the angel came & said its name

but she could not keep from trembling 

A sermon on the Mary & her hymn:

In the Church we have an odd way of doing things. Of speaking. And of keeping time, too…

For instance, it is now the fourth week, in-a-row we’ve begun worship with the hymn, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”

…Are you sick of it yet? …Has Emmanuel come? …Has anything changed, for that matter???

…Social scientists call it “cognitive dissonance.” 

“Cognitive dissonance,” that terrible gap between what we say and reality. The gap between what we say and reality… 

Nowhere is that gap more dramatically on display today than in our Gospel, the so-called, “Magnificat.” The hymn Mary sings as she visits her auntie, Elizabeth. Mary’s song, celebrating God’s mighty act of deliverance. Mary’s song celebrating God’s mighty act as if it has already happened! 

While all the while, Mary is still pregnant and unwed. Still a refugee. Still a peasant, in an occupied country.

She’s not exactly the picture of someone whose already been delivered…

Social scientists call it “cognitive dissonance.” That terrible gap between what we say and reality. 

Elizabeth, though, has another word for it…

 But honestly, this ‘cognitive dissonance’ is pretty common, though…

What I mean is, you don’t have to look to the Bible to see it. 

It happens here, you know:

• The widowed man, coming to church mere days after the funeral. When it’s time for it, he rises and joins the congregation singing of God’s mercy.
• The confirmation student completing her “sermon-note.” Daring to ask if it’s all true, why do so many bad things happen.
• The grieving mother who can’t understand, much less get through the worship service. But comes anyway. Sitting in the back, and hanging on every word.
• The busy man, taking a break from a hectic day, to drop in the church. As if there’s nothing more important he has to do.
• The women spending an afternoon stitching up a garment that’s seen one too many days. Making repairs no one else is likely to notice.
• The council member putting down the battle axe and daring to hold up the other side of the argument to their compatriots.
• The member who has trouble getting around, who can’t make it to worship. Yet, says a prayer for the church every day and mails a check each month…

Social scientists call it “cognitive dissonance.” That terrible gap between what we say and reality. 

The Church, though, has another word for it…

…In the the Church, we sure have an odd way of doing things, though. Of speaking. Keeping time.

But there come times, when it’s too hard to ignore the nagging feeling; maybe we do it all in vain…

Like on the fourth week, in-a-row you’ve sung “O Come, O Come Emmanuel!

If we were a little less pious and a little more brave, we might dare to raise a few of our reservations. But we’re Lutherans. That isn’t our style…

…And it’s too bad, too. 

After all, Mary did. And from then on, Elizabeth and every generation of the Church too, has called her -not a heretic, but blessed.

Blessed…

When Mary hears the angel Gabriel’s words, she trusts them too much to ignore the gap between them and reality. She asks the question our dear confirmation student dared to ask, “how can this be?”

“How can this be?”

Well, she certainly wasn’t the first to wonder; and we can all attest she wasn’t the last either. Can’t we?

Social scientists call it “cognitive dissonance.” That terrible gap between what we say and reality. 

Mary, though, has another word for it. And that word is, “blessed.”

Blessed…

Well, the Church certainly has an odd way of doing things. Of speaking. Keeping time. Doesn’t it?

The Church is such an odd place, because the church is gathered by an odd God. The God who doesn’t disdain the gap between what we say and reality, but rather looks upon it with favor. With favor…

The Church is gathered by the God who takes notice of the gap between the Word of God and reality; and speaks into it. A God who, as the angel Gabriel puts it, for which nothing will be impossible.

Or literally, “no word will be impossible for.” A God who takes a hard look at the gap between what we say and reality, and speaks a promise capable of filling it. Filling those of us who sit in that gap…

It is now the fourth week, in-a-row we’ve begun worship with the hymn, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” isn’t it? 

Maybe you’re sick of it by now. Perhaps you can’t help but wonder what’s taken Emmanuel so long, why nothing has changed. You find yourself, like our confirmation student, like Mary, wondering ‘how can this be.”

Well and good. 

Well and good, because you have a God who speaks to that gap. Well and good, because the time has come to put that song away, anyway. It’s time to sing another song. Mary’s. 

Mary’s hymn, celebrating God’s mighty act of speaking to the gap between what we say and reality. Mary’s hymn celebrating God’s mighty Word as if it has already filled the gap! 

And the gap between your words and reality today, will be no less dramatic than Mary’s that day. 

Social scientists may call it “cognitive dissonance.” Elizabeth, Mary and the Church, though, we have another word for it; “blessed.” 

Blessed.

Blessed because you have an odd God. A God who doesn’t despise the gap between your words and reality, but rather looks upon it with favor. A God who speaks to the gap, and fills it with that Word.

So you who have been singing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” for four weeks now. You who have come to church just days after the funeral. You who have left the church wondering if anyone cares. You who have found yourself on the wrong side of the church’s bickering. You who have truly worried you could mail out the offering check that week. 

You who have been laid low by life, God has not abandoned you. In fact, God has looked upon you with favor. As Mary sings, God’s mercy is for those who can’t live without it. 

You who know what it’s like to sit in that gap between what you say and reality, you are blessed. You who know what it’s like to be laid low, you are blessed. 

Blessed because God uplifts the likes of you, of us. The lowly. 

Today God’s does it with this Word; God looks with favor upon the gap between what we say and reality. God does for you, what God did for Mary. Sends a Word into the gap between what we say and reality. A word that fills it. 

Hear that Word, let it fill you: 

When the final blow comes. When you’re laid all the way low. Laid in gap you cannot pick yourself out of, the grave. 

That day you will know the fullness of this Word. God coming to that gaping hole and filling it. Filling it with the body of one whose coming you’ve been waiting for; Emmanuel, God with us. The Word of God made flesh.

So, here’s what you’re to do. And not just now, but every day of your life; sing Mary’s hymn as your’s. Mary’s hymn praising God for uplifting the lowly. Filling the gap between what you say and reality.
Sing this hymn as if God has already filled it; because God has. This Word you hear, it is not empty.

Social scientist may call it “cognitive dissonance.” The Church, though, with Elizabeth and Mary, we call it blessed. Blessed

Before you do what you’ll do in a moment and for the rest of your life; sing Mary’s hymn. 

I’m going to do what the church has commissioned me to, pronounce Elizabeth’s upon you; “Blessed are you. You who can’t help but believe there will be a fulfillment of what has been spoken to you today by the Lord. Blessed are you. Blessed are you.”