I’m off this morning to my weekly text study group with local pastors. Since Sunday’s lectionary texts include Mary’s Magnificat, Luke 1:47-55, as the canticle I thought I’d repost this reflection on the powerful text. Are you preaching from Luke 1 this Sunday? How so?

The God Who

The God who looks with favor on the lowly, a homeless man leaving a warm night
shelter only to find a steady winter rain falling on the ambivalent city,

the God who has done great things, sending angels with pregnant messages
to a withered woman, and later a message of “great joy” to an unwed teenager fearing for her life,

the God who gives mercy from generation to generation, forgiving our sins too
numerous to count, blotting out our offenses no matter how heinous or small,

the God who shows strength with God’s arm, in the making of creation, in the
sweet smell of the bread baked for communion, in the powerlessness of the shameful cross,

the God who scatters the proud in the imagination of their hearts, throwing down
politicians working for personal gain, shattering our pretense of humility, calling us to boast in the Lord alone,

the God who lifted up the lowly, a tiny shepherd who slay the Philistine giant with
a strong faith and a love of neighbor, a young son wearing a torn fabled coat of many colors saves the nation from perishing,

the God who will feed the hungry at the heavenly banquet—filet mignon,
enormous baked potato, no damn broccoli, open bar, no hangovers—

the God who did not abandon Israel through the prophets and the patriarchs,
Miriam’s joyful song, Amos’s harsh words, and David’s illicit sex,

the God of whom Mary sang—Magnificat—of whom Hannah sang before, the
God of you and me is in this place. Look, listen, touch, taste, and smell, for God is here. Amen.