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 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 1:52-53)
Meditation
“God as a Pair o’ Ducks” by Erica Tape
Earlier this fall, my husband, our daughter, and I went to Colorado for a weeklong mission debrief. We were missionaries in the Dominican Republic for a couple years and moved back to St. Louis over the summer. The debrief was a time to meet other missionaries, talk about all the stuff we went through, and figure out what to do with our emotional baggage.
On the first day, the leaders introduced us to the yuck duck and the yay duck. The yuck duck is a rubber ducky covered in permanent marker. It represents all our bad feelings. The yay duck is a clean, pristine rubber ducky representing our good feelings. The two ducks travel on the river of life together. They’re both there all the time. We can look back on an experience and have both good and bad feelings of the same thing. That’s a paradox. Or as they say, a “pair-o’-ducks.”
When I read this week’s Luke passage, I notice a paradox in the way Mary describes God. Specifically in verses 52 and 53: “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.”
God is vengeful and harsh. He brings down rulers and sends the rich away. But he is also merciful and kind. He lifts up the humble and satisfies the hungry. God demonstrates huge power in that he is the ruler of all, the creator of the universe. And he demonstrates weakness in that his Son, Jesus, came to earth as a helpless baby who couldn’t even hold up his own head.
God’s personality is a paradox.
But I think that before he created us, he knew we’d need him to be complex. We’d need him to be tender in addition to almighty. We’d need a God who knows pain and fear and loss and loneliness. And he’s been through it all—God the Father watched his Son die, and God the Son was abandoned by his Father.
Advent is a reminder of God’s tender side. The side that lifts us up when we’re beaten down and fills us up when we’re empty. The side that sticks with us during even the yucky parts of life.
Closing Prayer
Lord, we lift up those suffering weakness of body. For the sick, the dying, and all who suffer in body, mind, or soul, that they receive strength to bear their afflictions with patient endurance. With your gracious power, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen.