Sermon for December 4th, 2016 - Revision history

Iraneal at 13:46, 4 December 2016

2016-12-04T13:46:31Z

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 Psalm 113:  "Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time on and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people."
-So far does it sound familiar?  Listen now to verse 9, the last verse: "He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!"
+So far does it sound familiar, so far?  Listen now to verse 9, the last verse: "He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!"
 There's another song in the Old Testament that follows the same pattern:  It's found in 1st Samuel, chapter 2, and it's the song of Hannah.  Hannah was the mother of the prophet Samuel, who prayed for many years that God would grant her a child, and when that finally happened, she sings a song of praise that is similar to Mary's, and to Psalm 113.
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 So this seems to be a "thing" in ancient Jewish custom--just like we throw baby showers, or send out birth announcements, perhaps it was considered appropriate, customary, for an expectant mother to pause and give thanks to God in this way, in this time.
-It's also worth noting that Mary sings her song in the company of her cousin Elizabeth, who is much older, also pregnant, and who had waited a long time for a child.  In a few ancient manuscripts, the song is actually ascribed to Elizabeth, not Mary.
+It's also worth noting that Mary sings her song in the company of her cousin Elizabeth, who is much older, also pregnant, and who had waited a long time for a child.  In a few of the earliest manuscripts of the gospel of Luke, the song is actually ascribed to Elizabeth, not Mary.  I think it makes sense to see it as a song of praise for both of them.

Iraneal at 12:55, 4 December 2016

2016-12-04T12:55:09Z

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	And in understanding God, through the lens of Mary, we are more able to approach God in a personal and meaningful way.		And in understanding God, through the lens of Mary, we are more able to approach God in a personal and meaningful way.

			Last week, we began to work our way through the Magnificat, Mary's song of praise. It is the song attributed to Mary, which, according to the gospel of Luke, she sings when her cousin Elizabeth greets her and acknowledges Mary's miraculous pregnancy.

			Which, to us, may seem like kind of a strange thing to do. Hey Mary, you're pregnant... and then Mary bursts forth into a song that doesn't really have anything to do with being pregnant. Or does it?

			I said last week that Mary's song (though it comes to us in Greek, the language of Luke's gospel) is actually in the tradition of Hebrew poetry, like the Psalms. And there is one Psalm in particular--Psalm 113--that may have a connection. It's short, so I'll read it to you--if you have your Bibles open, keep them opened to Mary's song so you can compare the two.

			Psalm 113: "Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time on and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people."

			So far does it sound familiar? Listen now to verse 9, the last verse: "He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!"

			There's another song in the Old Testament that follows the same pattern: It's found in 1st Samuel, chapter 2, and it's the song of Hannah. Hannah was the mother of the prophet Samuel, who prayed for many years that God would grant her a child, and when that finally happened, she sings a song of praise that is similar to Mary's, and to Psalm 113.

			So this seems to be a "thing" in ancient Jewish custom--just like we throw baby showers, or send out birth announcements, perhaps it was considered appropriate, customary, for an expectant mother to pause and give thanks to God in this way, in this time.

			It's also worth noting that Mary sings her song in the company of her cousin Elizabeth, who is much older, also pregnant, and who had waited a long time for a child. In a few ancient manuscripts, the song is actually ascribed to Elizabeth, not Mary.

Iraneal at 12:25, 4 December 2016

2016-12-04T12:25:05Z

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	Bobby went downstairs, to the nativity scene in the living room, and there he found the little figurine of Mary kneeling by the manger. He gently picked her up, and carried her back to his room upstairs. There, he carefully wrapped her in tissue paper, and put her inside a little cardboard box. He put the box underneath his pillow. Then he went back to his desk and started writing a new letter. "Dear Jesus: If you ever want to see your mother again..."		Bobby went downstairs, to the nativity scene in the living room, and there he found the little figurine of Mary kneeling by the manger. He gently picked her up, and carried her back to his room upstairs. There, he carefully wrapped her in tissue paper, and put her inside a little cardboard box. He put the box underneath his pillow. Then he went back to his desk and started writing a new letter. "Dear Jesus: If you ever want to see your mother again..."

	Sometimes I think we, as ~~protestants~~, also take Mary, throw her under the pillow after Christmas, and then forget about her until Easter.		Sometimes I think we, as protestant Christians, also take Mary, throw her under the pillow after Christmas, and then forget about her until Easter.

	But it wasn't always like that. For the first thousand years of Christianity's existence, Mary was exalted among all women; first among all the saints. ~~And I think maybe I know why~~ that is. ~~Just for fun~~, ~~I want you to raise your hand if you've ever walked on water~~, ~~turned water into wine~~, ~~or raised someone from~~ the ~~dead~~. ~~Anyone relate?~~ ~~No?~~		But it wasn't always like that. For the first thousand years of Christianity's existence, Mary was exalted among all women; she was considered first among all the saints. Why is that? Well the usual answer is that she's the mother of Jesus. Jesus, as one third of the Holy Trinity, is God; therefore Mary is, in a sense, the mother of God. It's a striking statement, but I think we focus on the wrong part of it. We focus on the "God" part more than the "mother" part, and then we see Mary through the lens of God. As in, God is omnipotent, amazing, beyond our comprehension...and Mary is God's mother.

	Ok, ~~how about this~~: ~~Raise your hand if you have, or have ever had, a mother~~. ~~That's more like it, huh?~~		But I think we can flip that around, too: We can see God through the lense of Mary. Let me explain:

	~~You see~~, it's hard for us to relate to ~~Jesus as the son of~~ God~~. But~~ it's a lot easier for us to relate to Jesus the Son of Mary, the human being who, like us, came into this world as a small, vulnerable child, loved and protected by a mother who held us, who fed us, and who watched us grow.		Raise your hand if you've ever walked on water, turned water into wine, raised someone from the dead, created the universe? No? It's hard for us to relate to God, isn't it?

	Mary is the ~~connecting point between God~~ and us. Mary ~~is what~~ we ~~have~~ in ~~common with God~~.		Ok, how about this: Raise your hand if you have, or have ever had, a mother. That's more like it, right? So did Jesus. So did God. It's hard for us to relate to Jesus the son of God, but it's easier to relate to Jesus the Son of Mary; Jesus the human being who, like us, came into this world as a small, vulnerable child, loved and protected by a mother who held him, who fed him, and who watched him grow. We get that, we understand that.

			And in understanding God, through the lens of Mary, we are more able to approach God in a personal and meaningful way.

Iraneal at 06:48, 4 December 2016

2016-12-04T06:48:20Z

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	Ok, how about this: Raise your hand if you have, or have ever had, a mother. That's more like it, huh?		Ok, how about this: Raise your hand if you have, or have ever had, a mother. That's more like it, huh?

	You see, it's hard for us to relate to Jesus as the son of God.		You see, it's hard for us to relate to Jesus as the son of God. But it's a lot easier for us to relate to Jesus the Son of Mary, the human being who, like us, came into this world as a small, vulnerable child, loved and protected by a mother who held us, who fed us, and who watched us grow.

			Mary is the connecting point between God and us. Mary is what we have in common with God.

Iraneal at 06:30, 4 December 2016

2016-12-04T06:30:43Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:30, 3 December 2016
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	Bobby went downstairs, to the nativity scene in the living room, and there he found the little figurine of Mary kneeling by the manger. He gently picked her up, and carried her back to his room upstairs. There, he carefully wrapped her in tissue paper, and put her inside a little cardboard box. He put the box underneath his pillow. Then he went back to his desk and started writing a new letter. "Dear Jesus: If you ever want to see your mother again..."		Bobby went downstairs, to the nativity scene in the living room, and there he found the little figurine of Mary kneeling by the manger. He gently picked her up, and carried her back to his room upstairs. There, he carefully wrapped her in tissue paper, and put her inside a little cardboard box. He put the box underneath his pillow. Then he went back to his desk and started writing a new letter. "Dear Jesus: If you ever want to see your mother again..."

	Sometimes I think we, as protestants, also take Mary, throw her under the pillow after Christmas, and then forget about her until Easter. But it wasn't always like that. For the first thousand years of Christianity's existence, Mary was exalted among women~~, and~~ first among the saints.		Sometimes I think we, as protestants, also take Mary, throw her under the pillow after Christmas, and then forget about her until Easter.

			But it wasn't always like that. For the first thousand years of Christianity's existence, Mary was exalted among all women; first among all the saints. And I think maybe I know why that is. Just for fun, I want you to raise your hand if you've ever walked on water, turned water into wine, or raised someone from the dead. Anyone relate? No?

			Ok, how about this: Raise your hand if you have, or have ever had, a mother. That's more like it, huh?

			You see, it's hard for us to relate to Jesus as the son of God.

Iraneal at 05:29, 4 December 2016

2016-12-04T05:29:32Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:29, 3 December 2016
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	Bobby went downstairs, to the nativity scene in the living room, and there he found the little figurine of Mary kneeling by the manger. He gently picked her up, and carried her back to his room upstairs. There, he carefully wrapped her in tissue paper, and put her inside a little cardboard box. He put the box underneath his pillow. Then he went back to his desk and started writing a new letter. "Dear Jesus: If you ever want to see your mother again..."		Bobby went downstairs, to the nativity scene in the living room, and there he found the little figurine of Mary kneeling by the manger. He gently picked her up, and carried her back to his room upstairs. There, he carefully wrapped her in tissue paper, and put her inside a little cardboard box. He put the box underneath his pillow. Then he went back to his desk and started writing a new letter. "Dear Jesus: If you ever want to see your mother again..."

	Sometimes I think we, as protestants, also take Mary, throw her under the pillow after Christmas, and then forget about her until Easter.		Sometimes I think we, as protestants, also take Mary, throw her under the pillow after Christmas, and then forget about her until Easter. But it wasn't always like that. For the first thousand years of Christianity's existence, Mary was exalted among women, and first among the saints.

Iraneal at 04:53, 4 December 2016

2016-12-04T04:53:41Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:53, 3 December 2016
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	Bobby went downstairs, to the nativity scene in the living room, and there he found the little figurine of Mary kneeling by the manger. He gently picked her up, and carried her back to his room upstairs. There, he carefully wrapped her in tissue paper, and put her inside a little cardboard box. He put the box underneath his pillow. Then he went back to his desk and started writing a new letter. "Dear Jesus: If you ever want to see your mother again..."		Bobby went downstairs, to the nativity scene in the living room, and there he found the little figurine of Mary kneeling by the manger. He gently picked her up, and carried her back to his room upstairs. There, he carefully wrapped her in tissue paper, and put her inside a little cardboard box. He put the box underneath his pillow. Then he went back to his desk and started writing a new letter. "Dear Jesus: If you ever want to see your mother again..."

			Sometimes I think we, as protestants, also take Mary, throw her under the pillow after Christmas, and then forget about her until Easter.

Iraneal at 04:50, 4 December 2016

2016-12-04T04:50:16Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:50, 3 December 2016
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	So he crossed out Santa's name and started again: "Dear Jesus... I really, really want a playstation 4 for Christmas this year." He thought about what he'd learned about Jesus in Sunday School--about being kind to your neighbor and turning the other cheek. "Jesus, if you can make that happen, I promise I won't fight with my brother for a whole month!" Then he thought about it some more, and crossed out "month" and wrote "for a whole week." Then he crossed out "week" and wrote "for a whole day." Then in frustration, he put down his pencil, said "This isn't going to work. He's not going to buy it, either."		So he crossed out Santa's name and started again: "Dear Jesus... I really, really want a playstation 4 for Christmas this year." He thought about what he'd learned about Jesus in Sunday School--about being kind to your neighbor and turning the other cheek. "Jesus, if you can make that happen, I promise I won't fight with my brother for a whole month!" Then he thought about it some more, and crossed out "month" and wrote "for a whole week." Then he crossed out "week" and wrote "for a whole day." Then in frustration, he put down his pencil, said "This isn't going to work. He's not going to buy it, either."

	Bobby went downstairs, to the nativity scene in the living room, and there he found the little figurine of Mary kneeling by the manger. He gently picked her up, and carried her back to his room upstairs. There, he carefully ~~placed~~ wrapped her in tissue paper, and put her inside a little cardboard box. He put the box underneath his pillow. Then he went back to his desk and started writing a new letter. "Dear Jesus: If you ever want to see your mother again..."		Bobby went downstairs, to the nativity scene in the living room, and there he found the little figurine of Mary kneeling by the manger. He gently picked her up, and carried her back to his room upstairs. There, he carefully wrapped her in tissue paper, and put her inside a little cardboard box. He put the box underneath his pillow. Then he went back to his desk and started writing a new letter. "Dear Jesus: If you ever want to see your mother again..."

Iraneal at 00:29, 4 December 2016

2016-12-04T00:29:30Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:29, 3 December 2016
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	So he crossed out Santa's name and started again: "Dear Jesus... I really, really want a playstation 4 for Christmas this year." He thought about what he'd learned about Jesus in Sunday School--about being kind to your neighbor and turning the other cheek. "Jesus, if you can make that happen, I promise I won't fight with my brother for a whole month!" Then he thought about it some more, and crossed out "month" and wrote "for a whole week." Then he crossed out "week" and wrote "for a whole day." Then in frustration, he put down his pencil, said "This isn't going to work. He's not going to buy it, either."		So he crossed out Santa's name and started again: "Dear Jesus... I really, really want a playstation 4 for Christmas this year." He thought about what he'd learned about Jesus in Sunday School--about being kind to your neighbor and turning the other cheek. "Jesus, if you can make that happen, I promise I won't fight with my brother for a whole month!" Then he thought about it some more, and crossed out "month" and wrote "for a whole week." Then he crossed out "week" and wrote "for a whole day." Then in frustration, he put down his pencil, said "This isn't going to work. He's not going to buy it, either."

	Bobby went downstairs, to the nativity scene in the living room, and there he found the little figurine of Mary kneeling by the manger. He gently picked her up, and carried her back to his room upstairs. There, he carefully placed wrapped her in tissue paper, and put her inside a little cardboard box. He put the box underneath his pillow. Then he went back to his desk and started writing ~~his~~ letter ~~all over again~~. "Dear Jesus: If you ever want to see your mother again..."		Bobby went downstairs, to the nativity scene in the living room, and there he found the little figurine of Mary kneeling by the manger. He gently picked her up, and carried her back to his room upstairs. There, he carefully placed wrapped her in tissue paper, and put her inside a little cardboard box. He put the box underneath his pillow. Then he went back to his desk and started writing a new letter. "Dear Jesus: If you ever want to see your mother again..."

Iraneal at 00:29, 4 December 2016

2016-12-04T00:29:13Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:29, 3 December 2016
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	So he crossed out Santa's name and started again: "Dear Jesus... I really, really want a playstation 4 for Christmas this year." He thought about what he'd learned about Jesus in Sunday School--about being kind to your neighbor and turning the other cheek. "Jesus, if you can make that happen, I promise I won't fight with my brother for a whole month!" Then he thought about it some more, and crossed out "month" and wrote "for a whole week." Then he crossed out "week" and wrote "for a whole day." Then in frustration, he put down his pencil, said "This isn't going to work. He's not going to buy it, either."		So he crossed out Santa's name and started again: "Dear Jesus... I really, really want a playstation 4 for Christmas this year." He thought about what he'd learned about Jesus in Sunday School--about being kind to your neighbor and turning the other cheek. "Jesus, if you can make that happen, I promise I won't fight with my brother for a whole month!" Then he thought about it some more, and crossed out "month" and wrote "for a whole week." Then he crossed out "week" and wrote "for a whole day." Then in frustration, he put down his pencil, said "This isn't going to work. He's not going to buy it, either."

	Bobby went downstairs, to the nativity scene in the living room, and there he found the little figurine of Mary kneeling by the manger. He gently picked her up, and carried her back to his room upstairs. There, he carefully placed wrapped her in tissue paper, and put her inside a little cardboard box. He put the box underneath his pillow. Then he went back to his desk and started writing ~~a brand new~~ letter. "Dear Jesus~~...if~~ you ever want to see your mother again..."		Bobby went downstairs, to the nativity scene in the living room, and there he found the little figurine of Mary kneeling by the manger. He gently picked her up, and carried her back to his room upstairs. There, he carefully placed wrapped her in tissue paper, and put her inside a little cardboard box. He put the box underneath his pillow. Then he went back to his desk and started writing his letter all over again. "Dear Jesus: If you ever want to see your mother again..."