Advent calendar 2020

Advent 3 - Tuesday 1 December 2020

'Mary did you know!'

Introduction

One of the more curious things about church is the role of women. It is still within living memory that woman were not allowed to be elders or ministers in the Church of Scotland. Some churches (mainly Brethren or the smaller Presbyterian Denominations) still do not permit women to hold positions of leadership. There are various reasons for this. There is complementarianism - the view that the roles of men and women are complimentary. This is often expressed in headship of men and the submission of a wife to her husband. Within the Roman Catholic Church there is the so called doctrine of apostolic succession which refers to the uninterrupted transmission of spiritual authority from Jesus to the (male) Apostles through successive popes and bishops, To this could be added attitudes flavoured by historical and cultural expectations. This is all very curious when you consider the role of woman within the Bible.

Bible Readings

Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Luke 1: 26-38
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Reflection

The Bible mentions many women who held significant positions of leadership and influence. Within the New Testament, Paul mentions Junia, whom he describes as the foremost among the Apostles. (Romans 16:7) But the greatest of all was of course Mary – a young girl chosen to be the one who would bring the Son of God into the world. One of the early church fathers Origen who died in the early third century gave Mary the distinguished title Theotokos – which means literally ‘God bearer.’

Mediation

Mary, did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy would 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 the storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God
The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak the praises of the lamb!
Mary, did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is Heaven's perfect Lamb?
That sleeping child you're holding is the great I am

Prayer

A prayer for Mothers at Christmas

Father, I lift up a prayer for all the mothers who are feeling discouraged and overwhelmed.
For those whose hearts are bigger than their bank accounts and feel pained that they can’t give as generously as they would wish, and for those who feel sad, wishing their loved ones would all make peace, love one another, and just get along.
For the moms who have prayed relentlessly over the years for their kids to find their way home, and for those who find themselves alone.
For those who wish their kids would spend time with them but end up feeling forgotten and discarded.
For the women everywhere who are struggling, because they refuse to let hope die, believing that their family will one day be whole and happy again….. Lord, comfort them.
Change the hearts of their families and heal the hearts in their homes, every single person.
Let them experience the reality of Your loving touch that births compassion, understanding, empathy, forgiveness, and kindness.
Let them each receive their Christmas miracle, because that’s why we celebrate Your birth. In the midst of everything else, help us to remember that.
In Your name I pray, Lord Jesus.
Amen.

(Laura Gagnon)

Blessing

Let us go proclaiming that we have seen the glory of God
Believing that there is a light that shines in the darkness
Which the darkness shall not overcome
And may the love of the Creator
The joy of the Spirit
And the peace of the Christ-child
Be with you this Christmas, and evermore
Amen.

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