Sermon for 21th December - Mary the Prophet
I wonder what you think of when you think about Mary? What images and words come to mind?
Historically the church has focussed on her obedience, her purity, her faith and her consent. We see her in nativity scenes, and we honour her as the mother of Jesus, the woman whose womb carried God himself….And I want to affirm all of this…..AND YET…
Today, I want to recognise Mary as so much more than obedient, faithful and pure – I want to remember Mary the prophet, the visionary – Mary whose response to God’s invitation, was to sing the Magnificat, (which we’ve just sung).
The Mary who inspires me, is the girl, who responded to God’s call, not only with obedience and faith, but with joyful prophesy and vision.
The church does not talk about this enough. For example, did you know that Mary’s song is soaked in Jewish women's history, echoing the words and stories of Miriam, Hannah, Judith, and Deborah and comprises the longest set of words spoken by a woman in the New Testament?
Have you recognised the astonishing fact that Mary sang her prophetic song on her cousin Elizabeth’s doorstep, while Zechariah, the “official” spokesperson of God, endured his divine silencing?
Were you aware that the song’s socioeconomic and political implications are so subversive, its lyrics have been banned many times in modern history?
For example, when the British ruled India, the Magnificat was prohibited from being sung in churches.
During the "Dirty War" in Argentina, after the mothers of disappeared children postered the capital plaza with the words of the Magnificat, the military junta banned all public displays of the song.
Mary’s version of hope, they decided, was too dangerous a thing for public consumption.
Now it strikes me, that in our world right now, we are in urgent need of prophesy and vision – to counteract much of the war-mongering, toxic masculinity and increasing polarisation we are seeing.
Our world needs people willing to speak out and challenge the numerous messages of hate and division that flood our newspapers and social media.
Our church needs people willing to speak out for full inclusion of all races, genders, sexualities, and abilities, for all those who have been oppressed by society and continue to be oppressed, not just by society but by some of our church rules, like the ones preventing gay clergy from marrying their partners. This cannot continue….not if we take Mary’s words seriously.
As an aside – there is an open letter to the house of bishops which I commend to you and would ask you to consider signing – the link (https://www.inclusive-church.org/llf-open-letter/) will be emailed out to everyone tomorrow and is also at the back of church for you to take a photo of if you’d like to.
Debie Thomas: “Mary's song forever dismantles the self-protective walls we erect between our personal piety and God's insistence on systemic justice. We can't choose the first only and call it Christianity.
To love the helpless infant who comes to us on Christmas Day is to love the one who grows up to raise valleys and level mountains, to liberate the oppressed and dethrone the arrogant… To love this God is to yearn for a reordered world with the same passion and urgency Mary voices in her justice song.”
Let me point out one more thing about Mary’s song – have you noticed how it begins?
It begins with rejoicing and the recognition of being blessed. All of Mary’s prophesy and vision is coming from a place of joy and love, not a place of resentment or fear. This is a beautiful example of how to challenge with love.
I would like to suggest, that if we are to effectively tackle all the injustice and hatred we see in the world, we need to begin by being thankful for our many blessings, by rejoicing in all God has done for us and by loving others, as God loves us.
This is Mary – a woman so open to God’s love and blessings, that she overflows with both rejoicing and prophetic vision. She becomes the bearer of God, AND a prophet for God, one whose words have been sung throughout the centuries.
The Magnificat is a song of hope…and Hope is precisely what we're called to cultivate on this fourth and final Sunday in Advent.
Today, I pray, that we would renew our hope in God’s kingdom coming on earth, that we would heed God’s call for systemic justice, that we would use our voices to sing out with love.
Can you do it? Can you find your voice and share it with a world more desperately in need than ever? Amen
Ref: Debie Thomas
The Magnificat
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed; the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name.
He has mercy on those who fear him, from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm; and has scattered the proud in their conceit,
Casting down the mighty from their thrones, and lifting up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, to remember his promise of mercy,
The promise made to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children for ever.