he lost his ability to speak:
Because he couldn’t believe the news that the Angel told him:
That his wife Elizabeth
Would bear a son:
Even in their old age.

And that the son would be great:
Would be the one to prepare the way.
And that his name would be John.

Zechariah lost his ability to speak until after Elizabeth birthed their son.

It wasn’t until John’s naming ceremony,
That Zechariah’s speech was returned to him:
And he proclaimed the name of his child:
John.

Last week’s invitation was to find something that you would speak up for.

Does anybody have any they’d like to share and add to the Jesse tree?

We’ve had three weeks to explore three different bible stories from some of Jesus’ ancestors.

From Abraham and Sarah at the very beginning of the bible.
To Ruth and Naomi:
To Elizabeth and Zechariah:
The parents of Jesus’ cousin.

Last week I told you that we were inching much closer to the birth of Jesus:
Not only in the Advent season:
But in our visiting of the stories of Jesus’ lineage.

And today,
We’re getting REAL close.
Today we’re going straight to Jesus’ mother.
In the story of Jesus’ family tree,
Mary is as close to Jesus as you can get.
And this one is going to be particularly fun,
Because Mary’s story (as we saw last week) intersects with Elizabeth’s story.
So we’ll even see Elizabeth again today.

And here we go. (READ THE STORY Luke 1:46-55)

Mary’s song of praise is known as the Magnificat,
Because in Latin, the first word of “my soul magnifies the Lord” is not “my soul, but “Magnify.”
As this song bursts forth from Mary upon her arrival at Elizabeth’s home,
The song reveals much about who she is:
A humble servant who knows she is blessed.
Not because of what she has,
But because of what God has done.

She is one who can recognize the mercy of God at work through the generations;
A young person who already perceives the need or God to bring the proud,
The powerful, and the rich low in order or God’s promises to take hold.

Mary believes that there is good news to be had or people who are poor and hungry.
As a prophet, she employs beautiful and poetic language to inspire generations of faithful people.
As a person of faith,
She knows God’s promise will take hold down through the generations,
Beyond what she will see and know.

Mary’s song of praise also reveals much about who her son will be.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!

I the ancestors o Jesus have all lent something to the story of salvation:
(Like we’ve heard with Abraham, Sarah, Ruth, Naomi, Elizabeth and Zechariah)
And knowing there are many MANY others:
How much more will Jesus’ own mother offer to salvations story?

Just imagine Mary in the stable on Christmas,
Or later perhaps more comfortable in a wooden rocking chair that Joseph made.
Picture Mary when her son first experiences injustice on the streets or at the playground,
Or when Jesus sees the brutality of Roman soldiers and the violence of empire.
Hear Mary,
Time and again,
Singing the words of today’s reading over her child,
Hoping he will take them to heart.

My soul magnifies the Lord:
My spirit rejoices in in God my savior.
For he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.

Mary’s response is one of GREAT joy.
(Sort of like the Joy that Abraham and Sarah had in the birth of their son.)
And the joy that Elizabeth and Zechariah had, at the birth of their son.
And the joy that Ruth and Naomi shared in journeying through their life together.

Children,
And their births certainly bring us great joy.
But many other things can too.
Other relationships: (Like Ruth and Naomi’s)
Other blessings from God.
Other GOOD and beautiful and joyous things.

What sparks great joy for you?

You have SIX days, this time:
To bring something on Christmas Eve that sparks Joy for you.

This week:
I brought one of my special handmade ornaments.
This is multi-faceted joy,
Because as a quilter, and a sewer:
I love to make handmade things.
But this is especially joy-sparking because every year,
My grandma, makes a cross stitched, bell-shaped Christmas ornament for her grandchildren.

I have one for every year since I’ve been born.
(So I have quite a few.)

She’s also been making one every year for my kids:
Her great grand-children.

Each year:
She tries to put something on the ornament to mark that particular year.
And it always brings me GREAT joy,
To receive my handmade ornament from my grandma.

To share with you:
I brought my ornament from last year:
Which marked our move to Wisconsin.

And I’ll hang it on the tree.
Because it brings me great joy.

Amen.

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Advent 3: Zechariah

12/12/2022

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May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be always acceptable in your
sight, Oh Lord our strength and our redeemer. Amen.

Last week,
We heard the story of Ruth and Naomi:
Two women,
Who journeyed together after experiencing tragedy:
Sticking by each other throughout their lives.
The invitation last week,
Was to go home,
And find something that you would take with you on a trip:
Or something that would guide you on your journey.
Does anybody have one that they’d like to share?
This week,
As we add to our Jesse tree:
Exploring some of the stories from Jesus’ lineage:
We take a big step:
Closer to the birth of Jesus.
We’re looking today at the story of Zechariah:
Found in the gospel of Luke.
READ THE STORY (Luke 1:57-80)
That story sounds sort of familiar doesn’t it?
There are a lot of similarities with the story of Abraham and Sarah.
Two couples: separated by many many years.
Unable to have children:
And who are older in age.
Both couples receive word that God will bless them with children:
And both couples are astounded by what seems to them to be an impossible thing,
Terribly difficult to understand or imagine.
Abraham and Sarah laughed.
And Zechariah:
A PRIEST:
Couldn’t believe what the angel of God was telling him.
And so:

He was struck with silence:
Unable to speak.
Zechariah would have been very little help with a baby on the way:
Since God had struck him silent after he questioned how God would give him and his wife,
Elizabeth a child.
God promised their child would become the powerful prophet John.
And Zechariah questioned how God might accomplish this promise,
And the angel Gabriel,
Took away his ability to speak until the baby was born.
As the angel’s promise swelled to fruition in Elizabeth’s belly,
She ahd Zechariah had to prepare the house for the baby.
Imagine planning anything so complicated over text messages:
Or waiting for your partner to write out every response to every question,
Because he or she couldn’t actually answer with spoken words.
If you were Elizabeth,
How long would you be patient?
At what point would youy give up and simply make every decision yourself?

It’s little wonder that Elizabeth sings for joy when her cousin Mary arrives!
Mary could talk to her!
Mary experiences a different side of Gods miracle.
She expects a miracle baby,
Just like Zechariah and Elizabeth,
But she doesn’t know about Elizabeth’s miraculous pregnancy yet.
Mary simply comes to Elizabeth because she trusts Elizabeth as her family.
Together they discover that they each carry a part of the same promise from God.
Mary and Elizabeth show us how relationships of trust can help us make sense of God’s work in
our lives.
God’s promise gives Mary a new song,
While it stuns Zechariah into silence.
Zechariah would have learned from Mary and been inspiried by her,
Just like Elizabeth.
Even though he remains silent until his baby is born,

He finally speaks when he announces the baby’s name.
It’s John, in keeping with the angel’s command.
Zechariah’s friends and family do not understand why he chooses such a name.
But this time, even if others around him are questioning this child,
Zechariah is more than ready to speak.
The birth of this baby will be the largest chiange I Zechariah’s family’s life:
And the couple encounters that change while adapting to his silence.
Change piles atop change.
But the faily draws inspiration from Mary,
A younger relative who is also inspired by God’s miracle.
This week:
I invite you to go home and find something that you’re willing to speak up for.
Something that you can’t keep silent about:
Like Zechariah, proclaiming God’s blessings after his son is finally born:
And his voice is returned to him.
Maybe you’ll find a branch in nature:
Speaking up for the care of our creation.
Or maybe it’s a photo of someone you care about:
Somebody you’d speak up for, and fight for.

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Advent 2: Ruth and Naomi

12/7/2022

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May the Words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be always acceptable in your
sight, Oh Lord our strength and our redeemer. Amen.
Last week, we began the season of Advent.
And this week, our journey continues.

We’re doing something a bit different this season:
As we prepare and wait for the coming of Jesus on Christmas.

We talked last week about the tradition around a “Jesse tree:”
Where Christians remember the geneology of Jesus:
By re-reading and exploring biblical figures and stories leading up to Jesus’ birth.

Last week,
We heard about Abraham and Sarah,
The way that they laughed about the seemingly impossible promises that God
made to them.

But God does not break promises:
And Abraham and Sarah were granted a son:
Even in their old age.

It seemed absolutely impossible to understand, comprehend, or imagine.
And yet:
God made it happen.

Last week,
I encouraged you to go home and find something that seems impossible to
understand:
And bring it back with you today to add to our Jesse tree.

Did anyone bring anything that they would like to share about briefly?
(Let people Share)

This week:
We’re looking at the story of Ruth and Naomi: found in the book of Ruth.
Let’s hear it now:

READ STORY (Ruth 1:1-18; Or the whole book of Ruth!)

The story of Ruth and Naomi begins with tragedy.
After leaving her homeland with her family, Naomi experiences a string of deaths:
First her husband,
Then her two adult sons.

Left without grandchildren and without male family members to care for her,
Naomi is in one of the most vulnerable and lowly places in her society.

Against reason,
Naomi’s daughters-in law don’t want to abandon her.

One dauther in law, Orpah:
Eventually agrees to return to the family of her birth.

Ruth, though, refuses to leave Naomi.
She protests with one of the most stirring speeches in all of scripture.

The speech is left out of our story-book version:
But here’s what Ruth says to Naomi:
“Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
Where you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God my God.
Where you die, I will die--
There will I buried.
May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well,
If even death parts me from you.”

Ruth’s choice to remain with her widowed mother-in-law is downright foolish by
her world’s standards.
Nothing ties her to Naomi,
And there is no hopeful future with her to be seen.
It makes you wonder why Ruth did not wish to return to her own amily.
It makes you wonder about the welcome Ruth must have received in her
husband’s family home.

It makes you wonder why Naomi loved and cared for Ruth as her own daughter.
Maybe it makes YOU think about the love of someone beyond your biological
family:
And how that person made a difference in your life.

Ruth makes Naomi her chosen family,
A bond that many people form when their biological families can’t provide the
love, understanding or support they need.
Perhaps this family relationship is formed with a deep sense of justice, too.
Though it may be fair to leave Naomi on her own,
Ruth—an outsider to the people of Judah--
Upholds one o the markers of God’s justice.
She cares for the widow
(Even though she is one herself)

This generation in Jesus’ ancestry is formed by chosen love,
Tenacity, Justice,
And a fiercely feminine loyalty.

Ruth and Naomi journeyed together.
They did that medaphorically by spending their “journey of life” together,
And they did it literally:
Traveling to Bethlehem together to start life anew.

This week,

I invite you to go home, and find something that you would take with you on a
trip:
Or something that guides you in your travels.

Maybe it’s a map,
A favorite road snack,
A piece of camping equipment.
OR maybe even a picture of someone in your life who helped to guide you
through your journey.

Bring it back next week.
And we’ll add it to our tree!

Again:
It can be a physical item,
That you either hang on,
Or set next to or beneath the tree.
It can also be a picture of the item.

As promised:
I brought my item a week early.
I brought a flashlight.
Because we need light on our journeys:
Whether the light comes from a flashlight,
A candle,

The headlights on our car:
Or the light of love from a person who has guided us.

Amen.

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Weekly Lessons and Sermon

Advent 4: Mary

Advent 3: Zechariah

Advent 2: Ruth and Naomi

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