December 15, 2019: May God’s words alone be spoken, may God’s words alone be heard. Amen.
Now I know it is still Advent, so hopefully the liturgical police will not come knocking down my door later, but I have to say I LOVE nearly all things Christmas – just look at this church! Elves were here yesterday laboring all morning to transform our already beautiful church with a fabulous array of greens and red bows to be ready for our Lessons & Carols and Christmas services.
And everywhere you look at this time of year there are lights, ornaments, and of course, joyful Christmas music. I love the music of Advent & Christmas – not only the choral arrangements of our sacred music, but also a bit of the secular too. From “Silver Bells” to “Winter Wonderland,” Bing Crosby, Mannheim Steamroller or Mariah Carey, the music of this time of year is amazing. Yet there is one secular piece that drives me bananas…okay, maybe two, if you count “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer.”
See, whenever I hear the song “Mary, did you know?” I want to scream at the radio, or whatever is playing it, “Stop mansplaining the birth you fool, of course she knew! Haven’t you ever heard of the Magnificat?” The thing is, while this modern popular song, written by two men and most often, though not exclusively, performed by men, has got is all wrong. Yes the melody is beautiful, but perhaps if they went to church in Advent, they might know that, while many did not know who he was, this young woman – chosen by God to bear God – she knew.
Of course, I am not the only one who has an issue with it, though I didn’t realize the extent until I looked at the Wikipedia page and found this about the lyrics: “The text has received criticism for perceived ambiguity or lack of scriptural or theological depth. For example, Lutheran writer Holly Scheer, in addressing the rhetorical question of the song’s title, wrote: “Anyone who has even a slight familiarity with the biblical account of Christ’s conception and birth shouldn’t need to ask if Mary knew, because the Bible plainly tells us she did.” Baptist theologian Michael Frost suggests it is the “most sexist Christmas song ever written… It treats her like a clueless child… Could you imagine a song asking Abraham 17 times if he knew he’d be the father of a great nation?”[1]
Now, I know many of you love this song, and that’s okay – really. But maybe this re-write will help. In fact, I hope will one day it will replace the original. It was written by a woman named Jennifer Henry, and it has gone viral on the internet. It goes like this:
“Mary did you know, that your ancient words would still leap off our pages? Mary did you know, that your spirit song would echo through the ages? Did you know that your holy cry would be subversive word, that the tyrants would be trembling when they know your truth is heard?
Mary did you know, that your lullaby would stir your own Child’s passion? Mary did you know, that your song inspires
the work of liberation? Did you know that your Jubilee is hope within the heart of all who dream of justice, who yearn for it to start?
The truth will teach, the drum will sound, healing for the pain
The poor will rise, the rich will fall. Hope will live again.
Mary did you know, that we hear your voice for the healing of the nations? Mary did you know, your unsettling cry can help renew creation? Do you know, that we need your faith, the confidence of you, May the God that you believe in,
be so true.”
I love that last line perhaps the most “May the God that you believe in, be so true.” Because the God that she believes in, is our God…and that God is true. But I wonder if we really see that, feel that, know that – in the way that Mary did.
I was pondering all of this in my heart this week when I heard our bishop say something at our Diocesan Council meeting that seemed to touch on something profoundly important for us to understand if we are really to know what Mary knew. Bishop Hughes was talking about the state of the church at large, in our diocese, and our parishes, and she said “Stewardship issues are spiritual issues.” Now I know that everyone thinks stewardship “season” is over, but it never really is for those who follow Jesus, so think about that for a moment: “Stewardship issues are spiritual issues.” What did she mean? Well, she added that when stewardship is not a part of ones life, it is because the person is “unable to see what God is doing in the world…and what God is doing with them.”
I was struck by that, especially as Mary’s song, the Magnificat, was fresh in my mind, because it is clear that she did see. Of course, it helps if the Angel Gabriel pops right in front of you to announce it, right? I mean, what is up with the “do not be afraid” these angels always have to say. What exactly did they look like that this would be their way of saying hello? I can only imagine it like the scene in that theological classic “Dogma,” when the Archangel Michael, played by the late great Alan Rickman, suddenly appeared in the main character’s bedroom – in FLAMES! Yup – time to shout “Do not be afraid, and for goodness sakes, put down the fire extinguisher!”
But whatever good ole Gabe looked like, Mary didn’t run away. She was perplexed, because she didn’t understand how this could all work – you know, the whole being pregnant thing – if she hadn’t yet been intimate with her fiancé Joseph. Of course we all know what happened, heck its what I often write on medical forms when they ask me if there is any chance I might be pregnant. I write “not unless a star is rising in the East.” But Gabe explained to her that she was the chosen one, and that by the Holy Spirit she would become the Theotokos, the God Bearer. And how did she respond to that? Well, like this:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, for he has remembered his promise of mercy, The promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever.”
So, Mary knew – she knew the God at work in the world around her – and within her – and in the greatest act of stewardship ever, she gave over herself in response. All of which to say that in the Magnificat, the song of Mary, we hear the echos of strong women through the ages who see the God at work in their lives and in the world, and their very soul magnifies the divine presence within them. Mary’s song, like that of her foremother Hannah in the first book of Samuel, is a response to the God that they believed in, that was very much true – for them, and for us.
The question we should be asking rather than “Mary did you know?” is “Do WE know?”
Do we know?
Could we sing Mary’s song?
How do we respond to God in our lives, and in the world around us?
Because while we wait for the birth of Jesus at Christmas, it is not because he isn’t present with us now. The God who chose to dwell among us is with us still – yesterday, today, and for all of our tomorrows. Do we see Her in the world? Do we feel Christ in our hearts? Do we recognize the Holy Spirit at work in our lives?
Advent is a time of preparation, and perhaps this week, we can all commit to looking, listening, feeling, God’s presence still dwelling among us. So I ask you to try a little experiment. Every morning as you prepare for the day, say to yourself “Today, I will encounter God, and my soul will magnify Christ.”
Let’s all try that together. I will say it, then try it yourself. “Today, I will encounter God, and my soul will magnify Christ.”
Now with me, “Today, I will encounter God, and my soul will magnify Christ.”
If you forget the words, just say something along those lines. And as you go through the day look for Christ in the eyes of those you meet, listen for the Spirit deep in your heart, and try to feel God’s love and grace in the world around you – because Christ, the Holy Spirit, God – is there.
At the end of the day, just before you turn in for bed, reflect back on all you experienced – the good and the difficult, the joyous and the stress filled – was there something that struck you? Maybe a child’s smile, the eyes of a homeless man, the song of a bird in a tree, a kind word or gesture, or perhaps even just a moment of stillness amidst the clutter of life.
The thing is, every day is a God filled day, and we too are called by God to a Magnificat of our own!
We are called to magnify the Lord, our Christ, and rejoice for God is with us. What does that mean? Well, we may not be giving physical birth to the Christ child, but we are giving birth to him in the lives of all whom we encounter if we magnify him in our soul.
And the real kicker of it all is that if we do this, then we live into being the body of Christ we are called to be in our baptism. We will be the joyous good stewards of God, servants of the Most High. And truly then – the hungry will be fed, the thirsty given drink, the poor lifted up, and the stranger welcomed, the prisoner and the sick will be visited, and the dream of God for us all, for all the earth, will be ever closer to reality. Then we will all sing our own song of God’s presence in our lives.
The secular world asks “Mary, did you know?”
We say, “Of course, she did.”
The question we should ask is – do we?
Amen.
For the audio from the 10:30am service, click below, or subscribe to our iTunes Sermon Podcast by clicking here:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_Did_You_Know%3F
The Rev. Diana L. Wilcox
Christ Church in Bloomfield & Glen Ridge
December 15, 2019
Advent 6 – Year A
1st Reading – Isaiah 35:1-10
Canticle 15
2nd Reading – James 5:7-10
Gospel – Matthew 11:2-11
