Even Me

I've been trying to record all of my sermons lately. I've missed a few, but have recorded most of them. Last week, I started actually listening to them. I've learned a few things from doing so. One thing I learned is that I can actually listen to them. I wasn't too sure, which is why it took me so long to start listening to them. 


That being said, I have been trying to figure out a way to post the audio. But I have yet to figure out a way. So I'll just do this - if you'd like to hear my sermons email me and I will email the audio file to you. In the mean time, I'll try to figure out how to post them.


This is my sermon from 12/18/2011 (3rd Sunday in Advent). Email me if you'd like the audio.



Our journey through Advent and toward Christmas has been an interesting one. It’s a journey that has taken us to the last week of Jesus life with him and the disciples standing in the shadows of the Temple and Jesus telling his students about his return. It has taken us twice into the world of John the Baptist or John the Baptizer, or John, sent by God. John preaching repentance and baptizing, preparing the way for the coming messiah. John as a witness to testify to the light, telling the world about Jesus.

All the while we look to the coming of the Christ child and we await the return of Christ. That is the already-not yet characteristic of Advent. The world already experienced Emmanuel, God with us. And we prepare our homes, our families, and our hearts to celebrate the incarnation. God coming to earth as a helpless infant, born in a cave to poor, seemingly ordinary parents. So we prepare to celebrate. And we prepare for Christ’s return. Because, Jesus has not yet returned.

So far our journey has been a backward journey. Beginning at the temple then into the wilderness with John, then another step backward to the beginning of John’s ministry. This week we step backward one more time.

Luke 1:26-38

This is a fantastic story. We have a girl probably no older than 16 or 17, visited by Gabriel and told she’s going to have a baby. Not just any baby, but one to sit on David’s throne. The son of God. Talk about over whelming.


The story is called “The Annunciation”. Gabriel announces to Mary what her future holds, well, actually I’m not so sure it’s an announcement. But it is a story that tells us a great deal about Mary, and I think it has a great deal to say about us and about God.

Six months into the pregnancy of her cousin Elizabeth, an angel Gabriel appears to a young girl in Nazareth. He appears and greets her as a favored one. And I love her response. Mary is perplexed. “
The Amplified Bible says “she was greatly troubled and disturbed and confused at what he said and kept revolving in her mind what such a greeting might mean.”

So it sounds like Mary is already skeptical. I think this tells us something about Mary already. We don’t know exactly how old Mary was at this point. It is generally accepted that she was a teenager. Likely in her early teens. The life expectancy for women was only about 35 years, so when a woman reached child bearing age, she would get married. Most scholars think Mary was between 14 and 17 years-old. A teenager, alone when an angel appears out of nowhere. Now, I don’t think the angels as described in the Bible are as sweet and beautiful as we like to think of them. I think it’s significant that their first words are usually “Do not be afraid.” I imagine it’s a frightening sight. But Mary’s not scared, she’s troubled and confused. And not at the sight of an angel. She’s troubled about his greeting. Maybe she’s afraid he’s up to something.

Gabriel goes on with his pitch. Because that’s what it is really. It’s a pitch. He is pitching a story, or a plan to her. This is not so much an announcement as it is sort of a job offer. Gabriel makes his pitch. “You’re going to have a baby. A boy named Jesus. He will be a great man. He will reclaim the throne of David. He will reign forever.”

Mary is still skeptical. “That can’t be because…well trust me, it can’t.”

Gabriel continues his sales pitch. “The holy Spirit will take care of that. You don’t worry about it. You’re son will be called Son of God. By the way, your cousin, Elizabeth, is pregnant. She’s old. Everyone said she’d never have a baby and she’s 6 months pregnant. Because with God involved, nothing is impossible.”

And now, Mary is convinced. She gives her answer: “Here I am, a servant of God. Let it be with me according to your word.” Mary offers herself to serve God having no idea what to expect. But she trusts God.

Mary is an interesting figure in Christianity. Especially through the history of the church. Over the years her importance has grown and shrank more than a few times. There are some faith traditions that revere Mary, almost to the point of worship. Others almost completely ignore her. They see her as little more than a tool God used.

In the Catholic church, Mary is very important. Countless churches and schools are named after her. She is seen as a go between with sinners on earth and God. They even pray to Mary. Her role has changed over the centuries. Eventually she was declared to be absolutely free from sin, before and after Jesus birth. She was said to have remained a virgin for her entire life. She didn’t die a natural death, but was taken directly to heaven. Many protestants think the Catholic church over-emphasizes Mary’s role. On the other hand, most Catholics would say that we Protestants under-emphasize Mary.

For many people she is little more than a peasant woman chosen to bring the Son of God into the world. Nothing more, nothing less.


Both of these views, right or wrong, miss something important. Both of them miss out on the wonderful example Mary provides of what it means to be a person of faith, someone who struggles with the demands of life and the demands of faith.

Looking at Mary and her response to this call from God, we see what it means to answer God’s call. We see someone struggle and then lean on faith.

Mary initially responds to her call in the same way many of us respond. “Impossible.”

Have a baby? No way! I can’t so that!

Her mind immediately goes to one question. “How?” How can I have a baby? Impossible!

I don’t know about you, but that response sounds really familiar to me. How can I go to seminary and become a pastor? How can I teach a Sunday School class? How can I start a food bank? How can we do that? It’s impossible!

Well, we’re given a promise in our story. “Nothing will be impossible with God.”

It’s up to us to answer the call. Notice how Mary answers, “Let it be with me according to your word.” Let it be with me. Not to me. Mary knows it is a partnership; she’s not called to do this alone. She also knows that God won’t do it alone either.

And that’s my first question to you. Being the first implies that there will be others. When God calls how do you respond? With receptivity and a sense of partnership? Or do you feel that God is always doing or not doing something TO you?

And a second question: What has God asked you to do that you’ve said is impossible? What will it take for you to trust that with God, it’s not?

Mary can help us get past another roadblock to answering God’s call. Sometimes we think God might be calling us to do something, but we can convince ourselves God’s not calling us, because we’re not qualified or not worthy. Mary was a poor girl from a tiny little village. The chips were as stacked against her about as much as they can be stacked against anyone.

Women in her society were second class citizens. An unmarried pregnant woman was cause for disgrace. She was too poor. She was too young. She was the wrong gender. She was nobody from nowhere. And God shoes her to be the Theotokos – the God-bearer.

Do you still think your unworthy? Because each one of us is called to be a God-bearer also. Not in the same way Mary was, obviously. But it is our job to bring god to the world. To share God. To show God’s love to the world. And every one of us is nobody from nowhere. Except in God’s eyes.

God used Mary, nobody from nowhere, not just in a biological way in bearing and giving birth to Jesus, But he used her as a prophet. Earlier we read a passage known as the Magnificat. In that song or poem, Mary sings praise to God and foreshadows the ministry of Jesus. Jesus who, first and foremost, came for the nobody from nowhere.

I read this great quote last night and I don’t remember who wrote it. “Mary’s story moves us all from who we think we are to what God has called us to be, from observant believer to confessing apostle.” We serve a God who loves us, a God who, like Gabriel told Mary, favors us. God greets us the same way.”Greetings, favored one!” Or the literal translation is “endued with grace”. We are endued with grace. We are favored. We are loved. It is that love that calls us to be God-bearers. It is that grace that tells us with God, nothing is impossible.