Musical Prelude and Service

Luke 1:46-55
My soul magnifies the Lord.
My soul magnifies the Lord. I can spend a lot of time reflecting on what those words truly mean.
What is Mary telling us with those five words. Never mind what she follows that sentence with.
My soul magnifies the Lord. It speaks of an intimate vital relationship. That Mary is connected to God
in a powerful way and the work she does, the life she lives are all bound to revealing God to the
world. At least, that is how I read those words today.
We are never given any indication of what qualities of Mary stand out so that God chooses her to be
the mother of Jesus the Christ. We are not told she is particularly brilliant. We are not told she is
especially brave. We are not told she comes from an important or wealthy family. In fact, we are led
to believe in the gospels she is from a remote and unimportant part of Galilee. She is betrothed, so
we are told in Matthew to someone of the house of David, but a lot of people are. She is related to a
woman married to a priest.
But nothing we are told about Mary prior to the nativity says she is especially qualified to be the
mother of Jesus; or as she is named in some traditions, the God bearer.
Except. She says yes. When confronted with the awesome task or responsibility or whatever you
want to name it, Mary accepts this duty; this work put before her.
And later when she reflects on who this child she carries is destined to become she sings this song.
My soul Magnifies the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God my saviour,
for he has looked with favour 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.
God recognizes who we are in ways we cannot rarely fathom. God sees our potential. God sees our
strength and our imagination when we have been beaten down and inhibited by a society that all too
often silences us and discourages us.
But her song is more than cheering that God stands with her and people like her. It is also a
reminder of the perils of those caught in the temptation of power and prestige; the lure of wealth
and those who in the pursuit of such values lose sight of the humanity of the people they tend to
step over or around in the quest to fulfill their ambitions.
God will and does turn the world upside down.
This passage – one we hear every year at this time – is a powerful piece of writing. It is one that has
frequently been banned by people in power. It says quite explicitly that God does not favour those
who use their power to remain in power. God stands against those who ignore the voiceless and the
hungry. In Mary’s view of the world, God does choose sides. God is not neutral. God does not favour
the status quo.
As I have often said, scripture can and does often leave us feeling uncomfortable. Depending upon
our level of comfort, scripture can leave us feeling a bit unsecure and asking difficult questions.
We can be challenged. And we should appreciate that.
I was once challenged by someone as to what my principal role as a minister was. He, someone who
rarely had anything to do with church, was very confident that my primary purpose was to comfort
people. And yes, that is a significant part of what I do. But my role as a minister; a pastor, as clergy,
is quite a bit more nuanced than that.
I am called to a ministry of word, sacrament, and pastoral care. Sacrament incudes baptism and
communion.
The word contains preaching and reflection on scripture. And while scripture offers great comfort and
reassurance of God’s love, it is also there to challenge us. It is there to offer us a steady gaze upon
this world and how we as God’s creatures live in relationship with God and the rest of God’s creation.
We strive to loving and just relationship with one another and with God. But, as history and the
stories of scripture so abundantly tell us, we struggle to stay in such a relationship. We are tempted
by the promise of wealth; of power and proximity to power and fame, to abandon such just and
merciful relationships. We let our fear and ambition colour how we view others and before long we
have lost sight of God at work in this world.
And so, God breaks into our world; guiding us back to a fuller and more loving relationship with the
holy. God offers us new ways of seeing how God is at works amongst us.
At Christmas we observe the event of God entering into our world, revealing God’s presence amongst
us in the person of an innocent and helpless infant. God works through the person of Mary, a
powerless woman of little status to come amongst us.
And yet, God sees this young woman as someone of infinite worth and possibility. God sees the
infant as being perfectly capable of holding the divine essence of our loving and ever-present God.
God comes to live in and amongst us. That is at once an incredible comfort. But that news is also a
great challenge. We’re confronted with this message and forced to look upon our world with new
eyes. How do we see our neighbour? How do we relate to one another? And how does this challenge
what we desire and work for?
Are we rejoicing at the great things God has done and is doing? Are we letting our souls magnify the
lord? God offers us so much. God offers us hope for a better world. God offers us a path to peace.
And God reveals ways we can work with our creator towards that new heaven and new earth we
have been promised.
Are we ready to, like Mary, say yes, when given that chance?
Thanks be to God
Rev. Warner Bloomfield

 

 

Music provided with permission through licensing with CCLI License number
2701258 and One License # A-731789