BRIGHTEN OUR HEARTS WITH HOPE: REST AND REFRESH

FRIDAY, WEEK ONE: HOPE

As we close out our week of Advent Hope, let’s rest and refresh our spirits by revisiting young Mary’s song of hope, sung early in her pregnancy:

And Mary said,
My soul magnifies the Lord,
    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant.
    Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name;
indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
(Luke 1:46-50)

In her book, Home by Another Way, Barbara Brown Taylor points out that Mary sings this song of praise when “All she has is her unreasonable willingness to believe that the God who has chosen her will be part of whatever happens next–and that, apparently, is enough to make her burst into song. She does not wait to see how things will turn out first. She sings ahead of time, and all the angels with her.“

She continues… “If there are any big changes going on with you right now–if something is underway you cannot predict the end of… then you might try following Mary’s lead… While it would certainly be nice to have some details about how it will all turn out, that is not really necessary, is it?“

Mary’s hope is our hope, too. Our Hope in Christ assures us that no matter what tomorrow brings, no matter what adventures or trials may be in store, God is with us to provide direction, courage, strength, comfort, joy, and–always–loving and caring companionship.

May our hearts be refreshed with the light of Hope, the light of Christ, as we rest in this assurance. In a beautiful benediction, Barbara Brown Taylor reminds us:

“May your souls magnify the Lord, and your spirits rejoice in God your Savior… For the Mighty One has done great things for you, and holy is his name.”¹

¹Taylor, Barbara Brown. Home By Another Way. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1999 (pages 18-19).
Bible verses are NRSVUE, found at https://www.biblegateway.com/
(Photo by Karen, taken at St. Timothy’s in the Valley Episcopal Church)