For the final week of Advent Song Reflections, we will be using Scripture and Carols from a traditional Lessons and Carols service. The reading will be posted in full, followed by a carol, followed by a thought or quote to ponder, and then finishing with reflection questions.
You are encouraged to read the text slowly and prayerfully. This week is a time to truly enter into the wonder and joy of the incarnation, and it is our prayer that these texts and carols help you do just that.
Reading for Wednesday: Luke 1:26-38 (NRSV)
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 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. 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. For nothing will be impossible with God.” 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.
Carol: Gabriel’s Message (Instrumental)
The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame,
All hail, said he, thou lowly maiden Mary!
Most highly favored Lady, Gloria!
For known a blessed mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honor thee,
Thy son shall be Emmanuel by seers foretold,
Most highly favored Lady, Gloria!
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said,
“my soul shall laud and magnify his holy Name.”
Most highly favored Lady, Gloria!
Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say,
Most highly favored Lady, Gloria!
“Mary had a choice. She responded as though she had made a decision: ‘Let it be to me according to your word.’ God never forces His love or His will on anyone. The implication here is that the angel was announcing God’s plan and purpose to Mary and it would not be carried out without her consent. When this little teen-aged girl, Mary, chose to serve God, it was not as Joan of Arc, marching out clad in her armor to lead armies. A figure like Joan of Arc is glamourous, even though in the end she suffered death. Mary suffered the ridicule and contempt of being pregnant and unmarried in a small town full of gossips. Knowing all this, she said, ‘Let it be to me according to your word.’ It is surely one of the most courageous statements ever recorded.”—Bruce Larson
“Let it be to me according to your word.” Sit prayerfully with those words. How do they resonate with how God is moving in your own life right now? Where is he inviting you to align your life more intentionally with his purposes? Are there any parts of your life over which you hesitate to speak these words? How might God be calling you to a deeper level of surrender and trust in those areas?