Advent 4, Year C: Celebrating God’s Unexpected Messengers
Alecia Greenfield
This year, I am learning more about Awe. I am practicing looking for wonders. Yes, sometimes my day is interrupted by a stereotypical spectacular sunrise. Yes, I am amazed by the beautiful music of the Magnificat. But I am transformed when I interrupt my day and stop to watch a worm wriggle, to listen for the song sparrow, or let the rain fall on my face to notice how it feels as the water strikes my skin. In the littlest details I feel connected to the whole of creation. And in that moment of connection with God’s creation, I wonder, how can we hear God's call to moral, political and social change from a young girl with no moral, political or social authority? Trusting that God is still calling to us in our generations, can we look and listen for God's presence with the humble and lowly? What would the worm teach about morals? What would the sparrow sing about political aims? How might I be in right social relations with the water of the rain?
Commentary
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Background: Micah, the name, means "who is like Yahweh?" as an expression of praise. Micah was likely a rural prophet who called out the corruption and injustice of the wealthy.
The sections of this book have been divided in a few ways. My favourite is the Book of Doom, the Book of Visions, and the Book of Judgement. This reading is from the Book of Visions. The passage falls between the present labour pains of change and a future return to God's ways with God's king.
Verse 2: from a small place (Bethlehem) from a little clan (Judah), from the littlest remnant of God's people, will come a king as in times of glory past.
Verse 3: This new beginning will be birthed from the smallest remnant, and then there will be a great return to Israel's glory.
Verse 4: The new ruler will care for and provide for the people, like a shepherd, leading the people to God's ways
Verse 5A: And the new ruler will be a prince of peace.
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Background: This hymn echoes the song of Hannah (1 Samuel 1-10), rooting this poem in the history and promises to Abraham, Israel, and all past generations. Canticles are meant to be sung. I researched and wrote listening to the versions listed in the resource section.
Prior: This text immediately follows the Gospel reading, in which Mary visits Elizabeth.
Verse 47: Mary names God's greatness, and her spirit rejoices in God as saviour
Verse 48: Mary self-identifies with the lowly. She is not a person of wealth or rank. God could choose anyone, including emperors or high priests, but chose the lowly. This is a blessing that will be noticed by future generations.
Verse 49: Mighty God has done great things for lowly Mary
Verse 50: God's mercy is for future generations that fear him. In 'fear,' I notice the element of fear as in the experiences of Awe.
Verse 51: God's strength scatters the proud, a moral change
Verse 52: God has brought down the powerful and lifted the lowly, a political change
Verse 53: God has filled the hungry and left the rich empty, a social change
Verse 54: God continues to come to help the descendants of Isreal
Verse 55: God made promises to generations past and is honouring those promises in generations future
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Prior: Luke tells the conception stories of Elizabeth and Mary in parallel. Zachariah (Elizabeth's husband) and Mary are both greeted, told not to be afraid, and informed of their conception. Both Mary and Zachariah question how this conception is possible. Zachariah is struck mute for his disbelief. When informed that the conception is a sign of favour, Mary accepts, saying, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord."
Verse 39: Mary walked two or three days to another town. The passage does not say if someone else accompanied her or why she hurried.
Verse 40: Mary arrives in a place named 'Zachariah's household.' Zachariah is a person with sufficient wealth and authority to have a household.
Verse 41: When Elizabeth hears Mary greet her, she is filled with the Holy Spirit, and the baby John the Baptist begins a ministry of witnessing Jesus by leaping in Elizabeth’s womb.
Verse 42: Elizabeth exclaims Mary's blessing and the blessing of the fruit of her womb
Verse 43: Elizabeth feels honoured that Mary visits her.
Verse 44: Elizabeth explains the child in her womb leaps for joy at the child in Mary's womb.
Verse 45: Elizabeth recognizes that Mary (unlike Zachariah, a man with the power and authority of his own household) believed when God's messengers spoke to her.
After this passage, Mary praises God in the Magnificat while Zachariah remains mute.
Teaching and Preaching Ideas
Don't give up- In times of grief, even when it feels like everything important is being lost, great change and God's glory can come from the smallest remnant of God's people.
Examples from Creation:
While much of God's creation tends to struggle with humans' destructive impact, some species have made a comeback, often with human help.
The unintended nature reserve around the Chernobyl disaster
The circles of forest around Ethiopian churches
Unexpected messages from unexpected messengers - the faithfulness of God's promises strikes me. In Micah and the Canticle, God promises to be with future generations just as with past generations. And consistently, God chooses unlikely people to bear that commitment.
Inspired by Scripture:
Moses, when he was elderly and had a stutter
Rahab, the prostitute of Jericho
Mary, the lowly girl
Practicing our Faith:
What voices might we not be hearing but could be carrying a message from God? Can we, like Mary, believe God's words, however unexpected the message and however unlikely the messenger?
What if some of our lowly messengers might be in God's creation? What message would ravens, worms, salal, or cedar have for us if we learned to listen to unexpected messages from unexpected messengers?
Awe to Interrupt - Reflecting on how we might develop spiritual practices that open us up to hearing unexpected messages from unexpected messengers I am wondering how we might foster awe. Sometimes, like when an angel of the lord arrives, our lives are interrupted for us. But a practice of everyday wonder and awe with the ordinary astonishing details of creation might reveal many more holy invitations to God’s ways.
Practicing our Faith:
Naming awe. Practicing acknowledging how we feel in the presence of God’s creation
Looking for little. Finding our Advent practice in the lowly details.
Sources and Resources
Bollan, John. “Navel Gazing (Micah 5:2—5; Luke 1:46—55; Hebrews 10:5—10; Luke 1:39—45).” The Expositionry Times 121, no. 2 (2009): 53–104.
Boyce, Jo. Magnificat Arranged by Jo Boyce. BBC Songs of Praise. Holy Trinity Catholic Church: BBC Songs of Praise, n.d. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSYVdlxfpUY.
Craddock, Fred B. Luke: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Louisville: Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, 2009.
Daniel, Ginny Brown. “The Magnificat That Kick-Butt Texas Mamas Are Demanding!” Substack newsletter. TX Feminist Musings (blog), December 24, 2023. https://ginnybrowndaniel.substack.com/p/the-kick-butt-texas-mamas-magnificat.
Emergence Magazine. “The Church Forests of Ethiopia,” January 11, 2020. https://emergencemagazine.org/feature/the-church-forests-of-ethiopia/.
Francis. The Gospel of Luke: A Spiritual and Pastoral Reading. English edition. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2021.
“How Chernobyl Has Become an Unexpected Haven for Wildlife,” September 16, 2020. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/how-chernobyl-has-become-unexpected-haven-wildlife.
Jarvis, Cynthia A., and E. Elizabeth Johnson, eds. Feasting on the Gospels. Luke. First edition. A Feasting on the Word Commentary. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2014.
Keltner, Dacher. Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. 7th printing. New York: Penguin Press, 2022.
“magnificat” (black gospel version). “Magnificat Grayson Warren Brown’s Arrangement.” Tumblr, December 20, 2018. https://globalworship.tumblr.com/post/181277091280/magnificat-black-gospel-choral-version.
Osborne, Grant R. Luke Verse by Verse. 1st ed. Osborne New Testament Commentaries Series. Bellingham: Faithlife Corporation, 2018.
Contributor Bio
The Rev. Alecia Greenfield is rector of St. Anselm Anglican Parish in Vancouver BC. Her interests include Christian ministry and ecojustice advocacy. She is an artist and lover of all creation especially as she promotes the spiritual practice of pilgrimage.
Photo Credits
Art and photo by Alecia Greenfield