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December 17, 2006

Luke 1: 26-38

“Nothing Is Impossible With God”

Every year at this time of year, my home church had our Christmas pageant. And it was always a big deal who played Mary in the Christmas pageant. Mary was always played by the one of the 5th grade girls. It was like a coming of age in my home church. Playing Mary was always something all the young girls looked forward to as they grew up.

This was big deal-playing Mary in the church Christmas pageant. It was stressed how important Mary was in the Christmas story. And it was always stressed how well-behaved the young girl who played Mary had to be if she was picked. Because this young girl was representing the Mother of Jesus. There is no better part in history than the Mother of Jesus.

And everyone knew how the Mother of Jesus was suppose to act. She was suppose to be quiet and reverent. She was suppose sit there and gaze gratefully and wondrously at her baby lying the manager.

And the girl who played Mary always got the best costume. Oh no, not some ratty old bathrobe like the shepherds had to wear. Not some gold lame’ fabric draped over your body and funny hats like the Wise Men had to wear.
No this costume was the best. There was a veil made of a velvet type material and was the color of the softest blue that you can imagine. And it seemed to just gently lay on the shoulders of the young girl wearing the costume. And she wore a white linen robe that swooshed when she walked. This costume was the best.

A few years earlier, I had watched as my sister got to wear this great costume and was adored by her fans (my parents) while I was stuck playing an angel among all the other girls my age. Now don’t get me wrong. The angels’ had pretty good costumes: cardboard wings outlined in gold tinsel garland with gold tinsel halo while wearing the old baptismal robes. Not bad. But they were not Mary’s costume.

My sister played Mary perfectly and I vowed that night as I watched her stare at the doll that was substituting for baby Jesus, that one day, I would be Mary. That I would someday wear that glorious costume and become Mary. No more angel choir for me! I had to play Mary!

And finally my year rolled around. And I remember it like it was yesterday. I put on the velvet-ty blue veil. I put on the pure white linen robe and looked at myself in the mirror. And I realized that I was Mary. That I become the mother of Jesus. I was Mary. Yes, sure it was my face looking back at me in the mirror but deep down I knew that I was Mary and this was one of the most important moments in my life.

I had become Mary. There I was, staring at myself in the mirror, draped in a soft blue veil, dressed in a pure white robe. I had become Mary. I was just like all the pictures that I had seen of Mary. It may have been me in the mirror, but I knew that I was Mary for just this one night.

It may have been the costume. It may have been my adoring fans, my parents. It may have been the fact that my sister, who was too old to play a part in the Christmas pageant and had to sit out in the audience that night. But there was something special about that night. Something wonderful about that night. There was something that night that just seemed to say that anything was possible.

Anything was possible that night and anything is possible now as we continue our journey to Bethlehem.

Even a young girl being visited by angel and becoming the mother of the Son of the Most High.

That is what the author of Luke is sharing with us today. That anything is possible with God and through God. You may have remembered our scripture from last week when we talked about the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. They also received a visit from the angel Gabriel, announcing a birth of a son. And this week’s announcement has many of the same elements. Gabriel comes and shares the good news of a child about to born. And how this child will be great among his peers.

But that is where the similarities end. For you see, in the previous reading, we as readers knew a lot about the background of Zechariah and Elizabeth. They were both righteous and good. They were older and they both could claim priestly backgrounds that would make them worthy of such a great gift as a child who will become a prophet who will prepare the way for the Lord.

But in our scripture today, we learn very little about Mary. There is nothing that sets her apart from all the other young women. All we know is that she is betrothed and that she is a virgin.
Mary is no from a priestly lineage. Mary is not someone who received a good star in conduct and good manners. Mary is not someone who walks around with a chorus of angels singing with every step or with a saintly glow around her head.

Mary is an ordinary woman. Mary is a young woman who probably did household chores, who washed the dishes, who cleaned the house, who did everyday things. Just a woman.

Who has just received word from the angel Gabriel that she will bear a son and he will be the Son of the God most high.

All through the grace and possibilities of God.
I am really struck by the image of how Gabriel explains how all this will happen. Mary takes it all in stride and accepts that she is going to have a child but she also knows about the birds and the bees and knows that there is a step missing in the whole process.

And Gabriel says, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and overshadow you.” In a few translations, it says that the Holy Spirit will come upon you like a cloud and fill you. And a child will be born.”
I get this image of a cloud surrounding Mary, enfolding her, moving over her, filling her. And then there is something in the air, some spark that lets her know that something new has just been created. That there is now a new creation through the Holy Spirit of God.

A new creation. A new possibility. This image reminds me of the first creation story and how the Spirit of God moved across the earth and realized that there needed to be something more. And so God created light and then continue to create so many things: land, sky, sun, moon, stars, animals, and humankind, declaring all to be good.

And now in this moment, as the Holy Spirit moves around and envelops Mary, a new creation is once again being brought forth. A new possibility for all humankind. And God declares it good and holy.

And that new creation is filled with grace, peace, hope, and joy. And that new creation is growing and being formed in love. And that new creation is awaiting us as we travel to Bethlehem on our Advent journey. And this new creation, this new possibility will continue to change our lives in so many ways.

And this new creation, this new possibility will be named Jesus.

For nothing is impossible with God.

May we continue our journey as God’s servants filled with faith and grace. Amen.

Rev. Heather McColl
Midway Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

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