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A full Sunday.

It was a full Saturday as well. I reached the office just in time to speak with the funeral family, and was going to then spend some time doing calendars and tweaking the sermon for 5:00 p.m. But in the midst of the conversation I was called out to the nursing home to visit with someone there.

Did that - returned just in time to get the heat on. Burned a CD of church music for the lady in the nursing home. Worship. Stopped back at nursing home. Got home.

Today went the same way. Lots of things stacked up. Two trips to Work Town. I really want a day off. A real day off.

Here is my sermon-ette (somewhat edited)
November 15, 16 – FELC - Stewardship, week two – the Magnificat –
Mary’s Song, Our Song – “He has done great things – He will do great things”
Praise and Trust (reversed order from Trust and Praise – review of past through Praise leads to trust in regard to the future)

Most of us won’t be in Mary’s situation. In fact, I suspect none of us will be exactly – angel visitation – miraculous motherhood – all that.

Most of us won’t be in Mary’s situation – but we can learn from what she says here in her great song. For that is what the Magnificat – the “magnify the Lord” poem really is – it is a song. It is a song of praise, and of trust.

Mary praises God for what has happened to her – even for this surprise movement of her life.
She looks back and connects that with thanksgiving for all God has done in the past
– then looks forward to the future – exclaiming with trust that as God has supplied in the past – God will be present in the future. “He has done great things – He will do great things

Please realize that Mary is living in a time that was not especially optimistic. For her people, the Jewish people were living under a foreign occupying power, the government was in the hands of corrupt pagans, the very religious establishment was full of strife and competing voices. People who went into debt would go into prison, and slavery was a reality all around. Life-spans were short, and illness, accidents and violence were never far away.

So young Mary discovers she is pregnant when she should not be. She flees to see her elderly cousin Elizabeth. It is during this visit that she discovers she can sing, that she has something to sing about. You see, Elizabeth herself is pregnant and knows that something wonderful is happening with these two unborn children. It is God’s Work.

And so Mary can sing the praises of God. She can look back over centuries, and generations and see that God’s hand has never left – God’s will has been done.

Mary’s song, the Magnificat, is her song of faith. In it Mary tells us what God’s people believe. She expresses her commitment to fill her role in a way that glorifies God and advances the kingdom. Even though her life was filled with anxiety – personal anxiety about this child in her womb, what people would think, what her betrothed would do – she could sing. Even though her land was filled with anxiety – would the crops be good, would the taxes not go up, would there be work tomorrow – and even greater political issues – will there be a rebellion, a war? Even though – she could sing.

Praise and Trust – she sings praises because she knows what God has done. Praise teaches. Praise teaches what God is about because praise tells of who God is and what God has done.

And trust. Mary sings trust because she believes that what God has done in the past – God will do in the future. So we are called to sing – as the people of God, as the brothers and sisters of Mary – we are called to sing songs of Praise and words of Trust.
What shall we say in praise of our God?
God has given us a Word, a scripture, one that we may take for granted, but that is always there, ready to be our companion.
He has protected our ancestors, to bring us to this place, this country, this state, this corner.
He has provided us with a great house of worship, through the sacrifices of those who have gone before.
He has given to us a community of faith, as flawed as any, but one with a great, deep heart.
God has come into our lives as a Savior, Jesus the Christ, both an example and a power for us.

That is a lot to praise.

Now, we may find ourselves saying, in the depths of our heart – but things aren’t all that good – for me. We might find ourselves saying, what has God done for me?

Look again at Mary’s song – it is one of whole-heartedness, really of throwing oneself upon the mercy of God. It is about both praise and trust – personal trust in this God.

What I am saying is that is what Trust is about. In times of anxiety, real trust in the real God is an act of real faith. And that’s what we need now. Trust in the God who has brought you here.

Trust in the God that Mary sings of - even here and now God is acting in this place, even here, even now. Yes, we spoke about money earlier today. The money is a necessity and a symbol of our commitment what we want to be – a living, active place where God can be known.

Praise God and trust in him – trust that your contribution, your commitment to this community, is part of the on-going mighty acts of God our savior. Amen.