 -Pastor Melissa Fain- 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. Luke 1:46-49 NRSV Did you know Mary sings in the Bible? Well, not exactly sing, but rejoice. The Church has taken her rejoicing and her words became some of the oldest songs sung in Church buildings. This rejoicing is called the Magnificat. It’s called that because in many translations of her song it begins, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” Have you ever taken a magnifying glass to something? I have. Bugs, flowers, and so many different objects look completely different when under a microscope or magnifying glass. When we magnify something, we are getting a better picture of what we want to see. What is Mary’s better picture? Well, there’s a difference between better picture, and total picture. Mary’s total picture doesn’t look so good. She’s an unwed, pregnant, teenager in a world that forces unwed pregnant women into poverty and homelessness if they are lucky. If they are not, the community throws stones at these women until they die from it. Wow, that’s bad! Knowing what we know, why is Mary singing praises to God? Why is she happy instead of scared? It’s because her soul magnified what was important: God. Her soul was showing that even a girl like her was special in God’s eyes. Those around her would show the opposite of love to her. Even her fiancé was planning to just walk away from the situation. Meanwhile, God had picked her, chosen her, told her she was important; loved. She magnified that, and it left her with no other option than to sing. Question: What good parts of life can you take a magnifying glass to this Advent season? Prayer: Dear God, thank you for making us part of your story. May our souls magnify you. Amen. Places to connect:
To see or share pictures of the Advent Adventure Crafts: Twitter: @FigTreeTweet, #AdventAdventure For deeper discussion: Reddit: www.Reddit.com/r/FigTreeChristian |
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