verse4today: "How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you." (II Samuel 7:22)
Posted on 2012-04-30 via Twitter
Each Advent Debbie and I not only put up our Christmas tree and the decorations that have been amassed over the years, but we also pull out our growing collection of Christmas books, movies and music. Included in that special collection is Preparing for Jesus a collection of meditations on the “coming of Christ, Advent, Christmas, and the Kingdom” written by Walter Wangerin Jr. It's a lovely little book with devotions for each day of Advent, written by an outstanding author, who also happens to have been a pastor and professor (Valparaiso University).
Last night, around the dinner table, we read Wangerin’s meditation on Mary’s song of praise, traditionally called the “Magnificat” (Luke 1:46-55). In this song, Mary offers joyful praise to the Lord. The song begins "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." Mary offered it after having received both an angelic announcement that she would give birth to a son named ”Jesus,” and a benediction from her relative Elizabeth.
In Wangerin’s short reflection, he notes that Mary responded to the news of the birth of Jesus Christ with a song, but then he draws the reader's attention to each of the birth narratives concerning Jesus Christ. He notes when considered as a whole, "there is singing in Palestine! They can’t help it: canticles rise to their lips and to the ears of God spontaneously.”
Toward the conclusion of his reflection, Wangerin connects the biblical past with the reader's present. In so doing, he suggests that singing is the most appropriate response for all who hear the good news "that unto us a child is born and unto us a son is given." But he then asks us to consider if there really is any other option. In my favorite paragraph from the writings of Wangerin, we read this prayer:
“O Lord, you are the musician, and we are all your instruments. You breathe, and we come to life. You breathe, and we are horns for your glory. You blow through the world the winds of the spirit, and we like chimes cannot keep silent. You pluck the strings of our hearts, and we become a psalm. You come, and we must sing.”