With all my heart I glorify the Lord! 47 In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior.
Luke 1:46-47
This week's theme comes from the Common English Bible translation of the Magnificat. Mary's Song is listed in the lectionary for both Advent 3 and 4, both as options. Whether you hear her words in this week leading to Christmas, or in the week prior, it is hard not to be struck by the faith and beauty coming from a young woman.
God's YES for us and for all of creation can be found everywhere. In the unexpected bloom found in a desert, in the voice heard crying from a wilderness, in the creation that occurs even amidst destruction... and certainly, God's YES is found in the depths of who we are.
We are mere days away from Christmas, and this Advent season of waiting and preparation is about to break into a season of joy and praise. For many, this has been a long time of waiting: waiting for justice, waiting for peace, waiting for relationships to heal, waiting for health and wholeness. For many, this season is one of sorrow, of loneliness, of loss. It's a season where we feel God's Sacred YES in many different ways.
God knows us in the depths of who we are, and calls us out of isolation and into community, out of fear and into joy. This week, our Advent Calendar contains images, songs and videos that reflect both the hardship of waiting as well as the joy of Emmanuel, God With Us. Watch/listen to them all in one sitting, or move through them slowly as we head toward Christmas.
This week, we are invited to look within and seek God's quiet peace and wisdom in the depths of our own selves. May these final nights bring peace for our worries, patience in our hearts, and confidence in a God who always has been and always will be With Us.
-Paris Ball
