Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, December 22, 2024)
An ancient tradition from the earliest days of Christian Morning Prayer is the singing of one or more Laudate Psalms, Psalms of Praise, at the conclusion of the psalmody. These hymns of praise gave Morning Prayer its older name of Lauds.
This Sunday’s Laudate Psalm is a metrical paraphrase of the Great Doxology, Psalm 150, “Blessed Be the Lord Our God,” written by the Scottish hymn writer, James Quinn. The tune is FESTAL SONG (“Rise Up, O Me of God, The Hymnal 1982 #551; The United Methodist Hymnal #576), composed by William H. Walter. The melody of the tune, played on the piano, is recorded on the audio file. The entire melody is played as the introduction. There are no vocals on the audio file.
Read the words of the hymn before attempting to sing it to familiarize yourself with them. If you are not familiar with the tune, hum along with the introduction. If you have not yet grasped the tune, you may also want to hum along with the first verse before attempting to sing the hymn. If you don’t yet feel confident to sing the hymn, read the words again while playing the piano accompaniment. The hymn will be repeated on future Sundays to help you learn it.
Last Sunday we took a look at the Song of Zechariah, a prophetic song found in Luke’s Gospel. In this Sunday’s message will be looking at a second prophetic song found in that gospel—the Song of Mary—and what we can learn from it.
GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME
Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Seaman’s hammered dulcimer arrangement of Charles F. Gounod’s VENI EMMANUEL.
Silence
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. Isaiah 40:5
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins
through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all
goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in
eternal life. Amen.
Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as
it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Alleluia.
Open this link to hear James Quinn’s “Sing All Creation” (Psalm 100).
1 Sing, all creation, sing to God in gladness!
Joyously serve him, singing hymns of homage!
Chanting his praises, come before his presence!
Praise the Almighty!
2 Know that our God is Lord of all the ages!
He is our maker; we are all his creatures,
people he fashioned, sheep he leads to pasture!
Praise the Almighty!
3 Enter his temple, ringing out his praises!
Sing in thanksgiving as you come before him!
Blessing his bounty, glorify his greatness!
Praise the Almighty!
[Instrumental interlude]
4 Great in his goodness is the Lord we worship;
steadfast his kindness, love that knows no ending!
Faithful his word is, changeless, everlasting!
Praise the Almighty!
Open this link to hear Marty Haugen’s responsorial setting
of Psalm 80
Lord, make us turn to You, show us Your face
and we shall be saved.
1 Shepherd of Israel, hearken from Your throne
and shine forth.
Oh rouse Your power and come to save us.
Lord, make us turn to You, show us Your face
and we shall be saved.
2. We are Your chosen vine; only by your care do we live.
Reach out your hand, Oh Lord, unto Your people.
Lord, make us turn to You, show us Your face
and we shall be saved.
3. If You will dwell with us, we shall live anew in Your love.
Oh shine upon us, great Lord of life.
Lord, make us turn to You, show us Your face
and we shall be saved.
Open this link in a new tab to play the audio file of the piano accompaniment to James Quinn S.J.’s metrical paraphrase of Psalm 150, “Bless’d Be the Lord Our God.”
1 Bless’d be the Lord our God!
With joy let heaven ring;
Before His presence let all earth
Its songs of homage bring!
2 His mighty deeds be told;
His majesty be praised;
To God, enthroned in heav’nly light,
Let every voice be raised!
3 All that has life and breath,
Give thanks with heartfelt songs!
To Him let all creation sing
To Whom all praise belongs!
4 Acclaim the Father’s love,
Who gave us God, His Son;
Praise too the Spirit, giv’n by both,
With both for ever one!
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Micah
Micah 5: 2-5a
The Lord says, “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are one of the smallest towns in Judah, but out of you I will bring a ruler for Israel, whose family line goes back to ancient times.”
So the Lord will abandon his people to their enemies until the woman who is to give birth has her son. Then those Israelites who are in exile will be reunited with their own people. When he comes, he will rule his people with the strength that comes from the Lord and with the majesty of the Lord God himself. His people will live in safety because people all over the earth will acknowledge his greatness, and he will bring peace.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Stephen P. Starke’s metrical paraphrase of the Benedicite, “All You Works of God, Bless the Lord.”
1 All you works of God bless the Lord!
All you angels, now bless the Lord;
Come you heavens and powers that be,
Praise the Lord and his majesty.
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
2 Sing you sun and moon above,
Stars of heaven now sing his love;
Dew and showers and winds that blow,
Heat and fire, you ice and snow;
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
3 Frosts of winter with songs so cold,
dews of summer, your song unfold;
light and darkness, you day and night ,
clouds of thunder, you lightnings bright;
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
4 Hills and mountains now sing his worth,
all you green things that grow on earth;
seas and rivers, you springs and wells,
beasts and cattle, you birds and whales;
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
5 Come humanity, sing along,
sing, you people of God, a song;
priests and servants, your lord now bless,
join, you spirits and souls at rest.
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
6 Bless the Lord, all you pure of heart;
all you humble, his praises start;
God the Father and Son adore,
Bless the Spirit forever more!
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
A reading from the Book of Hebrews
Hebrews 10: 5-10
For this reason, when Christ was about to come into the world, he said to God:
“You do not want sacrifices and offerings,
but you have prepared a body for me.
You are not pleased with animals burned whole on the altar
or with sacrifices to take away sins.
Then I said, ‘Here I am,
to do your will, O God,
just as it is written of me in the book of the Law.’”
First he said, “You neither want nor are you pleased with sacrifices and offerings or with animals burned on the altar and the sacrifices to take away sins.” He said this even though all these sacrifices are offered according to the Law. Then he said, “Here I am, O God, to do your will.” So God does away with all the old sacrifices and puts the sacrifice of Christ in their place. Because Jesus Christ did what God wanted him to do, we are all purified from sin by the offering that he made of his own body once and for all.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Owen Alstott’s metrical paraphrase of the Benedictus Dominus Deus, “Blest Be the Lord, the God of Israel.”
1 Blest be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who brings the dawn and darkest night dispels,
who raises up a mighty Saviour from the earth,
of David's line, a son of royal birth.
2 The prophets tell a story just begun
of vanquished foe and glorious vict'ry won,
of promise made to all who keep the law as guide:
God's faithful love and mercy will abide.
3 This is the oath once sworn to Abraham:
all shall be free to dwell upon the land,
free now to praise, unharmed by the oppressor's rod,
holy and righteous in the sight of God.
4 And you, my child, this day you shall be called
the promised one, the prophet of our God,
for you will go before the Lord to clear the way,
and shepherd all into the light of day.
5 The tender love God promised from our birth
is soon to dawn upon this shadowed earth,
to shine on those whose sorrows seem to never cease,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.
6 All glory be to God, Creator blest,
to Jesus Christ, God's love made manifest,
and to the Holy Spirit, gentle Comforter,
all glory be, both now and ever more.
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke
Luke 1: 39-56
Soon afterward Mary got ready and hurried off to a town in the hill country of Judea. She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby moved within her. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and said in a loud voice, “You are the most blessed of all women, and blessed is the child you will bear! Why should this great thing happen to me, that my Lord's mother comes to visit me? For as soon as I heard your greeting, the baby within me jumped with gladness. How happy you are to believe that the Lord's message to you will come true!”
Mary said,
“My heart praises the Lord;
my soul is glad because of God my Savior,
for he has remembered me, his lowly servant!
From now on all people will call me happy,
because of the great things the Mighty God has done for me.
His name is holy;
from one generation to another
he shows mercy to those who honor him.
He has stretched out his mighty arm
and scattered the proud with all their plans.
He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors,
and has come to the help of his servant Israel.
He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham
and to all his descendants forever!”
Mary stayed about three months with Elizabeth and then went back home.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Silence
The Bible is filled with poetry and songs, not just the Book of Psalms, but the entire Bible, the New Testament and the Apocrypha, or Deuterocanonical Books, as well as the Old Testament. Luke’s Gospel, the Gospel from which this Sunday’s third reading is taken, contains four hymn, three prophetic songs and one angelic hymn.
In last Sunday’s message, we took a look at one of the prophetic songs, the Song of Zechariah, or the Benedictus Dominus Deus. In this Sunday’s message we are going to look at another one of those songs, the Song of Mary, or Magnificat, so called after the first word of the song in Latin.
In the song, Mary rejoices at having been chosen by God to bear the Messiah, God’s Anointed One, and being the human vessel through which God will fulfill his promise to Israel, a promise upon which this Sunday’s first reading from the Book of the Prophet Micah touches.
The song echoes a number of themes found in the Old Testament and repeated in the New Testament. God is merciful to those who show great respect for him. God is opposed to the proud, to those who think too much of themselves. God is the champion of the last and the least, those who are ignored and marginalized in society. God fulfills his promises, especially his promise of mercy.
Implied is that God works through nobodies, people of no consequence, those who are unimportant in the eyes of the world, those who are not rich, powerful, or influential to achieve his purposes. In this way the glory is all God’s. No human being can claim it for themselves. Whatever we do is solely through the power of God’s grace, the power of the Holy Spirit working in us.
There is a lesson in Mary’s song for those who call themselves Christians and who see billionaires as God’s agents because they are rich, powerful, and influential. They are not seeing these individuals as God sees them. The Bible does not celebrate their wealth, their power, or their influence. Rather God, speaking through his prophets, views them as oppressors and predators, incapable of putting themselves in other people’s shoes, treating people in a cruel and unfair way and denying them opportunities and freedom; lacking in moral restraint, harming other people, and committing crimes against them.
Jesus himself said that no one can serve two masters. Either they serve God or their serve themselves. The pursuit of wealth is serving oneself as is the pursuit of power and influence. We may deceive ourselves into believing that we are doing it for the benefit of others, but we are really doing it for what we can get out of it.
Being rich, powerful, and influential are not marks of God’s favor, contrary to what some individuals who call themselves Christians may believe. What is a true mark of God’s favor is a humble heart like Mary’s. She was willing to do God’s will even though it might bring public disgrace upon her.
May God grant us such a heart, a readiness to do God’s will in all things. May we glorify God in our day as Mary glorified God in hers, praising God not only with our lips but also with our lives.
Silence
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER
The Lord be with you
and also with you.
Let us pray.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation,
that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a
mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
O God, you make us glad with the weekly remembrance of
the glorious resurrection of your Son our Lord: Give us this
day such blessing through our worship of you, that the week
to come may be spent in your favor; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen's choral arrangement of Eleanor Farjeon's "People, Look East."
1 People, look east. The time is near
Of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the guest, is on the way.
2 Furrows, be glad. Though earth is bare,
One more seed is planted there:
Give up your strength the seed to nourish,
That in time the flower may flourish.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the rose, is on the way.
3 Birds, though you long have ceased to build,
Guard the nest that must be filled.
Even the hour when wings are frozen
He for fledging time has chosen.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the bird, is on the way.
4 Stars, keep the watch. When night is dim
One more light the bowl shall brim,
Shining beyond the frosty weather,
Bright as the moon and stars together.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the star, is on the way.
5 Angels, announce with shouts of mirth
He who brings new life to earth.
Set every peak and valley humming
With the news, the Lord is coming.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the Lord, is on the way.
[Let us pray for all people.]
God of providence, God of love,
Read the words of the hymn before attempting to sing it to familiarize yourself with them. If you are not familiar with the tune, hum along with the introduction. If you have not yet grasped the tune, you may also want to hum along with the first verse before attempting to sing the hymn. If you don’t yet feel confident to sing the hymn, read the words again while playing the piano accompaniment. The hymn will be repeated on future Sundays to help you learn it.
Last Sunday we took a look at the Song of Zechariah, a prophetic song found in Luke’s Gospel. In this Sunday’s message will be looking at a second prophetic song found in that gospel—the Song of Mary—and what we can learn from it.
GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME
Open this link in a new tab to hear Timothy Seaman’s hammered dulcimer arrangement of Charles F. Gounod’s VENI EMMANUEL.
Silence
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. Isaiah 40:5
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins
through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all
goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in
eternal life. Amen.
Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as
it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Alleluia.
Open this link to hear James Quinn’s “Sing All Creation” (Psalm 100).
1 Sing, all creation, sing to God in gladness!
Joyously serve him, singing hymns of homage!
Chanting his praises, come before his presence!
Praise the Almighty!
2 Know that our God is Lord of all the ages!
He is our maker; we are all his creatures,
people he fashioned, sheep he leads to pasture!
Praise the Almighty!
3 Enter his temple, ringing out his praises!
Sing in thanksgiving as you come before him!
Blessing his bounty, glorify his greatness!
Praise the Almighty!
[Instrumental interlude]
4 Great in his goodness is the Lord we worship;
steadfast his kindness, love that knows no ending!
Faithful his word is, changeless, everlasting!
Praise the Almighty!
Open this link to hear Marty Haugen’s responsorial setting
of Psalm 80
Lord, make us turn to You, show us Your face
and we shall be saved.
1 Shepherd of Israel, hearken from Your throne
and shine forth.
Oh rouse Your power and come to save us.
Lord, make us turn to You, show us Your face
and we shall be saved.
2. We are Your chosen vine; only by your care do we live.
Reach out your hand, Oh Lord, unto Your people.
Lord, make us turn to You, show us Your face
and we shall be saved.
3. If You will dwell with us, we shall live anew in Your love.
Oh shine upon us, great Lord of life.
Lord, make us turn to You, show us Your face
and we shall be saved.
Open this link in a new tab to play the audio file of the piano accompaniment to James Quinn S.J.’s metrical paraphrase of Psalm 150, “Bless’d Be the Lord Our God.”
1 Bless’d be the Lord our God!
With joy let heaven ring;
Before His presence let all earth
Its songs of homage bring!
2 His mighty deeds be told;
His majesty be praised;
To God, enthroned in heav’nly light,
Let every voice be raised!
3 All that has life and breath,
Give thanks with heartfelt songs!
To Him let all creation sing
To Whom all praise belongs!
4 Acclaim the Father’s love,
Who gave us God, His Son;
Praise too the Spirit, giv’n by both,
With both for ever one!
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Micah
Micah 5: 2-5a
The Lord says, “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are one of the smallest towns in Judah, but out of you I will bring a ruler for Israel, whose family line goes back to ancient times.”
So the Lord will abandon his people to their enemies until the woman who is to give birth has her son. Then those Israelites who are in exile will be reunited with their own people. When he comes, he will rule his people with the strength that comes from the Lord and with the majesty of the Lord God himself. His people will live in safety because people all over the earth will acknowledge his greatness, and he will bring peace.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Stephen P. Starke’s metrical paraphrase of the Benedicite, “All You Works of God, Bless the Lord.”
1 All you works of God bless the Lord!
All you angels, now bless the Lord;
Come you heavens and powers that be,
Praise the Lord and his majesty.
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
2 Sing you sun and moon above,
Stars of heaven now sing his love;
Dew and showers and winds that blow,
Heat and fire, you ice and snow;
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
3 Frosts of winter with songs so cold,
dews of summer, your song unfold;
light and darkness, you day and night ,
clouds of thunder, you lightnings bright;
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
4 Hills and mountains now sing his worth,
all you green things that grow on earth;
seas and rivers, you springs and wells,
beasts and cattle, you birds and whales;
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
5 Come humanity, sing along,
sing, you people of God, a song;
priests and servants, your lord now bless,
join, you spirits and souls at rest.
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
6 Bless the Lord, all you pure of heart;
all you humble, his praises start;
God the Father and Son adore,
Bless the Spirit forever more!
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
Raise your voices high,
Praise and magnify,
all you works of God,
bless the Lord!
A reading from the Book of Hebrews
Hebrews 10: 5-10
For this reason, when Christ was about to come into the world, he said to God:
“You do not want sacrifices and offerings,
but you have prepared a body for me.
You are not pleased with animals burned whole on the altar
or with sacrifices to take away sins.
Then I said, ‘Here I am,
to do your will, O God,
just as it is written of me in the book of the Law.’”
First he said, “You neither want nor are you pleased with sacrifices and offerings or with animals burned on the altar and the sacrifices to take away sins.” He said this even though all these sacrifices are offered according to the Law. Then he said, “Here I am, O God, to do your will.” So God does away with all the old sacrifices and puts the sacrifice of Christ in their place. Because Jesus Christ did what God wanted him to do, we are all purified from sin by the offering that he made of his own body once and for all.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Owen Alstott’s metrical paraphrase of the Benedictus Dominus Deus, “Blest Be the Lord, the God of Israel.”
1 Blest be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who brings the dawn and darkest night dispels,
who raises up a mighty Saviour from the earth,
of David's line, a son of royal birth.
2 The prophets tell a story just begun
of vanquished foe and glorious vict'ry won,
of promise made to all who keep the law as guide:
God's faithful love and mercy will abide.
3 This is the oath once sworn to Abraham:
all shall be free to dwell upon the land,
free now to praise, unharmed by the oppressor's rod,
holy and righteous in the sight of God.
4 And you, my child, this day you shall be called
the promised one, the prophet of our God,
for you will go before the Lord to clear the way,
and shepherd all into the light of day.
5 The tender love God promised from our birth
is soon to dawn upon this shadowed earth,
to shine on those whose sorrows seem to never cease,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.
6 All glory be to God, Creator blest,
to Jesus Christ, God's love made manifest,
and to the Holy Spirit, gentle Comforter,
all glory be, both now and ever more.
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke
Luke 1: 39-56
Soon afterward Mary got ready and hurried off to a town in the hill country of Judea. She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby moved within her. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and said in a loud voice, “You are the most blessed of all women, and blessed is the child you will bear! Why should this great thing happen to me, that my Lord's mother comes to visit me? For as soon as I heard your greeting, the baby within me jumped with gladness. How happy you are to believe that the Lord's message to you will come true!”
Mary said,
“My heart praises the Lord;
my soul is glad because of God my Savior,
for he has remembered me, his lowly servant!
From now on all people will call me happy,
because of the great things the Mighty God has done for me.
His name is holy;
from one generation to another
he shows mercy to those who honor him.
He has stretched out his mighty arm
and scattered the proud with all their plans.
He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors,
and has come to the help of his servant Israel.
He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham
and to all his descendants forever!”
Mary stayed about three months with Elizabeth and then went back home.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Silence
A True Mark of God’s Favor
The Bible is filled with poetry and songs, not just the Book of Psalms, but the entire Bible, the New Testament and the Apocrypha, or Deuterocanonical Books, as well as the Old Testament. Luke’s Gospel, the Gospel from which this Sunday’s third reading is taken, contains four hymn, three prophetic songs and one angelic hymn.
In last Sunday’s message, we took a look at one of the prophetic songs, the Song of Zechariah, or the Benedictus Dominus Deus. In this Sunday’s message we are going to look at another one of those songs, the Song of Mary, or Magnificat, so called after the first word of the song in Latin.
In the song, Mary rejoices at having been chosen by God to bear the Messiah, God’s Anointed One, and being the human vessel through which God will fulfill his promise to Israel, a promise upon which this Sunday’s first reading from the Book of the Prophet Micah touches.
The song echoes a number of themes found in the Old Testament and repeated in the New Testament. God is merciful to those who show great respect for him. God is opposed to the proud, to those who think too much of themselves. God is the champion of the last and the least, those who are ignored and marginalized in society. God fulfills his promises, especially his promise of mercy.
Implied is that God works through nobodies, people of no consequence, those who are unimportant in the eyes of the world, those who are not rich, powerful, or influential to achieve his purposes. In this way the glory is all God’s. No human being can claim it for themselves. Whatever we do is solely through the power of God’s grace, the power of the Holy Spirit working in us.
There is a lesson in Mary’s song for those who call themselves Christians and who see billionaires as God’s agents because they are rich, powerful, and influential. They are not seeing these individuals as God sees them. The Bible does not celebrate their wealth, their power, or their influence. Rather God, speaking through his prophets, views them as oppressors and predators, incapable of putting themselves in other people’s shoes, treating people in a cruel and unfair way and denying them opportunities and freedom; lacking in moral restraint, harming other people, and committing crimes against them.
Jesus himself said that no one can serve two masters. Either they serve God or their serve themselves. The pursuit of wealth is serving oneself as is the pursuit of power and influence. We may deceive ourselves into believing that we are doing it for the benefit of others, but we are really doing it for what we can get out of it.
Being rich, powerful, and influential are not marks of God’s favor, contrary to what some individuals who call themselves Christians may believe. What is a true mark of God’s favor is a humble heart like Mary’s. She was willing to do God’s will even though it might bring public disgrace upon her.
May God grant us such a heart, a readiness to do God’s will in all things. May we glorify God in our day as Mary glorified God in hers, praising God not only with our lips but also with our lives.
Silence
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE MINISTRY OF PRAYER
The Lord be with you
and also with you.
Let us pray.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation,
that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a
mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
O God, you make us glad with the weekly remembrance of
the glorious resurrection of your Son our Lord: Give us this
day such blessing through our worship of you, that the week
to come may be spent in your favor; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Marty Haugen's choral arrangement of Eleanor Farjeon's "People, Look East."
1 People, look east. The time is near
Of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the guest, is on the way.
2 Furrows, be glad. Though earth is bare,
One more seed is planted there:
Give up your strength the seed to nourish,
That in time the flower may flourish.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the rose, is on the way.
3 Birds, though you long have ceased to build,
Guard the nest that must be filled.
Even the hour when wings are frozen
He for fledging time has chosen.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the bird, is on the way.
4 Stars, keep the watch. When night is dim
One more light the bowl shall brim,
Shining beyond the frosty weather,
Bright as the moon and stars together.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the star, is on the way.
5 Angels, announce with shouts of mirth
He who brings new life to earth.
Set every peak and valley humming
With the news, the Lord is coming.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the Lord, is on the way.
[Let us pray for all people.]
God of providence, God of love,
we pray for all people: make your way known to them, your saving power
among all nations.
[Especially we pray for…]
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
We pray for your Church throughout the world: guide and
govern by your Holy Spirit, that all who call themselves Christians
may be led in the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit,
[Especially we pray for…]
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
We pray for your Church throughout the world: guide and
govern by your Holy Spirit, that all who call themselves Christians
may be led in the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit,
in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life.
[Especially we pray for…]
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
We commend to your fatherly goodness all who are afflicted or distressed
[Especially we pray for…]
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
We commend to your fatherly goodness all who are afflicted or distressed
in mind, body, or circumstances. Relieve them according to their needs.
Give them patience in their sufferings, and deliverance in their afflictions.
[Especially we pray for…]
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Draw your Church together, O Lord, into one great company of disciples, together following our Lord Jesus Christ into every walk of life, together serving him in his mission to the world, and together witnessing to his love on every continent and island. We ask this in his name and for his sake. Amen.
THE SENDINNG FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Lord bless us and keep us. Amen.
The Lord make his face to shine upon us
and be gracious to us. Amen.
The Lord lift up his countenance upon us
and give us peace. Amen.
[Especially we pray for…]
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Draw your Church together, O Lord, into one great company of disciples, together following our Lord Jesus Christ into every walk of life, together serving him in his mission to the world, and together witnessing to his love on every continent and island. We ask this in his name and for his sake. Amen.
THE SENDINNG FORTH OF GOD’S PEOPLE
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Lord bless us and keep us. Amen.
The Lord make his face to shine upon us
and be gracious to us. Amen.
The Lord lift up his countenance upon us
and give us peace. Amen.
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