Mary's Song: Revolution, Hope, and the Lowly Exalted

Not only did Mary know, but she was on the inside. Not only did Mary know, she was a co-conspirator in God's biggest caper yet. Mary said a defiant and noticeable yes when God called upon her. This is no mild-mannered woman. Mary is no mild-mannered woman. Mary is a rebellion. Mary is the rebellion. This is no timid, meek, unwed mother. This is a fearless and intrepid mother of a revolution. [00:41:22] (48 seconds)  #MaryTheRebel

She celebrates that God is about to do something new in the world. She celebrates that God is about to turn the world upside down, knock the wealthy oppressors off of their pedestals, lift up those who have been oppressed, and usher in a new reign of social justice and reconciliation. Mary is the rebellion. She is so much more than Ave Maria. In fact, she is so much more rage against the machine than she is Ave Maria. And I think she's inviting us into her world. [00:43:22] (40 seconds)  #UpsideDownKingdom

The Christmas story insists that we don't look in the high and mighty places for activity that God is doing in this world. We look to the lowly. The Christmas story tells us that God is active at the picnic pavilion on Olive Street. That God is active in the tent cities down by the river where people have no idea where their next meal is coming from. The Christmas story tells us that that's where God hangs out. But that's a place we would normally dismiss. And the Christmas story says, no, no, no. Don't dismiss it. Look over there. That's where you'll find me. [00:48:13] (43 seconds)  #GodInLowPlaces

The Christmas story insists that God brings hope to the single mom who has just had it. And if they have to answer one more phone call from one more creditor asking for money, that they're just going to lose their mind. And that's a person we would normally dismiss. And the Christmas story says, no, no. Look for hope there. Look for what I'm doing there. Look for hope where there seems like there is none. [00:48:57] (34 seconds)  #HopeForTheOverlooked

Here's the thing. Prophets don't predict the future. They just believe in God's story. Let's be a church of prophets. Nobody's asking us to predict the future. But we are being asked to tell God's story. To believe God's story. To believe the fact that God can speak through even the most unlikely of messengers. That's what the Christmas story tells us. In fact, it insists it. [00:50:44] (43 seconds)  #BelieveGodsStory

That's what the Christmas story tells us. In fact, it insists it. It has to be true in order for the Christmas story to mean anything. Because Jesus wasn't born in some high and mighty palace. Jesus was born in a lowly manger. It's very unexpected. Unconventional, if you will. The Christmas story demands that we believe that God's message can come from the places we least expect. The Christmas story also demands that it animates our faith and our lives. [00:51:19] (46 seconds)  #LiveGodsStory

And you know what they did? They almost threw him off of a cliff because he said it. They almost threw him off of a cliff because they were so busy looking for a message that they expected, and a message that was comfortable for them to hear, that they missed the deeper truth of what was being told, that God's kingdom was near. Let's not let the same thing happen to us. [00:52:36] (31 seconds)  #DontMissTheMessage

You know what that is? That's putting Christ in Christmas. If we lived out, if we lived out Mary's song, if we exalted the poor, if we were to bring the justice that Mary talked about, if we were willing to feed the hungry, if we were willing to do all of the things that Mary talks about in her song, then we could safely say happy holidays anytime we wanted to because we would be living out the truth of Christmas. [00:54:16] (35 seconds)  #ChristInChristmas