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I
was raised into ministry by woman pastors.
The
person who first told me to consider seminary because she saw the call that God
placed in my life is a woman pastor: Pastor Michelle.
The
most influential professor I had in seminary who taught the art and skill of
preaching is a woman pastor: Professor Lammers-Gross.
My
first official colleague in ministry while we were both seminarians working as
chaplains at an outdoor ministry site is a woman pastor: Pastor Allie.
The
first person to ever invite me to preach a sermon in a church, actually two
sermons, is a woman pastor: Pastor Carol.
My
first teacher in youth ministry who showed me how to show youth radical love is
a woman pastor: Pastor Katie.
The
person that trained me most as a pastor and helped me find my own pastoral
identity is a woman pastor: Pastor Nina.
And
a person I still learn from all the time as I have the joy and honor of working
alongside her every day is a woman pastor: Pastor Susan.
I
was raised into ministry by woman pastors, and I am the pastor I am today due
to their ministries. I also share this sacred calling with so many other female
friends and colleagues who serve in ministries all over the world who bless
their communities with their gifts, with their words, and with their songs.
I’ve seen it and heard it and felt it; the Word of God comes to us through
women. This is true throughout all of history, as seen in our passage today.
Let us turn toward the Gospel of Luke and the conversation between a pregnant
Elizabeth and a pregnant Mary and Mary’s song that follows:
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Luke 1:39-55
39
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill
country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry,
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why
has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon
as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45
And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was
spoken to her by the Lord.”
46
And Mary said,
“My
soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will
call me blessed;
49
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 His
mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts
of their hearts.
52
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
53
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
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As I
said, I was raised into ministry by woman pastors. These women; their voices
and their ministries; are strong. When I hear this passage, when I hear Mary’s
song, I don’t hear a Mary who is meek or mild, as some of our carols may depict,
I hear a strong woman who was preparing the way for Christ. When I hear Mary’s
song, I see the strong woman pastors in my life telling the story of God. I see
Mary and my pastors lifting their voices to prepare the way for Christ.
It’s also a reason why I love the season of Advent; it’s a time for us to be strong, to lift our voices, and to prepare the way for Christ.
Now
one of the ways we do this at Sunnyside is through song. Music is an important
part of our worship, especially during the season of Advent. Over the last
month we’ve had the Children’s Christmas Program, we’ve had the Christmas
Cantata, we’ve heard the Sunnyside Band and we’ve heard the Sunnyside Sisters,
today we listened to Phoebe on the piano, the choir is still here following their
incredible and I’m sure exhausting performance last week. We will be blessed by
the Reimbold-Thomas trio coming up later in the service. Rachel and Yvonda and
the choir have led us in music the last month all while they along with
Gretchen and the handbells have been preparing for our Christmas Eve services.
We even have caroling tonight for our neighbors in our community. Music and
song are a crucial part of our Sunnyside Advent season.
So it’s fitting that today features song in our scripture passage, or to be exact, a specific song, Mary’s song.
In
our liturgical tradition, this song is called “The Magnificat.” And as I said,
this song is not sung by someone who is meek or mild, or even gentle, or
vulnerable. Mary, here, is bold and strong and she, Mary, the unwed, young,
faithful woman is who I want to follow into Christmas as she prepares the way
for Christ to come into my life and to come into your life; into all of our
lives.
Now
this song of Mary’s is quite remarkable and even powerful. What stood out to
you as you heard her song?
The
first few lines are about Mary’s role in God’s work here on earth; her role in
God’s plan. Right from the start, Mary is glorifying God, magnifying the name
of her Lord, rejoicing in her savior because God has selected her to bring the
Christ-child into the world. She calls herself lowly because society has let
her know her status, after all, we know that she was young and unwed, Mary
wasn’t wealthy nor was she considered that important. She wasn’t even Elizabeth,
who was married to a priest and was older and possibly wiser. No, Mary is to be
wed to a carpenter, a man of sawdust and tools. But Mary looks at her life and
sees her blessings. She sees herself as blessed for God’s favor has been given
to her. That’s typical thing for God to do; to bless those who were once
considered lowly by society. She holds true to God’s promises and so she sings.
But
Mary isn’t just singing for herself. She is singing with courage to spark
change, and she wants to sing it loud and proud… and so she starts by singing
it to her cousin Elizabeth. Now I love that the first person Mary told about
her miraculous, scandalous pregnancy is Elizabeth, her older cousin. When Mary
tells Elizabeth this unbelievable story, Elizabeth responds with joy and
acceptance and encouragement. This moment redefines family for us; it shows
that family are the ones who respond to news with affirmation; with love! It’s
why we at Sunnyside selected what we call “chosen families” to light the Advent
candles this year. Friends and shepherds and mentors and students of all ages;
people who show that family are those who support one another with joy and love
as we walk this journey of faith.
But
despite how much joy in found in this moment between Mary and Elizabeth, there
must be a little fear and therefore courage. Now I think this is true for
pregnant women of any age and of any time and place. There is joy and
excitement but there is also a little worry and possibly a little stress;
perhaps there is a little fear… or even a lot of fear. For Mary and Elizabeth,
their sons would bring truth into a difficult world. Elizabeth would give birth
to John the Baptist, who would prepare the way, and Mary would give birth to
Jesus, who would be the way. And both would carry out their mission of truth,
hope, and love into this difficult world and because of that difficult world, both
would be killed.
I
can’t say for sure if Mary and Elizabeth knew in that moment that their sons,
that their babies, the ones that were formed in their wombs and were raised by
them to be young men would one day be killed.. but I do know that they knew
that their sons would change the world around them and that it would be
dangerous. Elizabeth even acknowledges, through John leaping in her womb, that
Jesus wouldn’t just change it; he as her Lord would save it. For Elizabeth to
respond to Mary’s pregnancy with joy and for Mary to sing her song of glory
knowing that the future would be scary for their sons and for themselves as
mothers; that takes incredible strength. I listen to Mary’s song, and I hear
the courage that shines through.
Do
you question where her courage comes from? Those of you with children or
grandchildren, with nieces or nephews, those with students or other children
you care for; those of who know how scary life can be; do you question where
Mary’s courage comes from?
Mary’s
courage comes from what she knows about God and what she sees God doing in her
own life and in the world. She sees God’s love and power and justice, and she
trusts it!
Mary
said she was considered lowly but God lifted her up. And God does the same for
others like her: those who are lowly. God lifts up those are pushed aside,
those who are treated miserably, those who are scared, and those who are sad.
God raises up the hungry and the poor and the disenfranchised and the lonely
and the forgotten because this is the will of God.
In
Mary’s womb is Christ. The Word made Flesh. The Word that was with God and the
Word that is God. The Holy Son. Emmanuel. The Lord of Lords; the King of all
Kings. Jesus. Mary is carrying our Savior in her womb.
Our
Hebrews passage that Andrew read for us tells us that Christ came into the
world to do the will of God. It was the Will of God to be born as a baby in a
manger surrounded by animals and shepherds. It was that will that led Christ
into the temple as child. It was that will that had Christ perform miracles and
provide teachings all over the countryside. It was the will of God that Christ
would break bread with his disciples and pour a cup of new salvation. It was
the will that led Christ to die upon the cross for us. It was also the will of
God for Christ to defeat death through the resurrection; once again, for us.
And it was that same will that led Christ to give his final command to her
disciples; to go out and baptize more disciples “in the name of the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit.”
The
same will found in Christ to serve God and the people of God was found in Mary.
Mary knows the story of God. She knows what God has done and she knows what God
will do. She holds onto this and it gives her courage to sing her song: a song
of faith that displays God’s providential promises.
Mary
knows the story of God because she herself is intertwined into that story. And
friends, so are you. You are intertwined into God’s story. The will of God to
serve; that will of Christ to save; that is still with us today.
What
was first sung by Mary quotes the words of Hannah in the Hebrew Scriptures and
what was first sung by Mary is quoted by Jesus in his teachings. And then
throughout history this song was whispered and declared and sung throughout
churches and cathedrals and temples and sanctuaries. At some points in history,
this song was even banned in certain countries because it was considered a
threat to power. But still the song was sung. Still this song is sung. We heard
it today because this song is supposed to be heard by you… and you.. and you.
By all of us.
Because as I said, this song is the story of God, and you are a part of that story. Mary’s song is your song.
Because as I said, this song is the story of God, and you are a part of that story. Mary’s song is your song.
I
was raised into ministry by strong woman pastors because they sang Mary’s song
with strength and courage. They sang it through their perseverance and
dedication, through their acts and deeds, through their wisdom and teachings,
through their sermons and songs. They told God’s story; they tell God’s story.
And so now I do the same. I join my voices with theirs, and I tell God’s story.
And now I’m asking you to do the same. Will you sing with me? Will you join
your voices with mine? Will you tell God’s story? Will you prepare the way for
Christ with strength and courage?
St. Ambrose, an early bishop of the Roman Catholic Church said, “Let Mary’s soul be
in us to glorify the Lord; let her spirit be in us that we may rejoice in God
our Savior.”
Let
that be our prayer this last Sunday of Advent. Let that be our song. Sing loud,
my friends. Sing with strength and courage. Glorify and rejoice. Christ is
coming. Thanks be to God. Amen.
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