This is part of the worship series,
"Six Biblical Characters, Six Traditions of Faith”
Series Introduction
Advent 1 | Advent 2 | Advent 3 | Advent 4
Christmas Eve/Day | Christmas 1
First Sunday of advent
The Contemplative Stream: Mary
Reading for the Lighting of the Advent Candle
The Advent wreath is a circle with no beginning and no end. It is a symbol of God’s unending love and faithfulness.
The prophet Isaiah said, “The Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)
The angel Gabriel said to Mary, “Greetings you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:28)
We rejoice that we too have found favor with God.
God’s mercy extends to those who fear him from generation to generation.
And so we join Mary in the song she sings.
All sing: “Magnify the Lord” Berthier
Scripture
Isaiah 64:1–9
Responsorial setting of Psalm 80 Polman
1 Corinthians 1:3–9
Sermon Text: Luke 1:26–38, 46–55
Sermon-Building Ideas
“The contemplative life is the steady gaze of the soul upon the God who loves us,” says Richard Foster. “It is ‘an intimate sharing between friends,’ to use the words of Teresa of Avila” (Streams, p. 49). At the heart of this prayer-filled life is attentiveness to who God is and what God is doing. Of course, God is much more than our friend, but the reason why we can be attentive to God is because of the attention God has given to the humble individuals Mary alludes to in her song. Mary’s song exemplifies the contemplative tradition because it celebrates the activity of God in human life. While she is initially troubled by God’s plan for her, she agrees to partner with God in the accomplishment of his will. And today we celebrate that very reality in our lives. The contemplative tradition emphasizes the fact that God is mindful of us and continues to invite us to play a role in the doing of his will in the world. Ann Weems summarizes it well in her poem, “Mary, Nazareth Girl” (see below).
Prayer
Lord! Going out from this silence, teach me to be more alert, humble, expectant, than I have been in the past: ever ready to encounter you in quiet, homely ways: in every appeal to my compassion, every act of unselfish love which shows up and humbles my imperfect love, may I recognize you: still walking through the world. Give me that grace of simplicity which alone can receive your mystery. Come and abide with me! Meet me, walk with me! Enlighten my mind! And then, Come in! Enter my humble life with its poverty and limitations as you entered the stable of Bethlehem, the workshop of Nazareth, the cottage of Emmaus. Bless and consecrate the material of that small and ordinary life. Amen.
—Evelyn Underhill, from The Complete Book of Christian Prayer (New York: The Continuum International Publishing Group, Inc., 2000), p. 217.
This prayer was written by Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941), a widely acknowledged English scholar and author of such pioneering works as Mysticism, The Ways of the Spirit, and Worship, a study of the liturgical practices of a number of church traditions. A pioneer in the British retreat movement.
Song Suggestions
“Song of Mary” Boyd
“Tell Out, My Soul” Greatorex
“Song of Mary” Westra
“Song of Mary/My Soul Proclaims with Wonder” Daw, Jr.
“We Will Glorify” Paris
“How Majestic Is Your Name” Smith
Revised Common Lectionary
Years A, B: Advent—Third Sunday of Advent
Years B, C: Advent—Fourth Sunday of Advent
Year B: Advent—First Sunday of Advent
