Mary #adventbookclub
Luke 1:26-38 (CEV)
An Angel Tells about the Birth of Jesus
26 One month later God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee 27 with a message for a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to Joseph from the family of King David. 28 The angel greeted Mary and said, “You are truly blessed! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was confused by the angel’s words and wondered what they meant. 30 Then the angel told Mary, “Don’t be afraid! God is pleased with you, 31 and you will have a son. His name will be Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of God Most High. The Lord God will make him king, as his ancestor David was. 33 He will rule the people of Israel forever, and his kingdom will never end.”
34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this happen? I am not married!”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come down to you, and God’s power will come over you. So your child will be called the holy Son of God. 36 Your relative Elizabeth is also going to have a son, even though she is old. No one thought she could ever have a baby, but in three months she will have a son. 37 Nothing is impossible for God!”
38 Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant! Let it happen as you have said.” And the angel left her.
You don’t expect to meet an angel do you? Not an actual real one? Maybe someone who does something good and we tell them they’re an angel, but not An Angel.
How did I know he was an angel? Good question. I guess there was just something about him. I just knew. Knew that this was God and this was serious. If I’d known what he was about to tell me, I might have run away; but well, you know, when God speaks, what can you do?
Am I expecting to see
and hear you Lord?
Am I expecting you
to come into my everyday life
and bring news
that changes everything?
Am I expecting you to come
and change me
beyond comprehension?
Am I ready,
waiting,
for you to work in my life?
Let me stop,
hear
and allow you to work,
that I
and the world
may be changed.
Join us reading Walking Backwards to Christmas by Stephen Cottrell from SPCK Publishing this advent. Be part of #adventbookclub, share your thoughts here, on your own blog (and let us know we’ll link to it), on Twitter using #adventbookclub or on the Adventbookclub Facebook page
Pam's Perambulation 
That’s what gets me: that unashamed acceptance by Mary that the visitor was really sent by God.
Our preacher yesterday pointed out we’ve probably only got an abridged version of the conversation!
And it was written down at the end, with the help of hindsight
Well, that’s true. I’m sure Mary was not as calm as the story portrays. Or perhaps she was? And that’s why she was the one; she said yes, when perhaps the previous girls said no…?
What matters is she did say yes, and went through with it – and clearly made a good job of it. Whatever her initial reaction, she allowed God to work in and through her