Becoming God-Bearers

On this last Sunday before Christ’s arrival, there is a different tone to the Advent lectionary. For the prior three weeks, we have received multiple Advent reminders – warnings really - that the Messiah is coming, and will come again... to judge, save and rule eternally. We’ve been told we need to be ready; we should prepare; we need to be on the look-out… for our Emanuel-God-who-is-coming-to-be- with-us.

But today we finally move beyond John the Baptist’s prophetic – if unsettling - proclamations about the One yet to come in power and judgment… and begin to deal with the actual facts of this child, Jesus,’ birth. In today’s introductory back-story to Christ’s birth – in these few Gospel verses – Luke not only begins to fill in some of the birth details, but he establishes at least five foundational themes for the entire Gospel narrative. Today we come to what some have called the spiritual summit of Advent… the theological underpinnings for Christ’s Incarnation.

We hear – woven into Gabriel’s announcement to Mary – that God is the “Most High;” that the Holy Spirit is the agent of God’s power; and that the Grace of God is mysteriously at work in the world, actively fulfilling His ancient Covenant promise to David, for “a house and …kingdom (that) shall be… established forever.” Luke makes clear that these three OT themes are the foundation for Mary’s startling encounter; and he goes on to introduce the theological details of Jesus’ divine Sonship, and His role as Messiah and ruler over God’s covenantal kingdom.

Huge, cosmic, God-ordained themes – all captured in the events described in this final Advent week’s Gospel, and ultimately in the birth of Jesus Christ. Over the centuries, serious and devout theologians have prayed and written about the majestic implications compressed into these few verses. Yet – incredibly - the single human soul asked to literally carry and deliver all these profound truths - in the Child-Savior to come … is a poor, seemingly-unimportant, 12 or 13 year old girl, from an insignificant, and ill-reputed village in Galilee. Mary was extraordinary - only in her ordinariness. The God of All Creation chose to rely upon her frail body to incubate Himself… until He could be born as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! All this eternal and universal wonderment nourished and sustained in – one small, insignificant girl’s life.

Even though Luke makes clear that Mary was clearly called by God into her role in history – in the same way and manner as the likes of Moses and Abraham were called, by the way - I can’t help but wonder what that moment with Gabriel must have been like for Mary.

Even at 12 or 13 – perhaps especially at 12 or 13 – Mary likely had her own dreams and plans for her life. It is unlikely that any of these would have included having at baby before she was properly married to Joseph. All she had planned for her life was instantly upended. Everything carefully set in motion was thrown off track. All she thought she understood about the world, and family, and friends… and even perhaps about God Himself, was challenged, if not completely altered – in an instant. All she could whisper at Gabriel’s news was a wide-eyed: “How can this be?”

I suppose we could believe that Mary had no choice in the matter. After all, the angel didn’t ask if she wanted to be the Mother of God. He simply told her that God had been gracious to her, and that answering His call to bear this astonishing child – at her unexpected age, in her inconvenient circumstance - had everything to do with that Grace. And so, Mary said “Yes” to God. And, unlike Abraham, or Moses, or Isaiah – or any of the others for whom Scripture records God’s call – unlike anyone else – Mary says “Yes” to God after - after - she finds out exactly what God has in mind for her!

The fact is that the grand cosmic gift Mary was given – and the profound mystery she would carry into the world - came to her in the news that she would soon be an unmarried pregnant girl - at a time, and in a place where few would have found that to be Good News. Yet even then… she said: “Yes, Lord.” And this was no arm-twisted, sour acceptance of the inevitable. Read her “Yes, Lord” in the enthusiastic and devoted words of her glorious Magnificat (which is printed as Canticle 15 in today’s bulletin.)

And so, Beloved of God, it is here that the vaulted peaks of theology become practical. Tucked beneath all the urgency and profundity and cosmic significance of God’s work through Mary – perhaps it is here that we can find an unlikely – more earthy – incubating blessing. Perhaps we will find a small piece of ourselves, a tiny, practical identity with the glorious role of Mary, and the Grace of God she delivered.

Like Mary, we all make plans; we prepare, and set our priorities – as Advent warns us to do. But then, Life happens… often while we think we are awaiting God’s grand, calling presence. Yet perhaps part of what God is showing us through Mary, is not only the wonder of His plan to enter the world - and our lives – in Christ – but that He can do so in the unexpected – or initially shattering – situations in life that just happen – in spite of our plans. It might be that part of Christ’s birth into our own private world – comes in the midst of the chaos and fear of shattered plans. It might just be that God’s call to you and to me is actually delivered via the happy and unhappy - unexpected events that interrupt our own self-designed plans. The fact is that, while Mary’s Call-Interruption was the most glorious call ever offered anyone… on the front end of that call, it might have felt – to her – like anything but a glorious blessing! Might it all hinge on how we respond – to every situation – as if that circumstance were God’s Call to us!

In the Eastern Church, Mary has a special designation. She is called “Theotokos” – “The God-Bearer.” Whatever her plans had been – with Joseph, and her family, and a quiet, predictable life-without-incident – she was offered – called into – YHWH’s completely unexpected Real Life – as the Bearer of God into a world in desperate need of His Saving Grace. And that designation rested upon her obediently – joyfully - confidently - behaviorally - saying “Yes” to God – in spite of everything she might have planned for herself.

The thing is that, if God’s grand call comes in the everyday, unpredictable, glorious and tragic twists of life – that changes everything about what it means to say “Yes” to God. If God can call to us in what seems to be the arbitrary, or the unfair, or the grief, or even the horrors of life, then answering that Call – our own personal call – is to say “Yes” to God – behaviorally – in the midst of events or circumstances which can appear to have nothing whatever to do with God. There are no parenthesizes in Life… everything that is thrown at us – is an opportunity to peacefully – even joyfully! - say “Yes” to God… and may BE, in fact, the very place God wants to birth His blessing and call in Your life.

It means that perhaps your Call to say “Yes Lord” is delivered in the doctor’s frightful diagnosis. Another’s call may come when that job you needed - ends… with hardly a glance at you as the door smacks you on the back. Perhaps, God’s call rings out in even those circumstances that seem determined to overtake us.

And perhaps answering God’s call is really nothing more or less than the simplest, hardest thing in the world… to say “Yes, Lord” when we just know we deserve better, when Life doesn’t play fair; when Goodness itself seems a long way away from us. Saying “Yes, Lord,” then, is to truly hear- and respond to God’s call – just as Mary did.

So here we find ourselves. The journey of Advent warnings and preparations draw to a close with Mary – with the God-Bearer – who was called to hear God’s voice in the least likely- or easy - of circumstances… and to say “Yes Lord! Here I am!” Here I am…

This is where Advent brings us… to the all too familiar ground of unexpected, inconvenient, “I’m-not-in-control” …LIFE … and the stunning idea that we insignificant, ordinary folk have more than we’d imagined in common with the “Theotokos” - God-Bearer. Perhaps, in the twists and turns of our lives, we too are called – just as she was – to say “Yes” – to LIVE our “Yes” to God… in every circumstance… because we just never know where God is calling us, or what Glory He is calling us to!

On this last Sunday of Advent, we prepare - we join - with Mary- the-ordinary, Mary - the God Bearer. And on Christmas morn, as you too peer in wonderment into the crèche, and hear the gentle, saving coos born with our Emanuel God-with-us… you might just hear His profound, mysterious, tender calling into your own life:

“Greetings, Favored Ones! The Lord is with you! Do not be afraid. For nothing… nothing… is impossible with God.”

AMEN