Worship December 11, 2020
Opening words: Mary, Did You Know
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered
Will soon deliver you.
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand?
Did you know
That your baby boy has walked where angles trod?
And when you kissed your little baby
You've kissed the face of God.
Oh, Mary did you know?
The blind will see,
The deaf will hear,
The dead will live again.
The lame will leap,
The dumb will speak,
The praise of the Lamb.
Mary, if you knew,
How wonderful for you,
That he'd choose you to bring
To us the King of Kings.
God bless you Mary.
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know
That your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding
Is the Great I Am.
Mary did you know, did you know
He's Lord of all creation?
Did you know, did you know
He's the ruler of our nations?
He walks where angels trod.
He is the son of God.
Oh Mary did you know, did you know
Your baby boy would one day walk on water?
Did you know?
Welcoming Prayer:
Creator God,
We continue to wait.
We wait for peace.
We wait for healing.
We wait for joy.
We wait for you.
Come, Lord Jesus, come!
Amen
Luke 1:39-56
39In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” 46And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; 53he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. 54He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” 56And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
Reflection:
I remember when I was pregnant with my second daughter I told myself that I would not wish away that time. I would not rush her coming into the world. I would enjoy each moment of being pregnant that I was given. Being the second child, I knew that life was easier with her in my belly than out. I also knew that once she was out I had to share her and I wanted to keep those little kicks and wiggles to myself. I wanted to fully enjoy all the time I had with her within me. However, when a week before her due date the doctor asked if I wanted to go ahead and induce (I was high risk for both babies and induction was the safest plan) I did not hesitate to say yes. And the next day I was in the hospital having a precious baby.
Waiting is hard. Even though I had wanted to wait, even though I was actually enjoying the time with her being pregnant, even though I knew that life would get harder once she was free of the confines of my body, I could not wait any long to meet her. Waiting is hard.
I cannot imagine what waiting for Mary must have been like. A young, unmarried girl. I cannot imagine the fear and concern that must of covered her has her belly grew. I cannot imagine how long those 9 months would have been. I cannot imagine how she would have felt to be seen, not as the mother of God that she is today, but as a sinner—an unwed mother. As her belly grew, her shame more exposed, yet your love growing all the more for the child within. Her agreeing to carry this baby, her taking on such a huge burden.
Today’s Scripture is hard because it makes us face some of the ugly truths of the story. The burden that Mary carried was great. The risk she took. The stigma she would have faced. Mary, just a young child herself. There is a hardness in Mary’s story that we sometimes over look. God used a young girl to face great hardship to make the whole story come together.
But in the midst of the hard and the waiting, Mary finds strength and comfort from her cousin Elizabeth.
While Mary’s story is hard, I must admit that I love this part. I love to envision pregnant Mary coming to Elizabeth, her cousin, who is also with child and as they greet one another the babies within them leap for joy. Joy and hope in the midst of fear and hardship.
Elizabeth looked past the ‘sin’ of Mary and rejoiced. Elizabeth looked beyond an unwed, young mother and sang songs of joy. Elizabeth embraced this young child with warmth and hospitality despite the stigma that surrounded her. Both Mary and Elizabeth, women in a time when women did not matter, make the story of God come to life. These women face a hardship most men could not fathom and through them our salvation comes. These two women trusted in God and that trust is beautiful.
Amen
Kaitlin Shetler Poetry
January 12 ·
sometimes I wonder
if Mary breastfed Jesus.
if she cried out when he bit her
or if she sobbed when he would not latch.
and sometimes I wonder
if this is all too vulgar
to ask in a church
full of men
without milk stains on their shirts
or coconut oil on their breasts
preaching from pulpits off limits to the Mother of God.
but then i think of feeding Jesus,
birthing Jesus,
the expulsion of blood
and smell of sweat,
the salt of a mother’s tears
onto the soft head of the Salt of the Earth,
feeling lonely
and tired
hungry
annoyed
overwhelmed
loving
and i think,
if the vulgarity of birth is not
honestly preached
by men who carry power but not burden,
who carry privilege but not labor,
who carry authority but not submission,
then it should not be preached at all.
because the real scandal of the Birth of God
lies in the cracked nipples of a
14 year old
and not in the sermons of ministers
who say women
are too delicate
to lead.
Let us pray…
O Holy God,
Our world is hectic.
Our burdens heavy.
Our days are long.
But we come together before you, seeking your joy and your care.
In this time of unease,
Whisper again to us the promises of your glory,
Help us to cling to the hope that we have in you through your son Jesus.
In this season of waiting,
Help us to anticipate with joy the glory of your coming kingdom—
may that anticipate give us the strength and courage to face each day with the energy and joy you desire for us.
As we await your kingdom, may we work to see glimpses of it here among us now.
As your people, we hold up before you all those who are suffering this day…
We lift up to you those who are oppressed, the silenced voices, the suffering people…
We lift up to you the broken heart, all those who are mourning…mourning lost opportunities, lost hope, and lost loved ones….
We lift up to your those who are held captive, by mental strife, by addiction, by their own struggles…
We lift up to you those who you are using despite the sin we may cast upon them…
We lift up to you your daughters who trust in you…
May our prayers be not just words, but may you move us to action— that through us, all those who are hurting and lost may feel your love and see a glimpse of your promised kingdom that is to come.
These things we ask in the name of your holy son, Jesus Christ. Amen
Going out.
Go out to love the Lord
and in all that you do, may the Lord our God guide you and uphold you
Let all God’s people say: AMEN
