We rejoice, for the Light of the World has come to darkness. Jesus Christ is the Light that no darkness can overcome. Advent is a season of preparation as God’s people watch and wait for Christ. We will be pondering the songs found in the gospel of Luke. The song of an old priest named Zechariah. Mary, the pregnant teenager. And angels come to shepherds in the countryside. We ponder these songs and rejoice.
Invocation
Make the sign of the cross, and say,
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation Prayer
Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. The light no darkness can overcome.
Jesus, open our eyes to your light and our ears to your words of hope. Come, O long-expected Jesus. Our hope is in you. Amen.
Word: Luke 1:51
“He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts…”
Meditation: Scatter the Proud
Today’s meditation is written by Nathan Schultz.
What I expect to happen over the coming days of Advent is nothing out of the ordinary. It should go just as it has every year before.
I will drag myself to worship more than once a week and then wait, anticipate, and hope in a Jesus who comes as a baby. I will attend a few more times of worship talking about the aforementioned baby and find joy in the songs that have told me of a gentle and lowly manger scene.
This Advent should come with few surprises and go according to my very low and reasonable expectations. In fact, I want normal.
Yet when I read this song of Mary, I’m wondering if I have become numb to what is really happening.
The humanity, and maybe even scandal, with which God is promised to come should give me more pause than I had first considered.
God chose to put a woman, without economic support systems, without social status, and without any experience in pregnancy or birthing at the middle of God’s plan to redeem the whole world.
Amidst Mary’s joys of a pregnancy announcement are startlingly prophetic words. This baby seems to carry heavier consequences than I may have originally thought.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty. (Luke 1:51-53)
I have no intention in this Advent season to be on the wrong end of those words.
That would be a rather unsettling Advent.
I do not want to be scattered due to my own pride,
Removed from whatever power I hold,
Or look at my bank account and be sent away empty.
But what I do need this Advent is to alter my expectations. I could insulate myself with the nostalgia and comfort of holidays. Mulled wine is a good start. But this song of Mary may have made other plans for me.
No matter, pray for me, pray for yourself, pray for all of God’s people. Pray that we might let Jesus be Jesus, even if it unsettles our expectations.
Jesus, scatter the proud, exalt the humble, fill the hungry with good things. Include me in those plans. Amen.
Prayer for the Church
· For my local congregation, my brothers and sisters in Christ.
· For Christians across my community and city.
· For my denomination or church body.
· For repentance where God’s people have failed or erred.
· For the mission of God given to his people, that all nations know Him.
· For the church where she is persecuted for Christ’s name.
· For church plants and mission frontiers.
· For workers in the harvest: pastors, teachers, evangelists, servants.
· For the everyday, ordinary Christian to serve and witness as the priesthood of all believers.
· For the small, overlooked, and undervalued parts of the body of Christ.
Closing Prayer
Lord God, as the church waits eagerly for the triumphant return of your son Jesus, may we love and serve others in our waiting and so reflect the light of the coming King. Amen!