Laetare Sunday Rejoice!

By Ms. Tiffany Haller, Director of Faith Formation, St. Ann Roman Catholic Church

La what Sunday? Laetare Sunday. It is a Roman Catholic tradition celebrated during the fourth Sunday in Lent, this Sunday. Laetare translates from Latin and means “rejoice.” But, you say, Lent is a time for fasting (practicing self-control), prayer (seeking the Lord in scripture and meditation or contemplation), and almsgiving (sharing the gifts we have received from God, not just monetarily but of our time and talents as well). Yes, Lent is a period of forty days during which Christians remember the events leading up to and including the death of Jesus Christ. Jesus’s life and his teachings are the basis of Christianity.

Isaiah 66:10-11 states, “Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exalt and be satisfied at her consoling breast.” This verse from Isaiah is the inspiration for the theme of Laetare Sunday. Even the liturgical (rite for public worship) color used for this day is celebratory: rose. The color rose represents a time of joy amid the somber Lenten period of fasting and prayer. The change in color from Lenten violet indicates a glimpse of the joy that awaits us at Easter. The timing is just before we enter the somber days of Passiontide.

The delight of Easter approaching is symbolized in a few other interesting liturgical options. During Lent, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal does not allow flowers on the altar. But there’s a temporary halt to these penitential observations on Laetare Sunday (as well as solemnities and feasts within the Lenten season). Bring on the flowers!

Here is another interesting, fun fact about Laetare Sunday: marriages were generally forbidden during Lent, but Laetare Sunday was an exception when marriages could be celebrated during this penitential season. Now marriages are forbidden on Good Friday and Holy Saturday only. But Laetare Sunday is still a fitting day for those wishing to be married in the church before Eastertide.

As we approach the darkness and horror of the days through Good Friday and Holy Saturday, Laetare Sunday is an opportunity to savor and remember what awaits us on Easter Sunday: the reality that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and that our hearts will always be filled with happiness!

I hope the awareness of this tradition and its customs helps in understanding and appreciating the beauty of faith. So, celebrate this Laetare Fourth Sunday of Lent along with the rest of the Lenten season, the fifty days of Easter, and beyond. Why not take advantage of the richness of some faith traditions, old or new (if even just to you). It just might spark some joy! Rejoice!

Beginning Discussion About Injustice With Our Children

By Rebecca Logan, Retired UPMC Chaplain, Member of Lycoming Valley Baptist Church

All of any nation’s history is unjust because of sin. When Adam and Eve sinned, they set off a chain reaction to all of humanity that will never be finally resolved until eternity. Animosity, hatred, and taking advantage of others started as early as the first sibling. Cain deliberately went against what God said, and in his jealousy, possibly embarrassment, killed his own flesh-and-blood brother. That was complete injustice; his brother had done nothing wrong but was killed. Vengefulness, anger, and jealousy has consumed humankind since.

Injustice reappears in another family later in Genesis. We see Joseph’s brothers selling him into slavery. The theme of bondage, slavery, and freedom is woven throughout Scripture. Many lessons can be learned from it. Why did people do that to others? What were their motivations? Where was God in all of this?

Discussions about slavery and injustice begin in Scripture. God’s own chosen people were slaves in Egypt. We know the Egyptians needed work done, saw the Israelites as free labor, and thus took advantage of them. Yet, God had love and mercy and delivered them. At the same time, even the Egyptians were invited to join the Israelites in belief in the true God.

Judges is about injustice to God’s people, but prejudice from one tribe to another is scattered throughout the Hebrew Bible. Then, of course, Israel was overrun, and many were taken as slaves to Babylon. When Christ was born, the Israelites were under bondage to the Romans. The comparison of even “the slave woman and the free” is in Galatians 4:21-31. And salvation is being taken out of the slavery of sin. Christ repeatedly stressed in the New Testament: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36 NIV). The temple leaders were so offended to be called slaves to sin that they wanted to stone Christ then and there.

Even in Bible lessons, our children and grandchildren see and understand that injustice and wrong happens. Then the questions can be asked and answered. How did Esther respond when taken against her will to the palace? How did Daniel and his friends respond when taken in captivity? Where was God? What was He doing in this? Why did the Lord allow this? When looking at all of biblical history, what lessons do you learn from these painful experiences? (For example, Psalm 56:8 tells us that God “keeps all our tears in a bottle.”

The Bible is an excellent backdrop for all of this and a natural way to engage our children and grandchildren with the bigger questions about life. Were these things that happened right? Obviously not. Was God still there? Obviously, we know yes. Why did He allow this?

Then from the biblical backdrop, we move into any country’s history. Slavery has been practiced all over the world. Why? What are the parallels between that and what the Bible says? Does God forgive sin individually and nationally? How does God still work in these hard cases? Who are some of the amazing people who God used throughout history? What about reading their biographies?

Stressing the parallels between physical and spiritual slavery to sin helps our children and grandchildren understand the Bible’s ultimate theme: redemption and deliverance from sin. Our responsibility is to help our children and grandchildren to see how the Lord works in injustice, through injustice, and despite injustice. And that, ultimately, He as the final judge guarantees that all injustice and sin is forever dealt with!

A Good Name Is Better Than Riches

By Apostle Dawn White-Gueary of Lite-Shine Ministries, Williamsport, Pa

How many of us are drawn to names of importance, such as a childhood icon, a movie star, a teacher, a leader, or a spiritual mentor? Names can carry a very strong presence, as well as either a good or a bad reputation. Proverbs 22:1 in the English Revised Version states that “a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.” The Passion Translation reads: “a beautiful reputation is more to be desired than great riches, and to be esteemed by others is more honorable than to own immense investments.”

We know that Proverbs was written as the Book of Wisdom. This verse implies that while our names have been chosen, to maintain a good reputation is also important. There is a very specific reason why you have been given your name. Each one has been chosen with great thought, perhaps with much research and prayer. Perhaps it has even been given as a family heirloom to carry on the legacy of your bloodline. In the same way, how we refer to God is important. Just as God has His name, Jesus has His name, and the Holy Spirit has His name, each serves a specific purpose, while also working together in unity.

Let’s start with the beginning in Genesis 1:26 where it states: “and God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” This not only means that He has orchestrated and designed us each by name, but that we have also been made in His image, which also exemplifies the importance of how we represent not only ourselves, our families, our loved ones, but God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

There are several passages in scripture that reveal we are God’s treasure, His hidden handiwork. Isaiah 64:8 states, “But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” 2 Corinthians 4:7 denotes that we are like fragile jars that are containing great treasure, which, in fact, is the greatest gift that we could ever behold. The greatest treasure that we could ever possess is to have Jesus living inside our heart and for the Holy Spirit to be our guide, our teacher, our comforter, our advocate, and our friend.

God is counting on us to represent Him well through continuing to remain postured in humility, obedience, and in daily surrender to Him. No matter what your earthly name, we have all been predestined into “sonship” and by the spirit of adoption through Christ Jesus in accordance with His pleasure and His will.

This not only adds a whole new dimension to our earthly name, but it also brands us with a seal through His blood and brings us into a place of favor and richness that we need to uphold and to protect. That carries much weight and accountability as to how we represent His name. It is not about vanity, nor is it about how great we are because of our abilities or even our failures, but it is about upholding our God-given responsibility to represent Him well and to guard the very treasure (anointing) that He has entrusted us with as His light bearers and His Glory carriers.

 

No More Cussing

By Rev. David Mansfield, Retired Disciples of Christ Pastor

Since retiring, I find I want to do a lot more cussing. I know; pastors are not supposed to curse, but hear me out, please. You see, my arthritic hands don’t work as they used to. I can’t open those snack bags anymore, and even those zip-lock ones cause me grief. I lose my grip on slippery bags, and the contents fall to the floor, requiring clean up. Bottles and jars are sealed tighter than they used to be, it seems to me, so that opening a simple bottle of water can be a chore. All these things I used to do without a thought, but now they are a source of frustration; thus, the choice words come flying out.

A few months ago, I was with a small group of pastors who I meet with for meditation and prayer once a month. When I was asked what I wanted prayer for, I said, “Pray that I stop cursing.” They looked at me with stunned silence, mouths hanging open. One person broke the silence: “Pastor Dave, I can’t imagine you ever cursing.”

I replied, “Well, I do” and explained my story. So they laid hands on me, and each prayed for me, some giggling under their breath in unbelief.

I am happy to report that those prayers were answered sometime later as I was gifted with insight into the spiritual fruit of gentleness. The nine fruits of the Spirit are “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (NIV). They are listed in Galatians 5:22-23. Love, joy, and peace are the ones that get top billing, but gentleness seems to get lost. Gentleness is a Christ-like quality. In Matthew 11:29, we read: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Gentleness is an attitude and an action. It is shown in how you love and care for others and how you act and speak. There is strong connection between gentleness and words. We read in Proverbs 15:1, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” We all know the power of gentle words at the right time that can be life giving. Gentleness is revealed in daily life by an understanding smile, a comforting touch, the delicate use of compassionate words, a gentle feeling, and a gentle approach to self and others.

Gentleness is evoked by something that is precious and vulnerable like a newborn baby, a new puppy, the innocent question of a child, and an aging saint bound to her bed. Beauty found in a lovely rose or a work of art or experience of time spent in nature can also evoke feelings of gentleness.

We treat things gently because they are fragile and precious, like a flower or something that holds a sentimental value to one we love. Think of gentleness as what you do when you carry three eggs in one hand across a room. The eggs are fragile and precious (due to current rising costs).

If you are as I am, you find it easier to be gentle with others but not so easy to be gentle with yourself. Is it possible to experience myself as precious, fragile, and vulnerable?

Often, I feel disappointed in myself, frustrated by my limitations. Such condemnation does not give rise to gentleness. At such times, I want to “whip myself into shape” or berate myself for some failure. What if, instead of judging myself so harshly, I gently look at myself as a unique gift of God and admit and accept the weakness, which makes me a fragile, earthen vessel? Gentleness towards myself is only possible when I recognize and own my own vulnerability. I must be able to look at myself with a forgiving eye. What would happen if I treated myself like those three eggs in one hand being carried across the room?

So I am learning how to be gentle with myself, accepting my limitations as the circumstances God has placed me in. When I stop fighting my frailties and allow myself to be the earthen vessel that I am, my frustration level goes down, and those words get caught before they fly.

 

Interpretation Of The Scriptures

By Rev. James Behrens, Retired United Methodist Pastor

Sunday, February 19th, is Transfiguration Sunday. This year the scriptures are Exodus 24:12-18 and Matthew 17:1-9. Exodus focuses on Moses, who went up on the mountain and was covered with a cloud, which could be described as the Holy Spirit. The Glory of God shone upon him, which was witnessed by Joshua, his successor. In the Gospel account of Matthew, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a mountain, where they witness Jesus being transfigured before them.

The three disciples were told not to share what they witnessed until after Jesus’ death. The Glory of God that day was seen by his disciples who also saw Moses (the greatest law giver,) Elijah (the greatest prophet) and Jesus. They were all present, as was God the Father and the Holy Spirit. In Exodus, as Moses was on the mountain, he was covered with a cloud. Similarly, in Matthew’s account, a cloud covered God the Father, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. A voice spoke from the cloud, which identified Jesus as God’s Son. Matthew 17:5 says, “While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’” (NRSV). It sounds a lot like the words heard when Jesus was baptized except for “listen to him.”

Later in the Epistle of Second Peter, we hear Peter witness to what he saw and experienced that day. Peter said in Second Peter 1:17-18, “For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory…We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.” Peter is testifying to his audience that he was shown the Glory of God and heard the voice confirm Jesus as God’s Son. He did not mention the other disciples who were present by name.

Not all of us have seen the Glory of God. Peter cautioned people then, and I want to do the same. I have been in many Bible studies and Sunday School classes over the years. Some of them were as simple as sitting at a table and reading the Bible and sharing our thoughts. Peter today says, “that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation.”

It is fine for us to share our thoughts with one another. But make sure that your interpretation is accurate and not just an opinion. It is nice to have different perspectives, and we can learn from one another.

I once knew a man who had read passages from Revelation. He came to me and began to interrogate me. He asked, “Where is the church in Philadelphia?” It took me a while to realize that he believed that the church in Philadelphia was Philadelphia, PA. We need to understand how others interpreted the scripture and why it was interpreted that way. We have too many people in society who seem to think that they are experts on everything. However, their reading and interpretation may or may not be true.

When I was a chaplain at SCI Muncy, I told the ladies when I preached to prove me wrong. If they proved me wrong, I was willing to change. Either way we both won; they engaged more with the scriptures, and even if they proved me wrong, we found the right answer. In Second Peter 1:21, he gives the following as the reason: “because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” There are many who will twist scriptures by their human will. They will make verses say what they want them to say to prove a point. On all scriptures, we need to understand through the Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost. Amen.

-Rev. James Behrens, Retired United Methodist Pastor

 

 

 

Coins And Gifts

By Richard DeMarte, Board Member at Large, United Churches of Lycoming County

The saying is “a penny for your thoughts.” They jingle in your pocket, rattle in your purse, and collect in the cup holder in your car. You might even have a coin jar or dish on your dresser (as I do). My loose change goes in there each evening. And then I get more as I make purchases in my daily walk. Businesses have penny dishes to allow customers to pay and round off the purchase price, and many churches have penny jars or even coin drives to help with their mission giving. Coins are place holders for our folding money and allow our economy to divide our cash into smaller units that can be handy and yet cumbersome to some.

According to Stan Hudson, a numismatic consultant for the Horn Archeological Museum of Andrews University Theological Seminary, “Few tangible reminders of everyday life have seen as little change over the centuries as have coins. Except for production techniques, coins have received little improvement in concept from Bible times.”

His article, “Coins Of The Bible” in ministrymagazine.org states, “Before coins in standard shapes and sizes were invented, payment was determined by weight. In fact, the terms ‘to pay’ and ‘to weigh’ were expressed by the one word shaqal. From this verb we get the word shekel (or more accurately, sheqel), which came to denote a somewhat fixed weight of approximately 12 to 14 grams.” Hudson goes on to state that in Genesis 13:2, “Abraham’s wealth was measured in gold, silver, and cattle.”

Exodus 30:13 states, “This is what everyone who is numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a contribution to the Lord” (NASB).

“Coins Of The Bible” continues staters “were silver coins” which were “equal to shekels” and came “from the city of Tyre and were used in the business of the Temple…Jews were forbidden to issue their own silver coins, so they were forced to use coins from this merchant city.” In Proverbs 20:23, “Solomon warned against the practice of cheating by using more than one set of weights.”

Money changers sat in the temples and exchanged Jewish money for staters, often at an overinflated price or using rigged weights. This was a key factor in Jesus’ clearing of the money tables in Matthew.

Coins are small, but small is not always insignificant. We have pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, even half dollars as our breakdown of folding money, and almost all cultures, past and present, have such small divisions as well. These coins serve more than place holders; they allow us to post charges and payments in very small units. In our early history, this was important because the average person did not possess larger amounts. We have carried the practice on into today.

This discussion of the usefulness of small coins relates to Paul’s admonition in Romans 12:4-8: “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully” (NIV).

We know that churches operate best with the various members using their gifts for growth and missions rather than rely on the pastor and a few key leaders to do it all.

Coins and gifts are both important small divisions that carry big returns.

Thank you for letting me put my two cents in.

Where To Find God

By Rev. Gwen Bernstine serves as pastor of Lycoming Presbyterian Church in the Newberry section of Williamsport

You have probably had your share of news today after perusing the newspaper. It often seems that most of our news is bad. Sometimes we get overwhelmed and wonder what is happening to our world. Where is God in the midst of the violence, disasters, tragedies, and accidents?

I have heard people ask what kind of God would allow such horrible things to happen. Others cry out in pain, asking what they did to deserve the catastrophe that has befallen them.

When we or those we care about are in trouble, we can desire a free pass to not assume any responsibility for our situation or to get out of our troubles safely. God does not give any of us a perfect life, free from human mistakes, accidents, or disasters.

We are, however, blessed to worship the God who created the heavens and the earth. This is the same God whose steadfast love and care we depend upon throughout all our days.

The 23rd Psalm speaks to God’s steadfast love for us. The first verses tell of God’s availability saying, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake” (NRSVue).

We are assured of God’s availability in good times and bad. David, the psalmist, continues: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

We are assured of God’s love all the days of our life as the psalm continues. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” The last verse of Psalm 121 makes it clear that “the Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.”

In the beginning, when the first people found God, they were in Eden. During the journey of God’s people, God was found in a burning bush and heard from the mountain tops. God led the Israelites in a cloud and sometimes dwelled in a tabernacle. We find God at church, on a walk in the park, as we talk to neighbors, and as we sit on our favorite chair.

Jesus showed us that God’s dwelling place is everywhere: everywhere throughout creation! It is within, beside, before, and following behind each of God’s beloved children. Yes, even you today! When we understand this, then the words of Psalm 84 bring even more joy to our hearts: “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.”

No matter who you are or where you are in life’s journey (as the United Church of Christ folk are fond of saying) God loves you and is always near!

God Is Enough

Have you struggled, wondering if God is enough? I know I have. Four years ago today, God took my godly, loving, strong husband Home with Him.
   For a year and a half, I was quite stoic. Then it happened; the shock and denial wore off. I was forced to look at the bitter reality. Tom, my husband, was not going to walk through the door, nor was he going to hold me tight and tell me everything would be fine.
   It was more than I could face. All kinds of thoughts were swirling around in my head. There were painful thoughts, not just for my personal life but for the lives of our daughters. Dad would not be there for their high school graduation, and he wouldn’t be walking them down the aisle on that special day. Was God really enough?
   I wasn’t angry at God. However, I didn’t understand how He would be enough. My pastor gave me a DVD course to watch. Surely, I would find answers. I found anger instead. The course’s teacher quoted Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (KJV). I love this verse. The teacher began to teach that whatever happens in our lives is needful because of what this verse says. That made no sense to me. It would not be needful for me not to have my husband or my daughters not to have their dad.
   My depression worsened. For the next two weeks I went nowhere, not even to church. I wore pajamas and sat on my couch. One day Pastor and his wife stopped to see me. I really didn’t want company. I just sat there through the visit.
   Ariel, Pastor’s wife, brought a jar filled with beautiful flowers. She placed them on the fireplace mantel. They tried to encourage me, and finally the Pastor prayed before they left.
   I just sat there waiting for God to show me something, anything. I looked at the beautiful flowers on the mantel. Yellow flowers, bright and cheerful, seemed to smile at me. Then I remembered that I would tell everyone that all flower arrangements needed at least one yellow flower. Yellow is an antidepressant. Here was a whole bouquet of yellow flowers.
   I began to feel joy for the first time in a while. God was speaking to my heart through flowers. He began to soothe my spirit and strengthen my weary body. The prayers of the pastor and my entire church family were being answered. I felt “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). God is enough when you allow Him to be. Our Lord does not force Himself on us. We must welcome Him and be sensitive to His “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12). It wasn’t God who gave Tom cancer or a bad reaction to medicine, but He did rescue him out of this world by taking Tom Home to be with Him before he had to endure unimaginable pain. We didn’t say “goodbye”; we said, “until we meet again.”
   God taught me to be thankful for the thirty-two plus years we had together, rather than bemoan Tom’s absence for a short while. Is God enough? God is more than enough. Let this new year be the year that you are sure that God is enough, and you, too, may find that He is more than enough. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3).

-Peggy Thompson, Junior Church Teacher, Victory Baptist Church, Bloomsburg

Shining God’s Light

By Pastor Bob Wallace, retired United Methodist Pastor

Jesus said, “…your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16 GNT).

Last month, we celebrated the greatest Gift of all time, the Gift of Jesus, God’s Son, the Savior of the World. As we journey into this new year of 2023, are we letting that greatest of all lights shine through us to God’s children around us?

We are in a season of darkness, the season of winter, that often pulls us down. God asks us to move through this season and every season empowered by the Light and Hope of His Son, Jesus. Are we choosing to do that? Are we letting our light shine in a way that points others to the Light and Hope for all the world, to Jesus Christ?

Looking upon our society, we see so much stress, anxiety, name-calling, division, and hurt. This is not unlike the society into which Jesus was born. What Jesus did and does is to point us all to the Light and Hope of God that is present, no matter what difficulties or heartaches we or the world might be facing.

In the midst of war, famine, poverty, sickness, hatred, and pain, God asks us, implores us, to point to and live our lives reflecting the hope, salvation, and love of Jesus. What greater good could we do for our hurting world in this new year of 2023 than to choose to love others, even our enemies and even those who are different from us, in the name of Jesus Christ?

A new family moved into a neighborhood that was very much the same as it had been for years. That family spoke Spanish as the first language. One of the children in the neighborhood heard others calling this new family names. The boy asked his mom why they were doing that. “Well, they are different,” she simply said. The boy thought about that for a moment and then said, “Mom, God tells us to love all people. Doesn’t that include our new neighbors and isn’t that what we should be doing?”

That very day, the mother walked with her son to the new neighbors, introduced themselves, welcomed them to their neighborhood, and gave them some homemade cookies. The new neighbors were very excited and grateful. The mother and son then invited them for an evening of food and games, to which the mother and son also invited many of the other neighbors. By the end of that evening, new friends had been made as the new family felt welcomed. Recipes were also exchanged and future dates were set to get together. The new family was invited to the mom and boy’s church and gladly accepted the invitation. God’s love was shining through, and the neighborhood was being enriched.

In this new year of our Lord 2023, may we commit ourselves to follow in the “Footsteps of Jesus” as we choose to love others as Jesus chooses to love us all. May this be a year in which we who follow Jesus allow the light and love of Jesus to shine through us to others to the glory of God.

Mary’s Song

By Joan Schell, Pine Street United Methodist Church, Williamsport

According to scholars, over ninety women are quoted in the Bible. We hear their words speak to us over the centuries. Biblestudytools.com states that women were created in God’s “likeness and image,” and their stories and words display God’s glory. Reading their words helps us in our life journey and understanding of our faith.

One of the women quoted in the Bible is Mary, the mother of Jesus. Scholars state that over 190 of her words are quoted. Mary is one of the five women named in the genealogy of Jesus, along with Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. The Living Insights Study Bible states, “As a devout Jew, Mary knew that God was with her and her people…She was the recipient of God’s grace, the one selected by God to help carry out [God’s] purposes…and plan through the promised Messiah, God’s one and only Son.” In addition to her genealogy, why was Mary selected for this important role?

To other people of her time, Mary was viewed as a young teenager, living a simple, sheltered life in a little village. It is hard for us to imagine how plain her life was. She was poor and only able to offer “‘a pair of doves or two young pigeons’” as a sacrifice at the Temple (Luke 2:24b NIV). Her future with Joseph was predictable and all planned out. There was no special reason that she would be noticed in life or remembered afterward. She probably looked very ordinary in her person and her dress.

However, God loved Mary and knew her potential. God said about another one of His servants, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart” (Jeremiah 1:5a). God then sent an angel named Gabriel who appeared to Zechariah, her relative’s husband, and then to Mary. Gabriel told her that she was “highly favored” and “the Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28). Although she appeared to be ordinary, God knew her and called on her to live an extraordinary life filled with challenges. Mary accepted Gabriel’s words even though she was “troubled” by them and needed to ask questions . She then said, “I am the Lord’s servant” (Luke 1:38a). The Jeremiah Study Bible tells us that Mary traveled forty miles to discuss these events with Elizabeth who said, “Blessed is she who has believed what the Lord has said” (Luke 1:45). There Mary created her praise song, “The Magnificat.” Although The Abingdon Bible Commentary suggests that Elizabeth created the song, her devout life more probably was one of the religious influences of Mary as a young person.

Mary’s song is a “bookend” to Hannah’s praise song in 1 Samuel 2:1-11. The Jeremiah Study Bible points out that Mary’s song and her wording have several parallels in the Hebrew Bible. This reflects Mary’s devotion to her religious studies. The Bible Reader’s Companion states that Mary may have heard Hannah’s song as she worshiped at the synagogue or from her parents’ religious instruction at home.

The Companion divides the song into four parts: “personal adoration and praise, celebration of God’s attributes, God’s correcting injustice, and praise for the mercy shown Israel.” Mary’s song starts in the present as she glorifies and rejoices in God. She describes herself as humble and being a servant of God. She accepts the responsibility of being God’s servant. Mary has “effect” and then “cause” statements. For example, she says, “all generations will call me blessed.” Why? Because “the Mighty One has done great things for me.” Then Mary talks about others, in the present and the past. She contrasts God’s treatment of the proud and mighty with the humble and disadvantaged. Mary ends by mentioning Israel, also God’s servant, and God’s covenant with Abraham. Her focus is on God.

Mary accepted God’s call in an intelligent, joyful way. She didn’t know that her future would hold so many challenges. She didn’t understand when Jesus stayed at the Temple, talking with the teachers. Later, she wanted Jesus to turn water into wine, even though he said, “My time has not yet come” (John 2:4). She wanted Jesus to remain the head of the family, rather than leaving to start his ministry (Matthew 12:46-50, Mark 3:31-33). She witnessed Jesus’ execution. In spite of all this, she still retained her faith. Her story starts before Christmas and goes to and past Easter. Today this “ordinary” person from long ago is still known and remembered all over the world.

Prayer: Help us to remember Mary as we go through our lives. God loves us too and has known about us and our potential even before we were born. Let us listen for God’s call and meet it with joy and acceptance, based on our religious knowledge and faith. Let us have religious mentors like Elizabeth. Remind us that it is acceptable to ponder events in our hearts and to ask questions, as Mary did. Comfort us as the angel Gabriel did when he said, “Do not be afraid” (Luke 1:30). Help us to face the challenges of the present and the future. Even though we may seem ordinary, help us to live extraordinary lives as God’s servants. Amen.