Lectionary Scripture - Luke 1:26-38 NRSV
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."
Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
Lectionary Reflection
In summarizing a worship resource for Sunday, December 18th, it comments that God’s greatest gifts to us may not be convenient or increase our personal security, but they change the world. It goes on to state that God’s means for bringing us such gifts often involves surprising people receiving surprising blessings. In this regard, our trust and courage and respect toward such persons -- and the blessings God has given them -- are things far more important for us to pay attention to. They are far more important to pay attention to than the status a human institution might grant to a particular person. They are far more important than the expertise we regard someone to have because of their education or training. Lastly, such things are far more important and impactful than what the wealth of money or wealth of power or wealth of influence a person, or persons, might have or wield. For when we see surprising blessings happen to surprising people and subsequently witness the things those persons set in motion, it draws believers together in extraordinary ways -- no matter what their faith tradition or faith journey has been.
Relevant questions from the resource then ask us to think of a time when has God gifted us with a calling that conflicted with one’s personal security? Another good question is how God brought more wholeness to your life from a surprising calling? And if you have experienced such things happening to you, what character or promise from scriptures do you most identify with?
As I reflected on Mary’s experience this week, it certainly seemed the case that a very surprising blessing came to a very surprising person. Little more than a child herself, yet at a state of physical development that made her capable of bearing a child, an angel of God confronts Mary with a calling that changes the world. The calling involves her birthing a child so gifted and attuned to God that others will call him “Immanuel” or “God with Us”. And what’s amazing about it all, is that everything that Mary needs for completing her call of birthing, raising, and nurturing Jesus into the man he becomes, is completely and totally within her grasp and abilities. And what’s not within her grasp, God sees that it is provided, even in matters regarding the personal safety of Jesus; that is until Jesus fulfills his own calling upon the tortuous cross of the Roman Empire.
I appreciate and understand the fear Mary experienced when a divine presence broke through human dimensions of space and time to enter her mortal reality with a profound calling for her life. For me, it happened this past May. And in response, I ended up in largely the same emotional and spiritual space reflected in Mary’s words, “Here I am, let it be with me according to your word.” If you’re confused and wondering what I’m speaking of, you can go to my blog post “My Recent Journey – My God Encounter.”
Ultimately, like Mary, I knew that broadcasting my “God Encounter” with the world meant considerable risk to my personal security. And so, like her, it remained a treasure in my heart, shared with only a few close and trusted friends, until the time was right to announce it to the world. Mostly that involved the need to move on from my former denomination which was also my previous employer, only because it lacks the freedom and ability at this point in time to embrace a calling like the one I have received.
What also speaks to me in the scripture above is God’s recognition and understanding of our need for independent corroboration. Many of us know such needs all too well when decisions regarding a calling have to be made. For when surprising blessings come to surprising people life then life can never return to what it was, especially if we are the kind of person who says, “Here I am, servant of the Lord, let it be with me according to your words.”
So in the case of an invisible naïve poverty stricken teenage girl from millennia ago, or an aging obscure insignificant minister like me, what are persons like Mary and me to do when God enters our lives so profoundly and brings with that encounter a new calling ? What sense are we to make of such phenomenal happenings in our lives?
Being someone who is also a mental health professional, the first place my head goes is to the question of my own sanity or the question of having some severe form of ego dysfunction. So I ask myself how could it be that in all my years of ministry and mental health training and related work did I miss confronting and attending to such serious personal issues. Thankfully God knows our self-doubting, self-questioning, and self-defeating ways before we even go there ourselves. For Mary and her bewilderment, God provided the sign of her cousin, Elizabeth, as being with child though everyone long ago considered her barren. When Mary subsequently visits her cousin, Elizabeth reveals her pregnancy to Mary. Thus, the word and calling of God are confirmed.
For me, God provided independent corroboration through friends and loved ones. The most recent of these corroborations took place this past weekend after remarking to a long-time friend that I continue to struggle trying to figure out what to do next in response to God’s call “to establish a church free of the encumbrances of the world.”
My friend who’s a very quiet and reserved fellow, and never goes to church, said these words to me, “I have no problem understanding what has happened to you, Brad. I want you to know that you have my support.” It was a stunning “pregnant” moment that renewed my energy. I would have never anticipated or thought my friend would say such a thing to me. Later the next day, I received an email from another friend telling me she had been reading and re-reading my experience as shared in blog post “My Recent Journey – My God Encounter.” Her email then expressed the following:
I am continuing to pray that enlightenment will come. You are a very strong person to have left what you’ve always known and embark on the unknown. Not many would do that. I wish you God’s peace through this joyous season and look forward to our continued friendship.
My friend’s email could not have been timelier and as I look to next month’s first online gathering of “Free of Encumbrance” for Sunday, January 22nd at 3pm (more details to follow); I realize that God had been answering my friend’s prayers. In turn, her prayers had sustained me.
With each passing year, it can often become harder and harder to sustain what you have known. If that’s the case for you, just remember that God gives surprising blessings to surprising people. May you accept the blessing God has for you, may you have the strength to move on from what you’ve always known. May you have the courage to embark into the unknown. May you, like Mary, proclaim to the Being of Light who touches your life, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
Pastor Brad Shumate, M.S., M.A., LMHC
Free of Encumbrance Ministries
Vancouver, WA
brshumate@comcast.net
No comments:
Post a Comment