Read Luke 1:46-55.
Mary’s song of praise is one of the widest known texts in all of the Christian, and Christmas, and Advent traditions… probably because it’s a song that can get stuck in your head! You can google literally a million different versions of said song. Go ahead, try it.
It’s often called the “Magnificat” and it’s sometimes sung in Latin or other languages, since Mary is a well-recognized figure throughout the world. The most opera-y versions of the song are usually the ones that get stuck in my head, which is weird, since I have exactly zero singing training (you can ask some of the UKirkians in Nashville; they will testify to my leading songs without said training) and wouldn’t even know where to start on singing anything you might call an opera. But I do know operas are usually stories. And there’s a story here.
And there are always stories at the end of the semester… so, I wonder, can you identify with some of what Mary is singing? Could you even rewrite this song in your own words, with your own stories of what God has done this fall? Maybe you watched God “bring down the mighty calculus and Spanish exams from their thrones” (verse 52)? Or maybe you received a visit from a family member that made you reflect on “promises made to our ancestors” (verse 55)? As I reflect on all we’ve been able to do together in Nashville, and with our UKirk pals all over the country, I know my own soul magnifies the Lord. Just, you know, without singing. 😉
Lindsey Groves, UKirk Nashville
Words for Waiting 