[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Advent 4C

Sat Dec 19 16:27:28 EST 2015

Forwarded:

Thetooth fairy will never believe this!

-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Dec 19, 2015 4:16 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Advent 4C

DearFriends,

ThisSunday’s sermon is entitled “Mary, Did You Know?” or “Nurture that Seed!” anddeals with the Gospel (Luke 1: 39-55). Here it is:

Do you remember this story?  An Ecunet friend was working for Meals onWheels.  Occasionally, she would take herfour-year-old daughter on her afternoon rounds. The little girl was unfailinglyintrigued by the various appliances of old age, particularly the canes, walkersand wheelchairs. One day my friend noticed that her daughter was staring at apair of false teeth soaking in a glass. As she braced herself for theinevitable barrage of questions, the child merely turned and whispered, “Thetooth fairy will never believe this!”  Doyou recall when the angel Gabriel asked Mary if she was willing to be themother of Jesus?  In today’s language,her answer would have been “Absolutely!” You know the old saying, speak first; think later.  After the angel left her and reality set in,she must have suddenly realized the situation she was in.  You know how- in the story about thefour-year-old- “the tooth fairy will never believe this!”  Well that was Mary’s situation as well- notthe tooth fairy; not her family; not her friends; not the townspeople; andprobably not her beloved Joseph.  In ourculture, being an unwed mother is no big thing anymore; but in those days,having a baby out of wedlock often got you stoned to death.  What was she to tell all these people whenthe baby began to show and they asked who the father was—“I didn’t do anything;it’s God’s baby!”  And their probablyanswer: “Oh, really!”  When you thinkabout it, at first being the mother of the Messiah must have sounded reallywonderful, almost like being the queen mother; but for most of her life, it wouldbe as Simeon predicted in Luke 2: 35: “You, Mary, will suffer as though you hadbeen stabbed by a dagger.”

The dagger started piercing her soul when she had totell Joseph, and he almost put her away privately to spare her death.  She had a brief relief, as we heard intoday’s gospel, when she went to see her cousin Elizabeth (mother of John theBaptist) and Zechariah, but as we must also do- she couldn’t run away forever;she had to go home and face everybody. Then there was the trip to Bethlehem (the city of Bread- where Jesus,the Bread of Life was born); the trip bouncing give-or-take 50 miles on theback of a donkey; the trip on which her water probably broke; the trip thatresulted in no place to give birth but a barn or a cave and no one to help herbut an inexperienced husband (men weren’t allowed in birthing areas in thosedays).  Next, finding a house andbuilding a life with her child and husband, only to be visited by the wise menand sent by God as a homeless refugee to Egypt, to escape Herod’s murder of allthe Jewish boys two years and younger.  Watchthe dagger pierce and twist even more.  Sheendured a return to Nazareth, and then the strangeness of her son.  When he was twelve, he wasn’t even sorry whenhe made the family come all the way back to Jerusalem for him.  He only said, “Didn’t you know I must beabout my Father’s business?!” – strange way to talk to parents, especially inthose days.  Then, when he was a youngadult and she asked him to do something about the lack of wine at a wedding,again- strange words to a mother: “Mother, what have I to do with you?  My hour has not yet come.”  She watched his popularity grow and thenwane, with people talking about him and wondering if he was crazy.  When she and his brothers finally went to gethim and take him home, he refused to go with them and said, “These who listento God’s will are my mother and my brothers and my sisters.”  Ignoring her motherhood must have twistedthat dagger predicted by Simeon a little more. Finally, she watched as her beloved firstborn son was beaten andtortured and crucified naked, between two thieves on a compost heap.  She must have wondered if the angel Gabriel’svisit had just been a dream or even a devil-trick.  She had to suffer through the hard times,through Good Friday, to get to Easter. But she, like Job, hung in. Remember Job’s statement about God: “Even though He slay me; yet shall Itrust Him!”  But after Good Friday comesEaster; after crucifixion comes resurrection! She was there in the upper room when he appeared!  She was mentioned as one of the faithful ofthe early church.  Because of herendurance, we have power for living; grace for dying, and eternal life as oursure promise.

Where are your struggles?  Whatideas, dreams, plans are you struggling to give birth?  What is causing the dagger to pierce you ownsoul and then twist and turn and torture? Did you notice Luke 1: 37: “Nothing is impossible for God!”  Say it with me.  (Nothing is impossible for God!)  Say it again. Do you believe it?  Whatever Godhas in His plans for you- you can do if you believe it.  Nothing is impossible for God.  When Mary conceived Jesus by the power of theHoly Spirit, she had no idea what was ahead. When God plants a seed in you, you also have no idea what is ahead.  All you can be sure of is that (if it’s worthanything) it will involve pain and struggle and discouragement; but if youdon’t give up it will also involve glorious delight and fulfillment.  In closing, I’d like you to listen to thewords of a modern ChristMass song- “Mary Did You Know?”   As Mary never couldn’t have guessed all theamazing blessings God had for her, neither can we.  Here are the words to the song.  We’ll listen to it again at Communion time.

“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?
The Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kissed your little baby, you’ve kissed the face of God.

Mary did you know the blind will see; the deaf will hear; the dead willlive 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 will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb?
This sleeping Child you’re holding is the great ‘I AM!’”

For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updatedAfrican-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s web site under“Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.org.

Blessedpreaching,
JudyBoli
St.Paul's Episcopal Church
Saginaw,Michigan

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