Unity Church of Castro Valley
Sunday Message for December 7, 2008
The Visit
Today is the second Sunday of Advent. This is a very special and holy time of the year. Let our invocation this week be, "God of all journeys, visit me with your peace in this time of reflection. Help me remember those who have graced my journey with their accepting arms and words of blessing."
The season of Advent has been set aside as a time of preparation and marks the beginning of the Christmas season. Advent represents the approach of Christ's birth and fulfillment of the prophecies about that event. We should get our hearts ready by thinking about Christ. Christmas.
(Light the first candle.) I light this candle of Hope. Hope is like a light shining in a dark place. As we look at the light of this candle we celebrate the hope we have in Jesus Christ.
(Light the second candle.) I light this candle of Peace. Peace is like a light shining in a dark place. As we look at this candle we celebrate the peace we find in Jesus Christ.
(Mark 1:4) "John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."
Today we light the Second Candle of Advent, the Candle of Peace. We remember the prophets who spoke of the coming of Christ, of how a Saviour would be born, a king in the line of King David. The prophet Isaiah called Christ "the Prince of Peace". They told us how he would rule the world wisely and bless all the nations.
When Jesus came he taught people the importance of being peace-makers. He said that those who make peace shall be called the children of God. When Christ is realized within us it brings us peace. We light the Candle of Peace to remind us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace and that through him peace is found.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, Light of the World, the prophets said you would bring peace and save your people from trouble. Give peace in our hearts at Christmastide. We ask that as we wait for you to come into our hearts, that you would remain present with us. Help us today, and everyday to hear your word, and to do your will by sharing your peace with each other. We ask it in the name of the one who was born in Bethlehem. Amen.
LUKE 1:39-55
(Luke 1:39-55)
"In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."
And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.""
MARY & ELIZABETH
Luke's account of Mary's visit to Elizabeth immediately follows Gabriel's departure from Mary. Having boldly assented to bear the Christ, Mary finds herself suddenly alone. Young and unwed, Mary's awe at Gabriel's invitation probably gives way to fear, dismay, and a sense of isolation. Who will believe her? Who will listen to her? Who will comfort her?
Elizabeth. We do not know whether Mary decides to visit Elizabeth because they have been close kinswomen and friends for a long time or because Mary simply has no one else to whom she can turn. But we do know, as does Mary, that her elder relative has experienced, as has Mary, a miraculous conception of her own. This fact alone may have prompted Mary to act decisively once again and journey, alone and "with haste," to see Elizabeth.
Surely Elizabeth's welcome assures Mary that she has done well to turn to her kinswoman. Blessed by Elizabeth for her faithfulness, Mary breaks forth into a song full of praise for the liberation that God has brought. We know this song as the Magnificat.
A. M. Allchin has noted in his book The Joy of All Creation that this meeting of Mary and Elizabeth is, in one sense, the beginning of Christian liturgy. He observes that in liturgy we meet not only God but also one another. The blessing, praise, and liberation that flow out of Mary and Elizabeth's meeting serve as a model for how we, in worship and all of life, should bless and call forth one another's gifts.
RECEIVING BLESSINGS FROM OTHERS
A lesson to be learned was how to receive a blessing that caused more problems than it solved.
"How can this be?" the words kept going through Mary's head as she sat in her chambers on another side of the country.
Mary - a peasant girl, unmarried and untutored - was to be the mother of the Christ.
To be pregnant is one thing.
To be pregnant with the Christ is something altogether different.
How could this happen? This was not the way Mary had planned her life.
"How do you defend a blessing you cannot explain?" she asked herself. "How do you live with a blessing that creates more problems than it solves?"
Besides, who would believe her? Joseph? Absolutely not. The townswomen? Hardly. Elizabeth, her relative? Perhaps...
At least Elizabeth was married. Still, Mary needed someone to talk with. Someone who knew what it meant to grapple with God's intentions. Someone. A woman, pregnant like herself. Mary's mind kept going back to the old woman Elizabeth. Suppose her kinswoman did not believe her? It was a chance Mary had to take. She needed to talk with another woman.
So think about your life. What blessings have you received that you cannot explain, that caused more problems than they solved?
Is it easy or difficult for you to turn to someone else when you feel isolated and overwhelmed?
To whom do you turn?
RELEASING THE TRUTH AND JOY
Elizabeth's greeting affirms Mary's faith. With this show of solidarity from another woman, Mary's lingering doubts disappear.
Yes, blessed is she who believes that the promise made her by the Lord will be fulfilled. What reassurance! What a gift! How significant this was for Mary! How often do we need reassurance when we are challenged, or required to face difficult situations, or to carry heavy responsibilities! Is this what we mean by building solidarity among women?
With this assurance Mary feels liberated. She is liberated from her fears and misgivings, from her feelings of weakness and of inadequacy. She is liberated from what she was taught as a woman. Suddenly she sees the significance of Gabriel's message. She realizes what it actually means to be empowered by the Holy Spirit and how such power can reverse all so-called natural human order.
Then Mary, like Hannah before her, is filled with joy and gratitude and breaks out in a hymn of praise to God, her Savior.
Think about it - when has someone else empowered you to bring forth something that needed release?
MAGNIFICAT
Where were these words coming from? Mary is no politician, no revolutionary; she just wants to sing a happy song. But all of a sudden she has become an articulate radical, an astonished prophet singing about a world in which the last have become first and the first, last. What is more, her song puts it all in the past tense, as if the hungry have already been fed the rich already freed of their inordinate possessions. How can that be? Her baby is no bigger than a thumbnail, but already she is reciting his accomplishments as if they were history. Her faith is in things not seen, faith that comes to her from outside herself, and it is why we call her blessed.
Look back on your life - when have you been surprised by what has emerged from you?
How do you see your creativity - in whatever form it takes - as a sign of faith and of God's liberation?
A NEW CREATION
It is Mary, a peasant girl, who talks about the restructuring of social orders and religious and political and economic institutions. Mary is talking about more than shaking the rugs and dusting off the furniture. She's talking about a thorough cleaning that shakes the very foundation of all that is familiar and comfortable. It is Mary, the mother of Jesus, who speaks this kind of strident message, before God's child is born - and before Jesus had the power of speech, Mary had already said it! Mary hits every note of life with her song, for she sings about a new creation - a new way of taking risks - a new way of committing ourselves to the world and to each other. Mary's "yes" sings of revelation and liberation and transformation.
So, when you have time, go back and read the Magnificat in Luke 1:46-55. Then ask yourself, where do I see myself in this?
Is it a song of comfort or discomfort, of affirmation or challenge for you?
How do you think Mary's vision and life influenced Jesus as he grew?
POWER OF FAITH
(Luke 1:42-45) "Blessed are you, Mary, among women. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."
These words have to do with the power of the faith that makes the impossible possible. In order to struggle, to confront the enemy who oppresses, courage, strength and devotion are necessary for these alone make faith concrete.
In her canticle, Mary incorporates the experience of another woman, Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel, a woman who gave her sons to build the history of her own people.
The working-class woman and the professional woman have been renouncing their normal future - a quiet family life and immediate fulfillment - in order to join the struggle for justice and peace.
The sense of devotion, of total availability, of hope against all hope, of faith which makes possible the impossible, which submits the only thing one has - one's life - all this in order to collaborate with the future of one's people, makes liberation possible.
So how does this image of Mary compare to yours?
How can women, living far removed from one another, hear and bless one another so that liberation for all becomes possible, so that each can sing Mary's song in her own land?
CHRISTMAS TREE CEREMONY
And in this church we also, traditionally, start the season off with a ceremony that explores the symbolism of the Christmas tree and all its ornaments.
You were all given Christmas tree ornaments when you came in. When I name the ornament that you have please come forward and place it on the tree. Each year we, like little kids, eagerly await the trimming of the Christmas tree. But lets look behind the tinsel and trimmings to what they represent.
The TREE itself is a symbol. Its branches are ever green. But they remind us that the life of God is eternal and is constantly being renewed in us. The tree, as we do, reaches up to a higher understanding of God. Its branches reach outward on all sides, as if to welcome all races of people and all creeds.
On the tree are strings of LIGHTS. How beautifully the colored lights glow, each symbolizing the Christ light. The many colors remind us that each of us expresses good in his own way, yet he draws his life and strength and wisdom from God, the source of all good. Even as Jesus Christ became the light of the world, so can we let His light shine forth through us to bless our world.
We place colored BALLS on the tree. So, now everyone who has colored Christmas tree ball ornaments come up and put them on the tree. Many colors are reflected from these shiny balls, yet the colors seem to harmonize. This is symbolic of the different races and creeds and nations and indicates that they can live together in peace and harmony. Jesus was born to point the way to peace among men. The Christ Spirit in all men will teach them how to solve their problems so that there will be justice and freedom for all.
Next we have a tiny ANGELS for our tree. So, now everyone who has Angels come up and put them on the tree. The angel is a symbol of the Christlike thoughts that help us to express more of the Christ Spirit. At Christmastime we can send angel thoughts or thoughts of good will to people all over the world.
Now we have toy HORNS to sound our Christmas joy. So, now everyone who has Horns come up and put them on the tree. When we hear the notes of "Joy to the World," let our hearts be filled with a deep abiding joy, the joy that comes to us when we love God and do His will.
Beside the horn we now hang a golden BELL. So, now everyone who has Bells come up and put them on the tree. For hundreds of years at Christmastime, the bells have chimed out the message, "Christ is born." "Though Christ a thousand times in Bethlehem be born, if He's not born in thee, thy soul is all forlorn."
A BIRD perches on a branch of our tree. So, now everyone who has Birds come up and put them on the tree. It is the dove of peace, reminding us that if we truly want peace, we must let peace express through us. We must live peaceably with others.
Here are long strands of bright BEADS and tinseled CHAINS for our tree. So, now if you could put those on the tree. Does it not seem that the beads are smiles that lead from one person to another? And the links of bright tinsel represent the deeds of kindness that link many human hearts in understanding and love.
Now on our tree we place SANTA CLAUS. So, now if you could put those on the tree. Here is the Spirit of giving, all dressed up in a red suit. We can express the spirit of Santa Claus in our giving, too. We can send love and a blessing along with our gifts.
We place on our tree a tiny white LAMB. So, now if you could put those on the tree. The lamb is a symbol of innocence and purity. It reminds us of the Good Shepherd who told His disciples, "Feed my sheep." As modern disciples, shall we give spiritual food to those who hunger for a better way of life?
Our tree needs a crowning touch. At the very top we place a shining STAR. What memories and thoughts that star brings to mind! We see the Wise Men who followed the star to Bethlehem, and we know that the light of the Bethlehem star still shines to guide men.
And now that the tree is trimmed, let us turn in thankfulness to the Father and know that: 'The star of God's light shines within each of us, to help us keep the Christmas Spirit through all the year.' May you have The Spirit of Christmas which is Peace, The Gladness of Christmas which is Hope, and The Heart of Christmas which is Love.
Dear God, What a wondrous time of year this is! I feel Your presence all around me. I hear Your voice in the excitement of children. I see Your light in the twinkling stars of a dark night. I feel Your love in the hugs of friends and family. And I know, God, I know that here in Your presence is where I belong, where I am whole.
So bless these people here in their journeying that they may find the embrace of acceptance; and in their acceptance may they find their song; and in their song may they find liberation - the holy coming to birth in each of them. Amen
SCRIPTURE: Mark 1:4; Luke 1:39-55
REFERENCE: Sacred Journeys Jan L. Richardson; Just a Sister Away Renita J. Weems; New Eyes for Reading Marie Assaad & Julia Esquivel; Mixed Blessings Barbara Brown Taylor; Saying Yes to God Helen Bruch Pearson
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