Author: Bob von Trebra
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 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. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 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. 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. For nothing will be impossible with God.” 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. Luke 1:26-38
We are now in the season of Advent. For many centuries, the Christian Church has observed this season of preparation for Christmas, which begins four Sundays before Christmas. It is a time to remember how, more than two thousand years ago, God’s people hoped that God would send someone to restore a messed-up world in which the wicked often seemed to prosper, while many people suffered terrible injustices.
During this season of Advent, those writing these weekly devotionals have been asked to reflect on the themes of a devotional by A Sanctified Art that is being offered to the congregation.
Here is the link:
Words for the Beginning: An Advent Devotional (flippingbook.com)
The theme for this first week of the season of Advent is “You Are a Blessing.”
It seems to me there are at least two dimensions to this good news. First, we are already a blessing, just by virtue of being people whom God has created. We are a blessing to our loved ones and friends, and we are a blessing to God.
Leanne Hadley is a Christian educator who has developed a method for children to explore their spiritual lives in a group. She calls these gatherings “Sacred Circles.” They begin by creating sacred time and space, and then telling and reflecting on a sacred story from the Bible. The Sacred Circle concludes with the leader anointing each child with Blessing Balm (Lip Balm), and declaring to them, “You are a blessing!” The children are often deeply moved by this ritual. How often do children hear that assurance – that they are a blessing, rather than a disappointment or failure? How often do adults hear that good news? Maybe we should all be prepared to offer people blessings, by assuring them that they are a blessing.
A second dimension to being a blessing is illustrated in the story from the Gospel of Luke above, known as “The Annunciation.” The angel Gabriel – a messenger from God – announces to Mary that she is being offered a distinct honor: to be the Mother of Jesus, who would grow to be great, ruling over God’s people. Mary was being offered the opportunity to be a blessing to her people – and beyond – by taking part in what God was doing in the world.
Mary was hesitant at first. Was God sure she was the right person for this honor? That is a very normal human response when we feel called upon to do important work by living out our faith. And I would guess that Mary knew this work would disrupt her life. Her fiancé and community might not understand. This honor might bring her great suffering and pain in the future. It is amazing that she was willing to accept this offer.
Many people have wondered ever since why Mary was chosen for this honor. Was she particularly holy or devout? I don’t think that was necessarily the case. I have come to believe that some of the great people in our biblical stories – people like Mary, Amos, Simon Peter, and Lydia – were pretty ordinary people. God may have offered the opportunity to be a blessing to many others before them. What made Mary and Amos and Simon Peter and Lydia special was that they said, “Yes,” to God’s invitation.
How might God be inviting you to become a blessing to our community and our world by taking part in what God is doing? Are you willing to accept the invitation, even though it might disrupt and inconvenience your life?