Fourth Sunday of Advent
(Not a real full-fledged homily...more like lengthy musings;)
A lot of smallness in our readings...
The Lord says:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,
Too small to be among the clans of Judah,
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,
Too small to be among the clans of Judah,
and
then from that smallness:
From you shall come forth...
…and then greatness
...reaching to the ends of the earth.
…and then greatness
...reaching to the ends of the earth.
not particularly predictable
And then to think of the story of Mary and
Elizabeth
The Visitation...as a meeting of wombs.
Wombs housing such smallness
The Visitation...as a meeting of wombs.
Wombs housing such smallness
But that is the very cool thing about the
incarnation
So small
so seemingly insignificant
So... so... so... particular…that it is scandalous
so seemingly insignificant
So... so... so... particular…that it is scandalous
Why Mary, Why Joseph, Why Jesus,
Why then, and why there???
Why then, and why there???
Why?
Because it had to be
some-time, some-where, among some-folk…
Because it had to be
some-time, some-where, among some-folk…
Otherwise all there would be is
another idea about God,
another proposition about God,
another theory about God
another idea about God,
another proposition about God,
another theory about God
We learn to love because
we are first loved
by persons…not ideas or propositions or theories
we are first loved
by persons…not ideas or propositions or theories
No…loved into being by God
and loved into fullness
by particular and fleshy persons
and loved into fullness
by particular and fleshy persons
The incarnation
…the christmas miracle
…the christmas miracle
is our believing that our own particularity
…little ole me and little ole you…
…little ole me and little ole you…
WE...in all of our seeming littleness,
We...can... together...
give flesh to the body of Christ
and when we get that right
that Christ in us thing
There is mighty power!
...power to change the world
give flesh to the body of Christ
and when we get that right
that Christ in us thing
There is mighty power!
...power to change the world
I married into a small
family...large in numbers,
but size-wise, on the petit side.
What I have learned is that small really does predict a certain mightiness.
And of course that fits in with the gospel message of reversal...the first shall be last etc.
but size-wise, on the petit side.
What I have learned is that small really does predict a certain mightiness.
And of course that fits in with the gospel message of reversal...the first shall be last etc.
Mary was a nobody...small in
many ways.
Bethlehem, the same.
And soon we will find Mary
giving birth in the small Bethlehem stable
and changing the world!
Bethlehem, the same.
And soon we will find Mary
giving birth in the small Bethlehem stable
and changing the world!
Perhaps my own smallnesses,
the things I'd rather not draw attention to,
are exactly those things God might treasure in me. Perhaps those smallnesses
are what the world at my door needs?
the things I'd rather not draw attention to,
are exactly those things God might treasure in me. Perhaps those smallnesses
are what the world at my door needs?
Of Mary's smallness was
born Jesus who is called the Christ
What am I birthing out of the gift of my
life and faith?
What are we as a Christian community
birthing?
There is no such thing as
too small
too small
too insignificant
too lowly
Today
Micah,
Elizabeth and John,
and Mary and Jesus
Elizabeth and John,
and Mary and Jesus
Are making that most perfectly clear!
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