(This material is adapted from Discipleship Ministries Advent Worship Series: “Promise”)
A Moment for Mission
“Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” —Luke 1:45, NRSVUE
On this Fourth Sunday of Advent, we receive promise with the hope of fruition—not hope as a wish but hope actively moving toward fulfillment. Mary is pregnant with the Messiah, and Elizabeth witnesses the promise coming into being right in front of her. Micah shares whispers, not abstract promises but a promise springing forth in the quiet town of Bethlehem, a promise of provision, security and peace. These are not pie-in-the-sky, theoretical ideas. Mary, Elizabeth, Bethlehem, us…we are all recipients of a real, tangible promise—the promise that is already here and not yet. The promise that is almost.
Our response is vital, God claims. Our work is integral to the working out of the kin-dom. But the promise is that we do not do this alone. The Savior will stand and feed the flock, says Micah; the Savior will be with us. “Greetings, favored one,” says the angel in Luke’s Gospel, “the Lord is with you.” Even the initial response is supported by God’s presence. We call that prevenient grace. The promise we celebrate, the promise we live into is that God will be, God has been, God is with us. Let us move into the Christmas season embracing this promise and seeing God at work in us and around us.
Children’s Message
Today I have some exciting news to share with you! This exciting news God gave to a woman named Mary. Maybe you have heard of her.
(Hold up a Nativity figure of Mary.)
God sent an angel to Mary to tell her she was going to have a baby. I wonder how Mary felt when an angel spoke to her.
How do you think you would feel if an angel spoke to you? (Allow children to answer.)
What do you think the angel looked like that Mary saw? (Allow children to respond.)
Can you show me on your face the expression that Mary might have shown? (Have children show their best surprised face.)
When Mary first heard the angel’s news, she did not understand why she was to be the mother of Jesus. It seemed impossible, but Mary decided to fully trust in God.
I wonder how you would feel if an angel told you some amazing news about your life.
I wonder how easy it was for Mary to believe immediately.
I wonder how you can share the good news of Jesus with others.
Nothing is impossible for God. Like Mary, we can believe in God and in God’s message of love to you through God’s Son Jesus.
Prayer
We light the Advent candle of love as a sign of our commitment to live as people of God’s promise, a promise of salvation and flourishing for all people that springs forth from God’s love for all creation.
Offertory Prayer: Discipleship Ministries
God of grace and wonder, we offer these gifts in response to your call. As Mary responded with faith, we too say, “Here we are, let it be to us.” Use these offerings to further your kin-dom on earth. Empower us to be bearers of Christ’s presence, bringing hope and love to our community. May our giving reflect the promise of Emmanuel, God with us, and bring light and joy in this Advent season. In Jesus’s name, we pray. Amen. (Luke 1:26-38)
Newsletter Nugget
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” —Luke 1:46-47, NRSVUE
Mary and her prophetic “song of praise,” known as the Magnificat (vv. 46-55), deserve deeper exploration. Of the many things that have been written about Mary from Jewish and Christian perspectives, consider what we could learn this week from the long traditions of Marian devotions in Latin America.
Put simply, “official church theologies” typically emphasize Mary’s virginity and obedience. In contrast, in liberation theologies, Mary is revered and loved for her identification with the suffering of the people.
As Jeanette Rodriguez, a scholar specializing in Latinx health, wellness and justice-oriented therapy, writes, in Latin American lived theologies and spirituality, Mary represents “a yearning, a hope transcending circumstances, and an experience of accompaniment within a world that often rejects and marginalizes” (“Mary, Mother of Jesus: Consolatrice of the Americas”).
What has been your theological understanding of Mary and how did you come to this understanding?
How is the source of our understanding as important as, if not more important than, what we know?
Which characteristics of Mary and her life do you find most compelling and why?
What do you find puzzling about how Mary is presented in the Gospels?