Mary’s open heart

Lily Cathcart December 06, 2020 0 0

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Luke 1: 34-38 (NRSVA)

34 Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ 35 The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.’ 38 Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.

When people think of openheartedness, which is our focus this week here on Sanctuary First, they often think of someone who is warm and nice and friendly, perhaps quite direct and straightforward.

But Mary was much more than that.

This isn’t to say that she wasn’t kind and truthful, she was warm enough for Joseph’s family to want her joining them and may well have been blunt enough to tell him that his beard needed a good chop before she would be willing to kiss him.

But Mary wasn't just 'nice' she was spectacularly, wonderfully and courageously openhearted. She was confronted with an angel but she opened her heart to accept this terrifying and overwhelming Godly visitor enough to hear his words and to reply with a sensible question. This alone would be enough to call her openhearted but she astounds us again. Mary calls herself the servant of the Lord and accepts the plans laid out for her life. We can only assume that the engaged young woman had plans and ambitions for not only the rest of the day but the rest of her life. Yet Mary, opens her heart to the here and now, the change of plans and the moving of the Spirit in the world.

Yes Mary is brave hearted, tender hearted, true hearted and miraculously, openhearted.

PRAYER:

In the moment and forever God
You saw Mary’s heart and despite the world’s opinion you judged it ready to take on your plan.
Help us to open our hearts and hear your plans for us this Christmas season.
Open us to face fear bravely, receive blessings humbly and to let go of plans we once made tenderly.
Fill our hearts with hope as we remember the birth of your Son, Mary’s baby boy.
Amen.

- We stream a Sunday Live worship service of music, prayer, discussion and reflection every week at 6:30pm where we explore our monthly and weekly theme material. -