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Sermon on the Magnificat

Advent IV A.D. 2009

All Saints’ Episcopal Church

Morristown, Tennessee

Henry G. Selby

“May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be always acceptable unto thee, O Lord my strength, and my redeemer.” (Ps. 19)

The Venerable Bede was a monk in Northumbria, and a scholar. He wrote the definitive Historia Ecclesiastica gentis Angolorum: A Church History of the English People, way back in the year 731 when he was 60 years old. 1,168 years later, in 1899, Pope Leo the XIII made the Venerable Bede a doctor of the church. He is the only Englishman ever to have had this distinctive honor. We Episcopalians claim him, of course, since he was, after all English! Anyway, this scholarly monk who devoted himself to searching the scriptures, said this:

When a man devotes all his thoughts to the praise and service of the Lord, he proclaims God’s greatness. His observance of God’s commands, moreover, shows that he has God’s power and greatness always at heart. His spirit rejoices in God his savior and delights in the mere recollection of his creator who gives him hope for eternal salvation.

We celebrate his feast on May 26^th.

Homiletics is the branch of theological training that deals with preaching. When I was in Seminary at St. Mary’s, Baltimore, a priest gave me a homiletics recipe that has never failed. Here it is: “read God’s Word; be still; and listen for what God would have you say.” He told me that what God would have me say might come from scholarly Biblical research, from a friendly conversation, a chance encounter on the street, or even from somewhere deep within.

He urged us seminarians to do research, of course. To “search the scriptures” as we used to say. He told us that God’s will for a homily would be revealed as surely as the morning sunrise.

And he was right.

And so in preparing today’s message I set about reading God’s word, asking God what God would have me say, being still, and listening. I was awaiting a sign. And I waited. And then I became a bit nervous since nothing “came to me”. But then this happened:

An angel appeared to me at the Sav-A-lot. He dressed like a cashier, checked out my groceries, bagged them, and then asked, “So, are you ready for Christmas?”

For three Sundays, and now a fourth, we have celebrated our new year. November 29 marked New Year’s Day for us Christians . . . and we entered the new year with reflection, readings, and teachings, all concerned with preparing ourselves, our homes, and our hearts for the coming of the Christ. For the Selby family November 29^th came PDQ after Thanksgiving! We had 17 relatives for three meals a day for four days! I’m not complaining. It was great! But now we’ve got to decorate for Christmas! That means a dinner party for 40 staff members, another for 25 Scoutmasters and their families, another for our board of trustees (this explains my quick trip to the Sav-A-Lot). . . not to mention the requisite gift-buying, travel-agent-ing for our daughters, and, oh, did I mention that Cindy and I are moving to a rather shaky (and that’s putting it mildly) farmhouse built in the 1800’s? . . . and well . . .

I’ve just been a little bit busy. And then I volunteered to help our youth out with their fair-trade coffee project! Let’s not even talk about health issues or money or the absolute boatload of activities at the school! Parade, accreditation, contests, sports, clubs, meetings (lots of these), the late arrival of the cookbook . . .And here’s this pimply-faced cashier at the Sav-A-Lot asking me if I’m ready for Christmas.

Let’s hear what the Venerable Bede said again:

When a man devotes all his thoughts to the praise and service of the Lord, he proclaims God’s greatness. His observance of God’s commands, moreover, shows that he has God’s power and greatness always at heart. His spirit rejoices in God his savior and delights in the mere recollection of his creator who gives him hope for eternal salvation.

Today we heard a poetic line from Mary’s cousin Elizabeth, and Mary’s most famous poem twice: the magnificat. Will you take a moment to think with me about this poetry?

Here’s a young woman, 14 years of age? 15? Who is pregnant and has no husband. When the angel Gabriel first interrupts her life and tells her that she’s going to give birth to the Lord, she replies “let it be with me according to His Word.” How busy was she at that time? We don’t know; the scripture doesn’t say. It does report that she was busy when she went to visit her pregnant cousin Elizabeth. St. Luke reports that she went “in haste”.

But anyway, when Elizabeth hears her greeting, Elizabeth’s child “jumps in the womb,” and Elizabeth poetically says “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Some of you may recognize this, combined with Gabriel’s earlier greeting, as the first part of the ancient Ave Maria prayer. And Mary immediately responds with more poety: “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For He hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden . . .”

Do you see where this is going? Mary was prepared. Mary was always prepared.

You know, poetry doesn’t translate very well at all. But here’s a little Jewish girl’s spontaneous poem, probably spoken in a Hebrew variant, and passed down through the ages, finally winding up in modern English, and it’s still great poetry. Let’s hear it again:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.

Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

His mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

and lifted up the lowly;

he has filled the hungry with good things,

and sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

Mary was prepared. And there I was, face to face with the angel at the Sav-A-Lot, and I didn’t respond with poetry. I muttered something back like, “Yeah, almost ready . . .

And on the drive back to my house I felt ashamed. Now I don’t know about you, but I really don’t like the feeling of shame . . . even though it is a powerful motivator.

So I prayed to be prepared. This morning I can tell you that I am prepared. I can also guess that at another given time I will not be . . .

But if I have eyes to see and ears to hear, my God will send me another sign: perhaps another Sav-A-Lot angel.

So, are YOU ready for Christmas? To come to the manger and see a helpless child lying in a feed trough who is your eternal salvation? Are you ready to bring him your gifts? It’s a new year.

Brothers and sisters, here and now we have gathered to hear God’s word, to dwell with God is us and we in God at this holy table. This is a great time to say, “I’m ready”. Now is the time to say, YES. That’s the poem that our heavenly father wants to hear from us right now. A little short poem. Let our spirits rejoice in the mere recollection of our creator, in us and among us. Are you ready for Christmas? Yes, Lord, Yes.

And now unto God the father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, be ascribed as is most justly due, all might, majesty, power, dominion, and glory, both now and evermore. AMEN.