Mary ii #adventbookclub

•December 17, 2014 • 3 Comments

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.

Oh Lord,
how often do I say that can’t happen?
Not here,
not now,
not in me.

Yet you do.

You take my questions,
my fears,
my uncertainties
– and they become your possibilities.

May I not put barriers
and stumbling blocks
in the way of your work.

But say
“yes,
here I am,
let’s do it.”

Lord,
give me courage,
faith and hope
in and through you. 


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

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Mary #adventbookclub

•December 16, 2014 • 4 Comments

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

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Elizabeth iii #adventbookclub

•December 15, 2014 • 4 Comments

Luke 1:39-45 (CEV)

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 A short time later Mary hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea. 40 She went into Zechariah’s home, where she greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, her baby moved within her.

The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth. 42 Then in a loud voice she said to Mary:

God has blessed you more than any other woman! He has also blessed the child you will have. 43 Why should the mother of my Lord come to me? 44 As soon as I heard your greeting, my baby became happy and moved within me.45 The Lord has blessed you because you believed that he will keep his promise.

 She came.  And I knew.  I know we women often have an inkling when someone is pregnant, but this was different.  I knew from the depth of my being.  It was like my baby knew too.  Recognised something in Mary, something special, something happening, something growing, something of God.  God is about to do something spectacular, and somehow Mary and I are caught up in this.  Our babies are not just miraculous, but the very essence of God, living in us now, but soon to be living and breathing in the world.

Stephen Cottrell uses the phrase, “Fire in by belly” (p77).  I like that.  That sends my thought off.

Lord,
though we cannot all birth you,
we can each carry your life within us;
living,
growing,
being.

Lord,
may I make space for you,
allow you to change my life,
and prepare me for what is to come.

Be the ‘fire in my belly’
I pray.


 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

Posted in Advent, Advent Book Club, bible, faith, God, hope, Jesus, Religion, theology
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