Crown | Power
The crown is the resurrection power of God. The crown means that Jesus did not stay dead. It means that God is in the business of making dead things alive. It means that Jesus now wears a crown and stands as the supreme king of the entire universe. It means that history is steadily advancing toward a powerful Last Day of resurrection. It means everything will be fully put right under the merciful rule of the crucified and risen One. The crown means victory. The crown means that God wins out.
The gospel as power is thrilling news for those who are oppressed. For those who, as the hymn writer wrote, mourn “‘neath their sorrow’s load.” For people who are neglected and abused by those in positions of power. For those broken and enraged by injustice. For those who are haunted by their own frailty, weakness, and ineffectiveness. For those who yearn for a better world. The crown: God’s power for us.
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
The baby in the manger is the King on the throne. Come to him in prayer: King Jesus, who reigns over all things, establish your rule deep in our hearts. Overwhelm all our weakness and frailty so that your power may be evident to all. Supersede all forces and powers that set themselves against you. For you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Word
“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.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy.” (Luke 1:52-54)
Meditation
“I Don’t Know How” by Julianna Shults
“God, I don’t know how to do this.”
I have prayed this prayer so many times. God, I don’t know how to leave the congregation I have served for years. How to walk with my friend through job loss. How to find my way out of burnout. How to fix this broken relationship. My desperate pleading prayer was that God would show me the way through what seemed impossibly difficult in that moment.
Throughout Scripture we see God send His people into situations where they could not see the end. They tried, failed, and cried out in need of saving. God’s people look to their own feeble ability and wonder how they will ever get through. Forgetting God’s power, we fear we are on our own.
If there was ever anyone I would expect to pray, “God, I don’t know how to do this”, it would be Mary. This young woman is visited by an angel and suddenly thrust into the middle of God’s plan for the world. Not married. Not prepared. Yet, if you read her Magnificat, you hear something much different.
Her prayer is one of humble acceptance of what God was asking her to do. Rather than focusing on the unknown future in front of her, she focused on what God was able to do:
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.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy
Mary trusted that we have a God who is powerful, strong, and merciful, even when we can’t see it. We don’t need to know how to navigate difficulty because even in our deepest despair, we can trust God to make a way. Jesus comes down in human form to live, teach, and ultimately die on our behalf to forgive our sins. Through Jesus, we know that sin, death, and the devil don’t have the final word; God does.
I don’t need to know how to get through whatever joy or trouble will come. Like Mary, I remember God’s power and mercy to guide. We trust that His Spirit will give us faith, empower us to move even when we cannot see, and bring us someday to His kingdom forever.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we often do not know how to do what is set before us. If we go on our own, we will fail. Forgive our selfish doubt and remind us of your unending power. Protect us. Fill us with good things as you remember your mercy toward us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.