Tonight is a night of incarnation – a night when we celebrate the power of the holy being born in our midst.
Our service began with
Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1: 46-55), her song of praise when she learned that her
child was to be the long-awaited Holy One.
Strongly reminiscent of a well-loved Hebrew scripture song, first sung
by Hannah, mother of Samuel, the song on Mary’s lips praises the goodness of a
God who is personally involved with this world and all beings who live on it. Embracing
her own humble, challenging circumstances, she sings of God’s special
relationship with those who have little and yet remain open to God’s surprises
in their lives. And in spite of the
irrationality of such a girl being chosen as the mother of the promise, she
says YES to God. And with that, God is
born in her – not only in the special child she carries in her womb, but God’s
holiness is born in the depth of Mary’s own being, as she embraces God’s
absolute love for her.
On this night of
incarnation, I want to take some time to think about the ways that meaningful
aspects of life are “born” in us.
Consider something deeply meaningful in your life, something special and
unique that is part of what makes you who you are. It might be a hobby, it might be something
you do for a living, it might be a deeply held belief or life mantra, it might
be a skill set that you use frequently in daily living… but whatever it is,
think of when that part of your life was really born in you. Was there an important teacher or coach who
really got you to believe in yourself, and from that moment on you knew this
special gift would be part of your life?
Was the gift something you basically inherited from a parent or
relative, something they were good at and by osmosis, you became good at it
too? Was the gift something that did not
come easily at first, and by your own stubborn perseverance you became good at
it, and that tenacity in birthing it has embedded it deep in your soul? However they get there, there are for each
of us special gifts that are born in us – and once born, they remain part of
who we are.
Take that same idea - a
gift that becomes integral and permanent to one’s deepest self – and think of
its implication on the global scale.
Regardless of how we approach the details of Luke’s story of Jesus’
conception and birth (Luke 2), it is a story that speaks of God’s consistent
desire to enter human life through the most humble, unexpected means possible. An adolescent girl would seldom be chosen
for key tasks in the community, and for that very reason God chooses Mary to
nurture the child of promise. Shepherds
were the lowest of the low within their social structure, the kind of people
who would not be considered credible witnesses in legal circles, and for that
very reason God chooses them as the first witnesses to the Christ child. The Jews had been under the thumb of one overlord
or another for much of their history as a people, and for that reason God
remained faithful to them and entered uniquely into the human realm through one
of their own. And in spite of humanity’s
limitations and stumbles, the power of the divine continues to reach out to all
individuals and nations, urging us to open ourselves to the power of
loving-kindness - to truly let God be
born in us.
The gift of God’s
immense love for the world, is ready for birthing: in our hearts, in our houses
of worship, in our communities and nations.
It is limited only by our openness to receive it. Friends in Christ, may the Spirit of Christ
live within you, and in your households, this night and always. Amen, and Alleluia!!
© 2012 Rev. Greg Wooley,
Ralph Connor Memorial United Church, Canmore AB
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