Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.” – Luke 1:34-35

Of all the miracles ascribed to Jesus throughout the New Testament, the most miraculous to me is still his fulfillment of the prophecy that a Hebrew Messiah would be born of a virgin. My disbelief of miracles such as this was one of the main reasons that for decades of my life I steadfastly refused to identify as “Christian” — and why I used to envy the “faith of my fathers.” Going back a millennium or so ago, it seems as though reconciling empirical knowledge with the miracles described throughout the Bible would have been less of a stretch to one’s credulity. Or so I thought. As it was, belief in the “magical thinking” of the Bible created a litmus test that I simply couldn’t pass — and out of respect for the Christian faith, I couldn’t sign on with a sense of integrity.

My absolutism changed in a moment of epiphany during the most unlikely of circumstances. Carol and I were at a dinner theater performance with some congregation members of All Saints Episcopal Church in Boise, where I had tentatively begun dipping my toes in its liturgical waters. At some point in the dinner conversation, the topic turned to the Immaculate Conception, and I was shocked to hear a respected and long-standing member of All Saints state, very matter-of-factly, that he’d never believed in that particular miracle. “Excuse me,” I remember asking, “but isn’t that kind of a de rigor article of faith?” While I don’t remember his reply, I do remember coming away thinking that the particulars of Christ’s birth ultimately don’t enhance or detract from what really matters most to me today as a professed Christian: the relevance and power of the Gospel Message, and Jesus Christ as the Word Made Flesh… however conceived.

These days, even as we are dazzled by the pace of scientific discovery, I find myself less pushed around by the need to reconcile the miraculous and the scientific. Quite the contrary: that duality itself seems more suspect to me these days than belief in miracles. In fact, the more we learn about the origins of the universe, the more susceptible we should be to the miraculous, and the more our faith should reflect the words of Paul:

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

Lord, you give us solace in our faith. Thank you for sending your Son among us to teach us your will and may the power of the Holy Spirit dwell in us as it did in Mary. Amen.
-Michael Boss

“He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”– Luke 1:32-33

What a promise! Think of being Mary and hearing this promise from God!

He will be great – an encouraging promise for Mary.
He will be called the Son of the Most High – more hopeful, reference to God.
The Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David – Wow!
He will reign over the house of Jacob forever – Better & better!
And of his kingdom there will be no end – His kingdom will last forever!

Can you imagine what Mary might have thought? Or what she believed? The angel’s message was unbelievable, except that it obviously had to come from God. And, so, Mary believed it.

Have you ever heard an unbelievable message from God? Stay tuned—God still delivers seemingly-unbelievable messages, sometimes from an angel, sometimes in a dream, sometimes from another person. Stay tuned for God’s messages to you.

Dear God, help us to stay open to your messages to each of us, so that we will believe and act on your plans for us. Help us to listen! Amen.
-Barb Cheyney

But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.” – Luke 1:29-31

The story sits on the margin between history and legend, persistent in its ability to tell a story greater than itself. It is 1531, ten years after the fall of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital. The Spaniards ruled, and the Indians were exiles in their own land.

On December 9th, Juan Diego, an Indian man, was on his way to Mass at dawn. He was met by the hill of Tepeyac by the Virgin Mary, who appeared to him as brown like he, and spoke to him in his own tongue, not Spanish. She asked him to tell the Bishop to build a church in her honor on the place. Who was Juan Diego to make such a request of the Spanish Bishop? But she had chosen him, and he went three times at her bidding. On the final visit, he took with him the sign she had provided, roses of Castile. When he opened his tilma or serape, in which he had wrapped them, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was emblazoned on it. The miracle cut the Spanish bishop to the heart, and the next day the Indian man took the Spanish bishop to the place, where a church building was commissioned.

As Episcopalians, what do we do with a story like this? We can read it as an Advent story. During this time, we read a lot of prophecies of God’s advent in our world, which turns the social order right-side-up, changes the course of human history, and gives birth to a new thing: a remade humanity. Similarly, into the darkness of the world of the conquered, God sends a heavenly emissary, the Mother of God, to give a downtrodden man power enough to change the course of Latin-American history. The powerful listens to the powerless, and a new thing is born: a Christianity native to this land.

God of liberation, give us grace to do justice. Amen.
-Fr. Paul Moore

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” – Luke 1:26-28

We are jumping from the Old Testament to the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament now. In the previous 25 verses, the birth of John the Baptist has been foretold, John’s father Zechariah has been struck mute for not believing the angel telling him about the impending birth of his son, and John’s mother Elizabeth has conceived him, taking away the disgrace she had endured among her community for being barren.

Are you feeling caught up now? Good! Moving on…

An angel comes to an unmarried teenage girl in Nazareth who is engaged to a much older man. It is probably a good thing that the angel’s first words to her are that she is favored and that the Lord is with her because I cannot imagine the terror she would be feeling at a heavenly visitor suddenly appearing to her. The message he (the angel) is bringing is one that could potentially threaten her life or undo the marriage arrangement that was supposed to be happening because it was a huge stain on the family if a woman was found to be pregnant out of wedlock.

Ignoring the societal realities at play here, we are about to receive some amazing news: God is coming to dwell with us! God is putting on skin (paraphrasing the words of the Lutheran pastor, author, and speaker Nadia Bolz-Weber) and coming to live with us! The amazing part? God isn’t just descending on earth with a huge light show and a massive choir of angels visible everywhere. Instead, God is coming in the womb of a teenage girl in the backwaters of some obscure Roman territory. What does it say about God that the “favored one” is someone who has some of the least power on earth?

Thank you, God, for turning the expected order of things on its head and sending Jesus to come to one without status or prestige. Amen.
-Jen McCabe

It is with wonder and awe I open the Bible to The Magnificat, taken from the Gospel in Luke 1:46-55. My wonder is the Blessed Virgin Mary, a woman chosen by God. My awe is teachings from the Bible, a gift from God. After experiencing a Pentecostal background both Biblically and ministerially I have been led to the Episcopal world of ministry. Once again, I am like a new Christian which can be both exhilarating and new.

As I reflect on the Magnificat, it is the words of the prayer of praise of Mary. It is the essential link between humility and holiness. God recognized a handmaid when the angel Gabriel shared with her of the impending birth of Christ. We may never be able to approach Jesus from Mary’s level of sanctity as the Mother of God. Although we are offered her words in response to Elizabeth’s greeting, glorifying God and thanking Him for choosing her to bear His Son. This prayer of praise is used all over the world and through many faiths.

Mary was chosen by God through whom the Messiah came. The announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary is called The Annunciation. It is dear to the world because it is a prophecy of the Savior Jesus Christ’s birth, to foretell of the grace and peace that would come to mankind from God through Jesus Christ.

No matter how the world is changing around us, God’s goodness is unmatched, we can trust in Him (Nahum 1:7: Exodus 33:19; Psalm 25:8; 34:8; Matthew 19:17.) I trust and remain in wonder and awe of the privilege to read the Word of God, and today to hear the word of Mary’s praise.

Our Father in heaven, thank you for your Mercy and Grace. Thank you for never leaving us. Thank you for sharing the words of Mary so that we may feel and hear her response. I pray I would say yes to anything asked of me. Forgive us when we don’t thank you enough. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
-Acacia Kimball

The Magnificat is a response to some pretty esoteric stuff: a virgin, an angel, a message from God, a kingdom without end. And the virgin’s acceptance of all this with extraordinary simplicity, innocence, and trust. And then the exuberant exultation as this powerless, vulnerable maiden suddenly finds herself vaulted into the arena of world events. Was I ever so young and trusting? I would more likely have said, “I know this is your plan, Lord, but…geez!” Mary just said “yes” and became the bearer of the Son who brought good news to a broken society and ultimately to a broken world.

Israel saw healings and forgiveness, saw the lowest cared for, their humanity acknowledged, their place in society restored. Then the scales of justice slowly began to move into balance. The lowly were lifted up, the powerful were brought down. With this maiden-mother’s son God deposed the tetrarch and his collaborators. Down through the centuries, her name became a prayer for many while the titles of powerful men turned to dust. Her child grew to manhood and overwhelmed an empire with mercy.

God had rocked the world in order to fulfill an ancient covenant. God’s people would see that he had not given up on them, even though they had forgotten their part of the bargain. God kept faith because that’s what God does. This is good news for the world, and for me.

Even when I fall, the Holy One lifts me. The events that seem to rule my life are nothing compared to him. He loved me from birth, took me as his own at baptism, and promised me his eternal love. Can I return that love, every day? Can I love what he loves? Can I exalt his name forever? That is my prayer.

O Holy One, may I love you and praise you daily, love those you love, and answer yes when you call. Amen.
-Carol Treston