111218 - The Way On

Yr B ~ Advent 4 ~ Luke 1:26-38
We’ve been looking at our Advent texts this year through the lens of something referred to as progressive Christianity. It’s a terrible descriptor but no one’s been able to come up with anything better and make it stick so far. A progressive theological lens says that you start at the surface layer of the scripture and say, “ok, that’s a good story, and it reveals deep things about God, but it may not have happened exactly as written.” Progressives never look at scripture like it’s an eyewitness news report, we read scripture like it’s a beautiful poem filled with multiple layers of meaning.
 
So when a progressive Christian looks at this story in Luke known as the annunciation, we’re less concerned with what may or may not have been actually said or experienced in Mary’s room that day and we focus more on what it means. So, aside from translating “virgin” as “young girl” what does a progressive lens offer for this text? Plenty!

 
A couple of weeks ago we encountered the beginning of Mark’s gospel which has no nativity story of any kind – Jesus enters the scene as an adult. Matthew and Luke chose to include a nativity. Why? What do these scenes tell us? You might say that they tell us how Jesus came to be born. Well, to be blunt, we all pretty much know how babies come to be born, so that can’t be the full purpose of the story. There must be something more here – and there is! What message do you think is intended by this passage? Why did Luke include it when Mark either didn’t know about it or chose to leave it out? What does it accomplish?
 
For one, it sets the circumstances surrounding Jesus conception and birth as supernatural, miraculous, touched by God. On the one hand I agree with this because Jesus was certainly special. From a literary point of view Jesus’ birth had to be special – that’s how great, influential figures get written about. On the other hand, I experienced my own two kids’ conception and birth and let me assure you it was supernatural, miraculous, and touched by God.
 
Another thing this accomplishes is it spiffs up and redeems Mary’s shocking pregnancy. Even today a 14-year old getting pregnant is something of a scandal. For Jesus to have such tainted roots is amazing – and it also suggests to me that it’s true. If it wasn’t true that Mary was pregnant before marriage they would never have said it. So an angel visit cleans up what may have been perceived as a sordid bit of business.
 
Another thing this story accomplishes is it shows us Mary’s character and especially her faith. She trusts the message that the child within her will be blessed, and she finds the courage to deal with her untimely pregnancy.
 
But for all that there’s still one more test we should give to the passage. Does it speak to me today? Does it relate to me in my faith journey? How does it help me to know and understand God better? How does it help me to grow ever deeper? If a scripture passage can’t answer those questions then it’s just a history lesson. History can be informative but it’s rarely transformative. Scripture’s transformative so it must be more than history.
 
The spiritual lesson in this isn’t about the particulars of Mary’s pregnancy but her reaction to God’s message. In the scene just before this in Luke’s gospel that same angel Gabriel is said to have visited Zechariah, the husband of Mary’s cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth was an older woman and had never been blessed with children. This was interpreted as a punishment from God, or at least a disgrace. Gabriel visits, and in no time at all Elizabeth is pregnant despite her fairly advanced age. It’s a miracle!
 
Gabriel then appears to Mary and delivers her the news that she’s about to become pregnant as well, but not to worry because God has blessed her.
 
So, picture the two women. One advanced in years and one very young. One whose lifelong desire was to bear a child and one who has barely reached the child-bearing age. One for whom a pregnancy would be the most wondrous gift imaginable and one for whom a pregnancy would mean shame and scandal. How will each of these women greet the news that God’s messenger brings? For Elizabeth it solves a problem and brings a blessing. For Mary it creates a problem and brings a burden.
 
Now here’s the spiritual lesson. They both embrace their gift and bring forth what God has sown within them. God gives. The spiritual question is how will you receive. Now, here’s where the progressive lens comes into play. For a progressive interpretation the question isn’t just about how Elizabeth or Mary reacted it’s about how you react as God impregnates you! And what does God impregnate you with? Godself!
 
Over and over and over again God offers the miraculous gift of bearing God’s presence into the world – and God offers it over and over and over again to YOU! How will you respond? The example of faithfulness in the scripture is Mary. Like you, she is unsure about what to make of news that she’s pregnant with God-ness.
 
But despite her shockingly young age, meagre standard of living, limited prospects, insufficient life experience, and all around sense of her unworthiness God’s message to her is that God has found favour with her and offered her a wondrous gift. Her answer is our goal: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
 
Here’s the blessing. God has found favour with you too – and you, and you, etc. When God impregnates you with Spirit and asks you to bear God into the world will your answer be Mary’s? “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
 
Another way to say all this is that a progressive Christian reading looks at this text and asks, “How am I Mary?” Last month I wrote a song about this. I didn’t think I was writing an Advent song but I guess that’s what it is. I wrote it about the three main Mary’s in the New Testament. There’s Mary the sister of Martha who instead of helping Martha do the chores required to host Jesus and the disciples sat at Jesus’ feet and drank in his teaching and his presence. There’s Mary Magdalene who loved Jesus deeply and according to some traditions struggled mightily to reconcile her romantic affection for him and her spiritual attraction to him. And, of course, there’s Mary, Joseph’s wife and Jesus’ mother.
 
Each of these three Mary’s teach us enormously important things about the faithful, spiritual life. They are each archetypes (a prototype, a quintessential example) for us to follow and emulate. There’s Mary the lover, Mary the pray-er, and Mary the one who bears God into the world. Each Mary is someone whose faith I need. So the song prays that I too can be just like Mary, and Mary, and Mary.
 
Song: Mary Me  (L.Doyle 2011)
Mother Mary, Joseph's bride, faith and trust and sacrifice
Bearing God, creating life, can I be that too?
Can I find the strength to pray, "Let the Spirit have its way
Bearing God in me today?" Like you…
 
Chorus                                
Oh Mother Mary, let it be, As for you so too for me
Oh Mother Mary I would be, Mother Mary, Mary me
 
Sister Mary, Martha's kin, worships, listens, breathes it in
Hearing God and tuning in, can I be that too?
Can I learn to take the time, to practice Presence day and night?
Hearing God is my delight, like you…
 
Repeat Chorus [Sister…]                      
 
Lover Mary Magdalene, passion, joy, surrendering
Feeling God. Alive again! Can I be that too?
Can I journey deeper still, head to heart and thought to thrill
Feeling God, renewed, refilled, like you…
 
Repeat Chorus [Lover…]                      
 
Now I can bear God, and I can feel God, and I can hear God in me, in me
 
Oh Mother Mary, let it be, As for you so too for me
Oh Sister Mary I would be, Lover Mary, Mary me       
 
I think the annunciation is a story about how God loves us, how that love is planted in us to grow, how we receive it, and what we do with it. This is the Love Sunday according to the Advent calendar. Whose love are we celebrating or taking notice of?
Joseph’s love for Mary
Mary’s love for God
God’s love for Mary
God’s love for all of us
Our love for God
Our love for people that we’ve never even met half the world away in Africa
 
What is this love we’re talking about? Romance? Friendship? No. There are many different aspects of love, but for our purposes this morning love is: agape – a deep spiritual love. God plants this love in us. We love God for it, and we love others with it. Just like Mary, and Mary, and Mary.
 
We began Advent talking about hope - the way in – awakening to the God’s presence in the dark, the way in to the need, the way in to the season, and the way in to the light. Then we talked about peace - John the Baptizer showing us the way through getting unstuck and moving beyond the limits of our ego and embarking on a profound journey of transformation. And last week we talked about joy - the way down as in our eyebrows down in prayer and adoration deepening our spirituality and reverence for God.
 
And today we looked at love - at Mary, not so we could find our way back to the manger, but rather that we could be inspired to journey the way on – forward, to new life being born within us and through us. Hope, peace, joy, and love. This has been our Advent journey. We’re ready for Christmas now.
 
Amen.