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Wednesday, December 7, 2022
Read: Luke 1:47-55 My Soul Magnifies the Lord Mary’s beautiful song of praise often referred to as the “Magnificat” echoes through the book of Luke 46-55. Mary magnifies the Lord, proclaiming God’s greatness and rejoicing in God as Savior for she was chosen to become the mother of the Messiah. Elizabeth honored her saying “blessed is she who believed.” In that moment Mary recognized that not only Elizabeth but that all generation shall called her blessed. In our culture today #blessed has become synonymous with images of enjoying a meal and exotic vacations, living in privilege, celebrating moments when everything is going well, and all things seem right with the world. The blessedness that Mary celebrates differs significantly to today’s culture. Mary is a nobody, a peasant girl from a small village, her friends and neighbors see her as a disgrace because she is unmarried, and pregnant. Mary’s song magnifies the Savior who loves the whole world with a love that makes creation whole. God’s saving judgment is for all of us, bringing us down from the pride that fills us with ourselves until we can’t see either God or neighbor, bringing us up from the shame that distorts our worldview and convinces us that no one - not even God - could love us. The mother of the Messiah has experienced God’s blessing. She is not #blessed. Her blessing, like ours, is a cross-shaped blessing, a condition of complete simplicity. Three practical lessons in Mary’s Song are: Be prepared to be used by God Put your faith in God Live your life as a servant of God Amen Audrey Arthur Certified Lay Minister Comments are closed.
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2022
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