Luke 1:39-55
NRSV Translation
39-45 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."
46-55 And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant.
Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name;
indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid his child Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
REFLECTIONS:
Thoughts from John:
I encountered a reflection on Mary’s song this week that comes from pastor-theologian, Brian Zahnd. Here are his words:
”In our contemporary context we need a Christianity formed by the Magnificat. In the American superpower we are typically inclined toward ideologies of success and anthems of strength. But the grace of God does not run uphill toward the pinnacles of success and strength, it rolls downhill toward the low places of humility and trust. Advent is not just about waiting, but about waiting in the right place. The right place to wait for the grace of God is the lowly ash heap of your barrenness and brokenness. This is where the grace of God will appear.”
May Brian’s wisdom be a balm to all of us who carry broken hearts or wait for better days. May God’s grace be so near to each of us this season.
PRACTICE:
Meditative Advent Calendar:
December 1: Spend 1 minute reflecting on waiting.
December 2: Spend 2 minutes reflecting on mercy.
December 3: Spend 3 minutes reflecting on justice.
December 4: Spend 4 minutes reflecting on goodness.
December 5: Spend 5 minutes reflecting on forgiveness.
December 6: Spend 6 minutes reflecting on wholeness.
December 7: Spend 7 minutes reflecting on love.
December 8: Spend 8 minutes on social media. Send a message of encouragement to a person on your feed.
December 9: Spend 9 minutes focusing on your breath.
December 10: Spend 10 minutes outside in silent awareness.
December 11: Spend 11 minutes in a public locate, silently observing the people around you.
December 12: Spend 12 minutes tending to your yard, your garden, or your plants.
December 13: Spend 13 minutes stretching your body.
December 14: Spend 14 minutes reflecting on waiting.
December 15: Spend 15 minutes in gratitude.
December 16: Spend 16 re-reading a favorite text.
December 17: Spend 17 minutes re-listening to some favorite music.
December 18: Spend 18 minutes reflecting on creation.
December 19: Spend 19 minutes reflecting on liberation.
December 20: Spend 20 minutes intentionally creating.
December 21: Spend 21 minutes reflecting on waiting.
December 22: Spend 22 minutes on a walk through your neighborhood. Pay attention to what you see.
December 23: Spend 23 minutes in silence and solitude.
December 24: Spend 24 minutes writing down hopes for the coming year.
December 25: Merry Christmas!
Outward Mindset Application
What are the moments that most often cause you to become defensive? What is an action you can do in those moments that might help you drop your “shield?”
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
We humans like to talk about reality in the form of story. We want there to be meaning to the things we experience!
What is a word or phrase you can include in your own story-telling about the world that validates other peoples’ meaning-making alongside your own?
Pathways toward Centeredness
Naturalism (being outdoors and in creation):
Find a park or natural area with evergreen trees. Spend some time sitting or walking among the trees. Reflect on the steadiness of their presence and color, even in the dead of winter.
Questions for Reflection
What is one area of your life in which you need to know God is near? How will you know that God is present to you in that area?
Who do you know who might be sitting at the “bottom” of life, needing God’s grace to roll down to them? How can your own presence in their life become occasions for them to experience God’s grace?
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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