December 20th Sermon Posted, By Popular Demand

While the Fourth Sunday in Advent brought us one of the most glorious Lessons and Carols services in recent memory, the structure of the 10:30 service meant that The Rev. Deacon Gayle McCarty did not repeat (and we did not record) her wonderful sermon from the 8:00 service. 

After several requests for copies, we are posting it here. 

Gayle McCarty, December 20, 2009 
4th Sunday in Advent 
Luke 1:39-45, Canticle 15 – The Song of Mary 

I am pregnant. There – I’ve said it. Let me say it again. I am pregnant. And - I am not alone. Don’t be surprised if the person sitting next to you this very moment is pregnant too. Man – woman - or child. Does not matter. With God ALL things are possible. Just look at Elizabeth and Mary – and their miraculous pregnancies! One, well beyond child-bearing age – believed to be barren – never to be called mother – so she thought –and the other, a young girl – tender in age – engaged and still a virgin. Yet, both were impossibly, undeniably pregnant! 

AND – I am - we are - pregnant too – pregnant with hope. 

On this - the 4th and last Sunday in Advent – only five short days and nights before the birth of Jesus the Christ – we are pregnant. Five short days – and so very much to do. 

No; I am not talking about baking and buying or cooking and cleaning in anticipation of the arrival of family and friends. No; I am not talking about stringing lights, hanging wreaths and decorating trees to make our homes warm and welcoming for our loved ones. No; I am not talking about joining the masses and shopping til we drop searching for that perfect gift for that special person or trying to find one of the few remaining of the must-have hottest holiday toy – the Zhu Zhu Hamster. 

Instead, I am talking about those preparations necessary in order for each of us to give birth to the hope we are carrying within – the hope that we have lavished with love and tenderly nurtured – so that we - like Mary – may be Christ bearers. 

In the Advent class I led two Sundays ago, we explored this very topic of preparing to be Christ-bearers. I shared how we must prepare our bodies to be holy and acceptable containers – welcoming wombs – for the Christ child. I talked about how we prepare ourselves in three ways: physically, emotionally and spiritually. 

The language and imagery I am using are decidedly feminine, but this applies to us all – male and female -of all ages. 

Scripture reminds us of this call – this responsibility. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 we read, “Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” 

For some of us, this call to be Christ bearers sounds down right daunting. A pregnancy that is heavy – heavy with responsibility. We feel as if we are carrying a great weight – we move about awkwardly and just can’t get comfortable. 

We might ask – are we really called to help birth Christ? Who are we to bear such an awesome responsibility? We may either feel weary or wary or unworthy. 

But hear the words of Teresa of Avila who said, “Christ has no body now on earth but yours; Yours are the only hands with which he can do his work; Yours are the only feet with which he can go about the world, Yours are the only eyes through which his compassion can shine forth in a troubled world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.” 

So - Are you and I ready to give birth to the hope within us– to the hope to which we, like Mary, said, “Yes!”? 

Have you felt the stirring within? Maybe you have even been given a little internal divine kick once or twice. 

The time is near! Are we ready to bear Christ and to be Christ’s body in today’s world? 

Maybe it is not a heavy pregnancy for us at all. Maybe we are filled with wonder and awe and joy – as was Elizabeth and Mary. 

Scripture tells us that once Mary said Yes, she “set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.” That urgency does not sound as if it is fear based at all. I do not see Mary rushing to Elizabeth for solace. Instead, I picture Mary in a hurry, eager to share her good news, trembling with excitement mingled with awe, ready to burst to tell Elizabeth what all has miraculously happened. 

And she knew that Elizabeth would understand because Elizabeth was living a miracle also. Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy with the child later to be known as John the Baptizer. 

Both women - cradled within - tiny babies of great promise – the prophet, John, the charismatic, apocalyptic trumpeter and Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah. No wonder - baby John leaped in his mother’s womb at the sound of Mary’s greeting!! 

No wonder Elizabeth became filled with the Holy Spirit and blessed Mary!!No wonder Mary burst into song!! 

But, let’s change the traditional focus from whom they are bearing to these remarkable women themselves.This passage of the Visitation by Mary to her cousin Elizabeth is one of the few in which women have names – have voices - have power -have lasting legacies. 

Author Nicola Slee, in The Book of Mary, writes of the Visitation in this way“. . . contemporary readers can reclaim the story as one celebrating a strong, intimate and joyful connection between two women who find themselves caught up in God’s saving action. We can read the story as an affirmation of our need of the human other to walk with us and support us in our journey of response to the call and the work of God in our lives. We can read it as an affirmation of the role of the soul-friend, the spiritual mid-wife who, as Elizabeth did, recognizes the hidden work of the Spirit in our lives, as yet unbirthed and incomplete and rejoices at that which is waiting to be fully realized and embodied.” 

Setting gender aside, doesn’t that describe the role of community in the life of the church ???? - in the life of our church – Grace-St. Luke’s????? 

Grace-St. Luke’s – a place AND a people “to fulfill our need for the human other to walk with us and support us in our journey of response to the call and the work of God in our lives.” We do this all sorts of ways here in community at Grace-St. Luke’s - through all sorts of ministries -through all sorts of commissions. We also do this via the ministry of presence. Not doing. Rather just being – being with each other in trying times, sickness and death and other type losses or life challenges. We are made to be in relationship with God and with each other. AND Grace-St. Luke’s – is a place in which and a people with whom – we can grow in relationship with God and each other. 

Grace-St. Luke’s – a place AND a people – “who are soul-friends and spiritual mid-wives – who recognizes the hidden work of the Spirit is our lives, as yet unbirthed and incomplete, and rejoices at that which is waiting to be fully realized and embodied.” 

We serve as Eli’s and Elizabeth’s to each other – helping one another discern gifts and calls. Affirming and naming such and supporting revelation and transformation. Yes; you and I – we – are pregnant with hope –the Christian hope we experience in community here together at Grace-St. Luke’s. Hope within us with which we quiver in anticipation of birthing and sharing with others. 

Yes; there is much hope waiting to be birthed here at Grace-St. Luke’s. We are pregnant with promise and power and praise. Certainly, we have challenges - substantial challenges even - just as Mary, as an unwed, pregnant girl faced incredible obstacles. But, we are pregnant with hope and should run - with haste - rush to share the good news with all!! 

Let’s begin right now and invite someone to church Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I know, I know – that involves that “E” word that makes folks so uncomfortable – evangelism. I recall the first time I invited someone to a Christmas Eve service. I felt awkward and was shocked when they said – yes. 

So many folks do not have a church home AND are pregnant AND pregnant alone. They are pregnant with a longing for Christ AND community. They are simply waiting for someone like us –to be like Mary – and burst into song with good news of Christ - with good news of Grace-St. Luke’s. 

The time is near! We are about to give birth! Set out and go with haste! Sing the song of Mary! Sing the hope of Grace-St. Luke’s! 

Amen.