Calling of Mary

June 18, 2020

Like Ruth, Mary is an unexpected hero. A young woman, living in a world that did not pay much attention to young women, she is surprised to find that God has noticed her. She is called by God to become the mother to Jesus – a calling she can’t fully comprehend. But she commits to the calling, famously responding, "Let it be."  

STUDY THE SCRIPTURE

Click here to read from Luke 1:26-38

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REFLECT

Hope in the Desert

By Kelsey Bacon

This is a story I've spent much time studying, thinking about, praying about, and wondering about in my life so far. It drew me first as a teenager because I saw Mary, also a teenager, and I wondered what in the world it must have been like for her to go through this experience at such a young age. And then how in the world she stood so strong, so brave, and so devoted in the face of such a scary, unknown future.

As I read this story back in the context of our current series, I see it with a new light and I think some new understanding, especially considering our current times. We all know that the story of Jesus brings hope. But thinking about what was going on around Mary in the exact time when the angel Gabriel came to her enlightens me even more.

Her world was full of political unrest and injustice, and the nation of Israel has been waiting for centuries for the Messiah to come. So, when the angel appears to her, even though I'm sure it was terrifying and difficult to process, it was also word of the hope that Mary and her people had been waiting for. Hope not just for peace right then and there, but peace for all people and all time. I can imagine that it was that hope that sparked the bravery in Mary's heart. The hope of Jesus and the strength of the Spirit.

And that is what we need so desperately right now. Whether it's Coronavirus or the recent protests or murder hornets or the fires in Australia (doesn't that seem like forever ago?!) or tropical storm Cristobal or the upcoming election or whatever else 2020 is going to throw at us, we need the hope of Jesus and the strength of the Spirit.

The hope that Mary had--that Jesus is the answer, that Jesus is the light of the world, that Jesus is the one who will bring peace and cure our world of this deep, deep problem of sin. And the strength of the Spirit to keep going in circumstances like these even though it's hard. We keep going because we know that God is bigger than all of this, bigger than the desert. Even if we're hot and tired and our feet hurt, Jesus gives us hope and strength to keep going. And we must remember that we have an oasis to help us along the way, and that the Garden is waiting for us at the end of our journey.

UALC’S CAMPAIGN OF PRAYER

The Babe, The Son of Mary

December 17                                                                               The Third Sunday of Advent          

Scripture Reading
Read Luke 1:26-38 and reflect on the passage.

The people of God have been waiting for the fulfillment of the promise from Jeremiah 33 for 600 years. Mary is an engaged teenage girl living in a small town in the northern half of Israel. Her people are back from exile, but under Roman rule. Mary is visited by an angel who says, "Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus."

The birth of Christ shows us how unexpected the work of God can be. Imagine Mary's neighbors – watching her stomach grow, how could they have known that the town scandal was in fact the sovereign work of God? Trusting God can be difficult. We can't see the whole picture. God's work in our lives looks different than we expect. Mary learns lessons here that can transform the way we find hope in God. 

Rather than looking around and wondering if God is working, we can grow to trust that God is always faithfully at work redeeming His people. We can't always see or understand how God works, but we can pray with the hope of Mary's powerful prayer.

Consider all the promises from the Bible that God has given to us. As you think back on how God has fulfilled His promises, do you think of Him as predictable, unpredictable, or some of both? What opportunities are before you to trust God and his promises. If He is always faithfully at work redeeming His people, what does that look like for you?

Prayer

God, we praise You for Your incredible promise to Mary. Thank You for Jesus! Grow our trust in You for every part of our lives.

                                                                                                Aaron Thompson and David White

The Messiah will be born of a virgin

 December 24

Scripture Reading

Read Luke 1:26-38 and reflect on the passage.

Sharing the “extraordinary” with people you love is one of the great joys in life. But life is not a string of unceasing extraordinary moments. In fact, those brilliant moments are often surrounded by less glamorous events or seasons.

One evening in college, for no reason whatsoever, I found myself feeling as if I were drowning in a sea of anxiety and sorrow. I can’t even tell you why, but I picked up the phone and blubbered something through tears and sobs to my dad. Do you know what he did? He—likely all settled in for the night—left his home to travel to the college campus to sit with me, pray with me, and sit some more. Well after midnight, he drove home. That was it.

It’s a rather ordinary story, but my father’s presence was an extraordinary gift that night. I truly can’t tell you any other details about the event because I don’t remember—it didn’t matter. My father’s presence is what mattered. When Christ was born into this earth, He wasn’t born into a perfect Hallmark movie. He was born to an ordinary young woman, in conditions that were far from perfect or glamorous. And frankly, I don’t think any of that mattered. In His ordinary birth, Christ was our extraordinary gift that night in Bethlehem, and He still is today. His presence is what matters.

Questions

1.      Do you tend to recognize God more in the extraordinary or ordinary moments of life?

2.      How have you sensed God’s presence with you today?

 Prayer

I thank You, God, for the extraordinary gift of Your presence with me this day. Guide me in the ordinary moments of my life, and open my eyes to the beautiful gift of being in a relationship with You—this day and all days. Amen.

—Katie Borden