Psalm 113 on December 22nd, 2024
Above is audio of the sermon pulled from the video and amplified.
Below is transcript pulled from the video and formatted by artificial intelligence. There may be inconsistencies or errors.
The annunciation of Jesus' birth is often associated with the song of Mary or the magnificats, as you heard in the children's message. And it follows right after our lesson for today concludes. And we sing some of Mary's song today in various ways. But for me, whenever this piece of scripture comes up, I always think about Holden evening prayer. I can't not think of that tune and the music whenever I hear the story of Gabriel announcing the incarnation, telling Mary that she will be the mother of God in the flesh.
And if you don't know what I'm talking about, first, you're missing out, and two, coming to our next Holden evening prayer service, which will be, I don't know when, because we've finished them off for the Advent season already. But when they show up, come in, come, come. As with most music, the melody and that little harmony piece makes it admirable, and it pulls on our heartstrings. It stays stuck in my head days after hearing it. And I hum, and I sing it to myself so much so that I forget that there are pieces of the biblical story that are not in Holden evening prayer. There's more to the story than what's in the song.
And all of this is a roundabout way of saying that today we are focusing on the non-musical part of the story, namely that whole part where Mary questions the angel. How can this be? Those are her first words. Not, I am the servant of my God as our beloved evening prayer service reports. Which, let me tell you, how can this be is way more relatable?
Aside from Mary being perplexed because there's an angel of the Lord standing in front of her, and on top of mixing in all the biological questions about what the angel is saying, how can this be gets to the heart of the matter? She knows who she is. She's nobody. She's just Mary from Little Old Nazareth. Me? Who am I? Why am I favored on nothing special? She knows her role. She knows how the world works. It's a harsh, broken place full of people who don't hand over power willingly or easily, especially not to a son from the likes of her.
And I feel like this is a genuine reaction, confusion, befutilement, not putting a lot of hope in the impossible. Her question shows the realness of humanity in the situation, and it's not hard for us to express the same skepticism. And not just about Mary's situation, but about hours, too. Our response is often along these same lines. When we hear that God has favored us, that the Lord is going to do great things with us, we ask, how can this be? I'm just, I'm only, but I'm, we know things about ourselves that no one else knows. Let's not put a lot of hope in the impossible mess that is myself.
And implied in our questioning is our sense that God can't really use us to accomplish, that God doesn't work with ordinary people like us, that God has other better people than you or me. It seems like we have an easier time believing that God can trigger a virgin birth than trust in that God is actively working in our own lives.
But do you see what the angels response to Mary is? And the angel says, suck it up, favored one. No, he doesn't. The angel's answer to her question is God's spirit will be upon you. Despite the impossibilities, God comes. Despite our reasons, God is there. Despite the hopelessness, God shows up. And God's presence is what makes all the difference. Because all those rebuttals that we list, they're only true when God is absent. And here, God promises to show up.
God's presence makes the difference, even with a lowly woman from a town in the middle of nowhere. God comes to Mary to ensure that the impossible will happen. She will bear a son and he will be great. He will take the throne of David. He will reign forever. God's presence makes the difference. And it's only after this, after the promise of God, after the presence of the spirit, after the reminder that nothing is impossible with God. Only after all that does Mary say, I am the servant of my God.
Now, all too often, we rush through the story, just wanting to get to those good parts. Nothing is impossible with God. Here am I. But to do that is to miss the journey that's present in these few verses from from doubt and fear, reluctance, and questions to God's presence, claiming, holiness, love. When we jump directly from an angel saying, you're going to be pregnant to Mary saying, okay, we miss some important theological pieces for us.
And that important theological piece is God is with you. God is present with you, with me, with us. Mike with Mary, God does not shy away from the likes of us either. God is present here as impossible as it may seem. God knows us, God chooses us, God favors us. God is present in the impossibilities of our lives. God is present with good news, gospel news for us. God is present, coming to us as the son of God. And that makes all the difference.
The same spirit that came upon Mary is with us too. And that spirit was the one that hovered over the waters at creation that arrested like tongues of fire on the disciples at Pentecost and caused an unwed teenager from a potent town to be pregnant with the son of God. That spirit gave voice to prophets and even now produces fruits like love, joy, peace, and more. The spirit was present in our baptism. God came to you and claimed you forever in those waters. The spirit brings us together with the saints of every time and every place at the communion meal. And as we gather at the table, we get a foretaste of that feast that has no end because God is present in Christ, feeding our souls so we can face the impossibilities of our world with grace and truth in life so we can make sure God's impossible ways of love and forgiveness.
The Holy Spirit is upon the power of the most high is with you in all things God is present. God is the difference between what's impossible and possible. Between hopelessness and fulfillment. Between how can this be and let it be with me according to your word? God's promise makes the difference for Mary and for us.
I mentioned a bit ago that we like to fast forward through the story just getting to the good parts. We all know life doesn't work that way. And while there are our personal stories where we wish we didn't have to go through the doubt, the despair, the pain, the hurt, even in those moments God is there. And with this community on the brink of major decisions about building renovations and loans and uncertainty over the next to nine months or so, how can this be? How can we do this? Who are we to take this on? Is this even possible?
And yet the angels promise remains and it speaks volumes. God is with us. The Holy Spirit is upon us. Jesus our Savior nourishes us and strengthens us. God is working through us. Yes, us to do something amazing. And that is only possible with God. For now we wait with Mary just a little longer. And as we wait with anticipation, as we wait with impossibilities all around us, we know that God is here, making hope possible, making life possible, making love possible. God is here. And that helps us say, here I am, the servants of my God. Amen.