“Greetings favored one! The Lord is with you.”  Luke 1:28

Advent is upon us once again. A Sanctified Art, a publishing team, will provide the direction with their curriculum: “Words for the Beginning: Advent Reminders for New Seasons.”

As Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity explains the theme in the materials:

“As the calendar year comes to a close, a new church year begins. Christ’s birth ushers us into new ways of living and loving; and yet, the world as we know it spins madly on.

In many ways, pregnant Mary was surrounded by endings—large and small, personal and political. But Mary proclaimed hope in a God who was and is making all things new.

Christ’s birth offered a beautiful new beginning for shepherds and Magi alike—all the while, King Herod tried to bring Christ’s story to an end. When we ourselves navigate seasons filled with endings and beginnings, we need reminders. We need words that can feel like steady ground, like a path for  our feet to find as we step forward into the unknown.

We have crafted an Advent series filled with blessings, with the words we need to hear again and again as we begin a new season. We imagined the words Mary would speak to her newborn son.

What scriptures and stories would she impart to him? What lessons would she teach him as he grew? And so, our weekly themes may feel like the lessons we teach to children, but in reality, these are lessons we continue to learn and relearn as adults.”

I look forward to setting out on this Advent journey together with the words of the Angel Gabriel to Mary in Luke 1:26-38 paving the way. Gabriel spoke with efficiency and grace to convince Mary that she was not only blessed and worthy of God’s blessing but was herself, a blessing. May we take these words to heart in our own ministries and calling. I look forward to worshipping with you in person or on YouTube this Sunday.