“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being...being rooted and established in love...together with all the Lord’s holy people...to grasp... and to know...all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:16-19
One of the blessings of being open to leadership of the Holy Spirit in my daily life is the joy of learning about traditions and practices of other Christian faith communities that enrich my appreciation for “the fullness of God.” Even while seeking to become mature believers, it is easy to become so entrenched in our own denominational and personal biases that we miss opportunities for growth and discernment from outside what is familiar. For instance, I found a Holy Thursday footwashing and hand washing service at another church to be very meaningful. And a particular inspiration came from attending a religious retreat where I was introduced to the ministry of a spiritual director and the practice of spiritual disciplines, which I later found amplified in a series of books by Sharon Garlough Brown. As we enter Advent, here is one of the disciplines that encourages scripture reading and praying with imagination:
A meditation on Luke 1 is an occasion to reflect on events surrounding the announcement of the birth of Jesus. The first angelic appearance is to Zechariah and later to Mary. Imagine what it must have been like for Mary and Elizabeth each to experience an unexpected pregnancy. One was well beyond child bearing years, and the other a young virgin engaged to be married. How would the married or betrothed men take the news? Zechariah’s response is, “How can I be sure of this?” (Luke 1:18) and the narrative shows this as a sign of unbelief (v.20). By contrast, Joseph “did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him” (Matthew 1:24). What is my response when life takes a sudden turn? Whether it’s a change for the better or seemingly for the worse, is my expectation that God is doing a new thing and has already set in motion whatever it will take to accomplish His purposes? Perhaps Zechariah remembers times when he and Elizabeth had prayed long and hard for a child, yet her barrenness seemed to be a curse that God had refused to lift. If it seemed that God had been silent all those years, it is ironic that now when God’s timing is revealed, it is Zechariah who cannot share news of the miraculous vision he had in the temple because his doubt silenced what should have been a time of praise.
And what about the women? Luke says Elizabeth remained for five months in seclusion (Luke 1:24). I wonder what she thought and felt and did during that time of “nesting.” They must have been joyful days because her husband no doubt communicated the angel’s promise that their son would “be a joy and delight...and many will rejoice because of his birth” (v.14). Her response was, “In these days He has shown His favor and taken away my disgrace among the people” (v.25). Hers was a shout of praise, igniting a similar burst of jubilation in her unborn child, who leaped in her womb when Mary came to visit her (v.44). Mary’s joy overflowed in song. How these two must have celebrated the mystery of the miracle babies they were carrying! Although Mary’s youthful innocence caused her to initially be troubled about how she could give birth as a virgin, she acquiesced to being God’s vessel, saying, “I am the Lord’s servant” (vv. 29,34,38).
In this imaginative interaction with Scripture, I might ask myself, “If I were Mary, what would I feel, think, fear, or celebrate about the moment and about the future? Are there any today who are pregnant and living outside of the family of God in fear and hopelessness? The good news is God’s voice can still be heard calling amid the din of self-indulgence and fast living. Like Elizabeth found, He offers to take away disgrace and bestow grace. His favor is freely extended to all who repent and accept His invitation to come for they, too, are “highly favored.” Today thousands of young unwed mothers face the prospect of motherhood without a sense of purpose and direction for their own lives, let alone the lives of the babies they are carrying. TV movies and shows about teen pregnancies abound: “Fifteen and Pregnant,” ”Unexpected,” ”Pregnant and Afraid,” just to name a few. But there is a modern day Annunciation of hope. The Creator and Sustainer of life invites whoever is willing, to come to the Author of life with humility and vulnerability, presenting themselves as Mary did in surrender to the One who says, “Fear not.” Advent season is the perfect time to be born again and with new birth, to trade waiting in crisis mode for waiting well in relationship with the One Mary’s song celebrates as coming “...to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace" Luke 1:79. Imagine that!