Radical Birth & God’s Dream from Luke 1: What is Your Advent Song?
This Advent season, we invite you to the discipline of imagination and to ask, what is God doing in your life AND in the world? Because the story of Jesus Christ is real, how is God inviting you to participate in God’s Dream for how we live as a new humanity together?
Advent is a season that invites you to turn around and see that we are living in the Reality of the ONE who came to turn the world upside down and set it right!
What do we learn from Luke’s telling of Jesus’ birth story that sets in motion God’s dream?
In contrast to Mark who paints with a broad stroke – summing all of Jesus’ birth announcement and entrance into the world into the phrase: the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, son of God –
Luke writes with a fine pencil to create a detailed sketch to understand the magnitude of Jesus’ coming into the world.
In doing so – in being the best of researchers and recorders – Luke brings to life first century Judea AND brings dignity and honor to “the ordinary” participants.
And, Luke, also makes connection between the stories of those who walked with Jesus; AND the Jewish scriptures that pointed toward Jesus being the ONE who would bring salvation to all.
One of the most beautiful aspects of Luke’s birth announcement is Mary’s song.
As Mary receives news of a radical birth – a baby born to a virgin (and she is the one who knows the truth of this statement!!), she sings as she has learned from her youth -- by reciting the song of Hannah and Miriam and Deborah. She sings from The Psalter – her Jewish songbook. She echoes Hannah especially – “My heart exults in the Lord.
Look at Mary’s song and what pours forth from her lips:
· Praise for WHO God is – the one only to be praised.
· Gratitude for noticing her – showing that she though lowly in the world, esteemed by God.
· Acknowledgement that God is ACTIVE and powerful, but also merciful and kind
· God is true to God’s word from the beginning and faithful to the promises made to Abraham, Jacob and Isaac –
· God does not tolerate the exploitations of the powerful who crush the people that God loves. God knocks the tyrant off his horse.
· God scatters those who take pride in their own thoughts
One translator writes: “God flings the proud of heart to the earth, in the hope that they will be delivered from their ridiculous, vaunting and flaunting to become free and obedient children of God and brothers and sisters to others.”
· God is the provider of all good things
Mary’s song that Luke gives to the world became part of the earliest Jewish-Christian hymn book. It became known as the Magnificat (because the first word when translated into Latin is magnifies – Magnificat.) It has been sung for generations.
(Side note: Luke records four songs that become a part of the Jewish-Christian Hymn book – Mary’s, Zechariahs, the angels and Simeon’s)
This song challenges some weak views of God in our culture:
The GOD of Advent – who enters this world as the Christ – is not a new GOD. THE GOD OF ADVENT is the God of creation, of exodus, of exile, of deliverance, of restoration. The God whose mercies are new every morning…who is doing a new thing…who gives a spirit. The God of covenant
God is the mighty one – how do we domesticate God into a house servant?)
God opposes the powerful and mighty – how does our culture instead turn God into a puppet of the powerful?
There are so many verses of the Old Testament echoed here. One in particular is Zephaniah 3:17
God is a warrior on behalf of his people
“The Lord your God is in your midst…a warrior who gives victory…
For whom? …the oppressed, the outcast, the lame!
To these God rejoices over with gladness and renews us with his love
As Mary anticipates the birth of Jesus, not fully knowing what will unfold through this incarnational presence of God that she will birth, her song flows forth with the GOOD NEWs that God is actively at work in our individuals lives AND in the social system ---
How? By turning the world upside down to make it right.
God subverts the powerful structures that oppress and brings mercy and hope to the lowly, forgotten, oppressed.
What do we do this Advent season with Mary’s song?
Mary’s song of rejoicing and revolution invites this question:
What is your song this Advent season?
What is your word of PRAISE for what God has done?
What is your prayer of hope for how God will continue to turn the world right?
For whom do you need to advocate for in your song?
I invite you to spend time with Mary and write your own song
Richard Rohr writes this about Mary: Mary had to trust littleness or, better said, bigness becoming littleness!
Do you feel small? – Mary invites you to trust, even where we feel insignificant, we are invited to have a BIG SONG of imagination for what God is doing
Because Jesus entered this world to bring a Salvation and Restoration for the world.
As you pray about what is your Advent Song?
Listen and sing with Union Worship Band, singing Rory Cooney’s song based on Mary’s Song called “The Canticle of the Turning” (bottom of the page).
What song is God writing on your heart to sing?