Faithful Conversations #43

Introduction to Readers:

Marty Haugen, Christian Composer (b. 1950)

During our Advent midweek services, we utilize the Holden Evening Prayer Service written by Marty Haugen. A bit of research informs me that Haugen composed this beautiful service setting in 1986 while at Holden Village in Washington, a Lutheran retreat center. An artistic  and gifted individual (who hails from Wanamingo, MN), Haugen was influenced by music of the Taize Community, a monastic order located in Bergundy, France that embodies both Protestant and Catholic traditions. The style emphasizes simple phrases that reference scripture and are repeated many times. The Gospel and the alternative to the Psalm for the 4th week of Advent connect to the Holden service and I’m focusing my reflections there this week. I copied those readings with their Holden Service below. Also, for this week’s prayer, I linked a beautiful version of the service if you care to listen. As always, thanks for your ongoing interest in studying the Bible!

Note: I do utilize various hyperlinks within the body here for further exploration on your  part if interested! They are a different color and italicized. If you click out to the supplemental information, simply click back to return to the blog. The images included, mostly, are from Wikimedia Commons, and therefore are in the public domain.  *Of Note: The first image of Mary you see below (accompanying the Magnificat) was generated by yours truly using A.I. We truly live in amazing times.  

Readings for the Fourth Sunday in Advent

2 Samuel 7: 1-11, 16
Psalm 89: 1-4, 19-26 (or Luke 1: 46b-55)
Romans 16: 25-27
Luke 1: 26-38

The Gospel: Luke 1: 26-38: “The Annunciation”  ²⁶ In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰ The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³ He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” ³⁴ Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” ³⁵ The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. ³⁶ And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸ Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. Holden Evening Prayer Service Application of this text: An angel went from God, to a town called Nazareth, to a woman whose name was Mary. The angel said to her, “Rejoice, O highly favored, for God is with you. You shall bear a child, and his name shall be Jesus, the Chosen One of God Most High.” And Mary said, “I am servant of my God, I live to do your will.”

Luke 1: 46b-55: “The Magnificat”

Virgin Mary
(A.I. Generated)

⁴⁶ And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, ⁴⁷ and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, ⁴⁸ for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant. Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed, ⁴⁹ for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name; ⁵⁰ indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. ⁵¹ He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. ⁵² He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; ⁵³ he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. ⁵⁴ He has come to the aid of his child Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, ⁵⁵ according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

One thing I learned early on as a history teacher was that stories bring history to life, and that revisiting the same story time and again allows us to see it from different perspectives and with richer meaning. In this 4th week of Advent, we are revisiting a familiar story, embodied in the two passages from Luke’s Gospel, the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel’s announcement to young Mary, and the Magnificat, her prayerful response. I have heard these stories any number of times in my life but am seeing them in a new light in 2023, especially the Magnificat. Let me explain.

Young Mary and the Annunciation

First, let’s consider Mary and her world, especially from our vantage point in December of 2023, amidst the troubling events surrounding the Israel-Hamas War. Though I have heard about her from a young age, especially at this time of year, I must admit not engaging more fully in her story. This Judean teenage girl (perhaps only 13!), swept into history by miraculous forces, lived a life like no other. From lowly circumstances, and a virgin, she learns in a spiritual encounter with Gabriel, that she will bear a son destined to be the Messiah for her people, and far beyond. Can we even imagine how her mind must have been racing at this moment? In what can only be described as a depth of faith that dwarfs anything I can understand, she responds with a calm and submissive courage (verse 38). And second, what of this dramatic prayer, the Magnificat (Latin for “magnify”)?  As Debi Thomas, Minister of Formation and Discipleship at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Palo Alto, California points out in a 2020 essay on these texts points out, Mary’s prayer “comprises the longest set of words spoken by a woman in the New Testament.” Further, that the prayer was “soaked in Jewish women’s history, echoing the words and stories of Miriam, Hannah, Judith, and Deborah” (Note “Hannah’s Prayer” in 1 Samuel 2: 1-10). Most astonishing, however, is the radical and subversive nature of the prayer, what Thomas calls “Mary’s fiery justice song.” Read it again focusing on the highlighted verses (51-53). Our friend Dietrich Bonhoeffer, called the Magnificat “the most passionate, the wildest, one might even say the most revolutionary hymn ever sung.” Oscar Romero, Salvadoran Catholic Priest, murdered in 1980, later canonized, drew comparisons between Mary and the poor and powerless in his community. Indeed, the Magnificat has been banned more than a few times by those in power who fear its message. As we move toward the celebration of our Lord’s birth, we would do well to hear and reflect on his mother’s fervent prayer with fresh insight. As scholar Kenneth Craycraft asserts, “A lowly birth to a lowly woman ushers in the magnificent fulfillment of God’s offer and promise of salvation.” Soli Deo Gloria This Week’s Prayer: The Holden Evening Prayer Service (The Annunciation Starts at 6:57)

Announcement Regarding Our Lectionary Discussions: We will resume our post-worship discussion of the Lectionary on Sunday, 31 December at 10:45 in the church library! All are welcome!