 |
| Image by Pedro Szekely |
†
A GREETING
‘Come,’ my heart says, ‘seek God's face!’
Your face, Lord, do I seek.
(Psalm 27:8)
A READING
Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.
(Philippians 2:4-7)
MUSIC
The lyrics for this song are today's Poem Prayer below.
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
You clothed me with skin and flesh,
and knit me together with bones and sinews.
(Job 10:11)
A POEM/SONG LYRIC
My arms are your first home;
this muscle, bone, and hope
were born to cradle you
soft as I can.
Holy, holy this child.
The ease of your breathing
is a whispering song
dearer to me
than any I know.
Holy, holy, this breath.
When you smile,
your ancestors sing.
All they loved,
all they dreamed,
is born anew.
Holy, holy, this moment.
You will grow and go
and these arms will lift
this moment
into my heart.
I will carry it there,
gladly gladly
all of my days.
Holy, holy, this child.
- "First Cradle," by Brian Newhouse
found on kylepederson.com
VERSE FOR THE DAY
May their bones send forth new life.
(Sirach 46:12a)
†
Adelie penguin mother and nestling born only five days ago. Cape Hallet, Antarctica. Photographed by Myeongho Seo, found on Instagram at @myeonghoseo
The birth of Jesus fulfills a number of Hebrew bible texts that foretell of the coming of a messiah: we quote Isaiah and Jeremiah often at this time of year. But there is nothing that we can turn to that could be read as a prophecy of Mary and her role in the incarnation. Mary is her own original figure.
In the Celtic tradition there is the principle of ‘peregrenatio,’ in which a spiritual seeker surrenders completely to the will of God, through a 'wandering,' without a destination. Some of the first monastic missioners would put themselves out in a boat to sea — without oars. Trusting the currents and the winds, they would simply drift until they landed where God had called them to be. For them, trusting God requires a complete surrender to God’s will in the present moment. We rarely make such decisions in our own lives today. While a ‘pilgrimage’ has a clear end in sight, a ‘peregrinatio’ does not. Mary’s ‘yes’ was a ‘peregrinatio.’
Today’s song lyrics emphasize the way in which a mother’s body is a baby’s ‘first cradle.’ Having surrendered to God’s will for her, Mary becomes a part of the unfolding of God’s creativity through Jesus. Mary evolves with Jesus, not just for him.
Mary is often portrayed in art as holding Jesus both in his infancy, and in his death. The Madonna and child of nativity scenes evolves into the Pièta: Mary with the crucified Jesus laid across her lap. In these moments Mary and Jesus are represented almost as one body. The very human body of Mary played an essential role in the incarnation. Through Mary we can identify with holding a child, wanting to protect it, and being agonized by loss. Surrendering to God’s will does not mean there will be no painful process along the way. In fact, most times some suffering can be expected. But something holy, mysterious, unknown and potentially life-changing can be the result.
How much are we willing to surrender to God’s will in our own lives? How easily could we take on a new path for God, despite not knowing where it will take us?
 |
| Image by David Cook |
†
LC† Come Holy Darkness is a project of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook, and on Twitter. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help to support extended offerings throughout the year.
Thank you and peace be with you!