“In a World of Divide and Conquer, God Dares to Prepare for Birth” The Reverend Angela L. Ying
Luke 1:46-55
The Reverend Angela L. Ying
Bethany United Church of Christ
Prophet
Preparation
Praise
Presence
Promise
What do all these words have in common?
Answer: A Peasant
And more specifically, on this fourth Sunday in Advent, the young peasant, Mary, mother of Jesus, who I believe is the most radical of prophets.
“She is so certain about God’s promised future, that Mary sings about it in the past tense!”
Look with me, for what we will find true in life is also true in scripture — the active verbs come alive and through the written pages.
It’s what we do and do not do, as people that concerns humanity.
And as friend and colleague, Anna Carter Florence says, “It is the verbs we cannot imagine for ourselves (live, liberate, forgive, resurrect) that the church offers, and that we reach for week after week.”
In world of divide and conquer — which we see again in the headlines with war, violence and police brutality and profiling —, God dares to prepare for birth.
You heard me correctly …
For Birth.
Amidst and please note: not without the need for forgiving, grieving and healing in community — God still dares to prepare us for birth, for birthing and for re-birth.
God did it when Elizabeth, cousin of Mary who gave birth to John the Baptist, felt barren and isolated.
God did it when Zechariah, faithful priest was in the sanctuary, and went speechless.
God did it when Joseph, humble carpenter, had a plan that needed redirecting so God could live out God’s dream through human beings, such as Joseph.
God did it when the empire and kings thought they were the ones in control.
What kind of God is this, who in a world of divide and conquer, dares to prepare you and me for birth, for birthing and for rebirth?
One whom Mary proclaims, “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Mary said “Yes, to God”
And because of one affirmative yes to God — everything changes.
You may think in this season, your voice and presence is insignificant.
Let me tell you — God created you special and sacred.
God enjoys you.
God loves to forgive you and longs for you to know that you are forgiven.
God calls you into holy partnership to help God heal this broken world.”
“The temptation in all temptations —- remember the prayer Jesus teaches his followers known as the Lord’s Prayer — “lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil” —- is to get us to doubt our deepest identity as Beloved.”
You may, at times, think God has no need of you in this community, and yet, that does not change the fact that you are God’s Beloved and called in building this community.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, in her song, confirms it.
Anyone want to say “Amen” to that?
Amen!
Look at the active verbs in Mary’s song of praise.
Call them out! [The congregation calls them out.]
Magnifies
Rejoices
Looked with favor
Blessed and not just blessed “Call me (yes, you!), us blessed”
Mercy for those who fear God (and God alone).
Do you know the blessing “ …May you fear God enough that you need fear nothing else at all.”
Shown strength
Scattered the proud (in the thoughts of their hearts)
Brought down the powerful (from their thrones)
Lifted up the lowly
Filled the hungry with good things — does not just say feed — it says fill with good things!
Sent the rich away empty — now that is a great spiritual practice of generosity and stewardship in creating good stewards.
What would happen to the rich if they were sent away empty — could they join the rest of the 99% in new birth?!
Imagine!
You think this is possible or does Mary need to be sent to a mental institution at this point.
For here is the thing, dear people — if we can imagine it, as the young peasant, Mary does — that nothing will be impossible for God!
And this fourth Sunday of Advent, we need each another in community to help one another re-imagine —- to actually see that this possible.
To see that in a world of divide and conquer, God dares to prepare us for birth, birthing and re-birth
By God thinking of the toughest vision for a humble south end church to carry through and bring to birth each day and praying that we dare to do it.
For to be, truly be cross-cultural, multi-racial, intergenerational, open and affirming and anti-racist, we cannot see Mary’s song as a nice lullaby.
We need to see it as a wake up call of God continually wanting to set things right for this broken world of divide and conquer.
And God does it through, not kings and queens and definitely not the military.
God does it time and time again with people, as you and me, who hear God’s call, dare to say “Yes” to God amidst our doubts and fears and will do it, because WE CAN SEE IT — AS MARY, MOTHER OF JESUS, SEES IT!
If you ever wonder why this vision – why here at Bethany — and how we could not have chosen a harder vision to carry out with God in bringing together and building community with people of different races, cultures, ages and backgrounds — Be not afraid — faithful people before us had to struggle with the same faith and hope in God too.
If you ever feel discouraged here at Bethany and ask what in the world we are doing and where is God in all of this, when it is so much easier (at least initially) to simply fit into a world of divide and conquer — go back to Mary’s prophetic song.
For Mary, as you and I are not called to fit in. We are called by faith in the love of God to stand out.
So God can remind us as people of faith who we are and whose we are as God
Magnifies
Rejoices
Looks with favor
Call you blessed
Does great things
Has mercy on those who fear God
Show strength
Scatters the proud
Brings down the powerful
Lifts up the lowly
Fills the hungry with good things
Sends the rich away empty
Continues to keep God’s promise to all people that goes back generations beginning with Abraham, Sarah and Hagar.
We will find the strength to sing God’s song.
We will be given the courage to say “Yes!” to Jesus.
And for all those times that you and I feel weak and fearful, rather than strong with courage, God dares to prepare us for birth by standing with us, not just alone, but in building community — right here.
For there are things we will do in community, for the sake of building God’s community that we could not and yes, would not do by and for ourselves.
I realize that we, here, at Bethany Church are twelve years old now.
No longer a babe or an infant. Not even a toddler or preschooler.
A twelve years old — aka: approaching teenager!!!
And with this, I am reminded that at twelve, and not at three or six or even ten, I was invited by the church youth, with my younger sister to go to Six Flags — an amusement park. To remind each youth to have fun in being a youth.
And at that amusement park, there was not just one, but many roller coasters.
In hindsight, that may be why they call it Six Flags — there was at least one red flag!
I do not like or enjoy roller coasters.
I do not like them with green eggs and hams, Bethany.
I do not like them with a fox, near a house, with a mouse.
I do not like riding roller coasters.
There were plenty of other attractions and activities to keep me comfortable all day.
UNTIL …
Yes, did I tell you my younger sister also came on the church outing of having fun being a youth.
My younger sister loves and enjoys roller coasters.
My younger sister likes them with a fox, near a house, with a mouse.
My younger sister likes riding roller coasters.
BUT …
She was not tall enough to go on the rollercoaster by herself without another who was above the Yogi Bear line …
And though I stand today a petite 5 feet 3 — God somehow made me tall enough for the Yogi Bear line — at the park, that day.
“Oh, will you please go with me on the rollercoaster. They will not let me go alone?” my younger sister asked.
One of my first lessons in life in learning the importance of building community — which, mind you, begins at home with the family.
Reluctantly, I said, “Yes!”
As Mary, I am certain, I also wondered what in the world I had gotten myself into.
Because the line was long and the rollercoaster was right in front of me — I had plenty of time to think about it, to get out of it, to withdraw myself, to hide.
BUT …
By the time I could actually feel my fears — my younger sister and I were at the front of the line.
The attendant belted us in and pulled the thick mental bar in front of us.
My first sign that this was not going to be a secure and comfortable ride.
I held tightly to the mental bar and began to close my eyes in fear.
My younger sister on the other hand, seemed clueless as to what was about to happen to both of us.
She actually looked excited — as if she would enjoy it.
As I heard the car go up the creaky rails — click, click, clickety-click — higher and higher — I held tighter and tighter and braced myself for what was about to happen.
My younger sister looked at me as if I was out of control.
I was!
“What are you doing, she asked?”
“Figuring out the best way to tolerate this ride praying that it ends very soon.”
“What?” My sister responded, “You are going to be miserable holding on so tightly that way.”
“I know.”
“Well, why don’t you let go!”
“What do you mean?”
Now I was the one feeling as if I was the one being clueless.
“Let go of the bar and open your arms, my sister said.”
“Yeah, right — what good will that do?”
“Why everything changes!”
After many bumps and stomach pains of holding tighter and tighter to the bar — something or perhaps, someone got me to let go and open my hands, throw my hands up and okay, SCREAM!
… And it was good!
Mary sang her song.
Chances are big that she did not do it by or for herself.
She needed a sense of meaning and in building community.
And by God’s help — God came. God in Jesus, comes!
If you will not be build community by yourself, for yourself, then as Mary, do it with God, in daring to build up and in building community.
And as you dare to do so, let your soul magnify the Lord with your life — a life of open eyes and open arms!
And the people said, “Amen!”