Grace and Peace to you from God the Father, Jesus Christ our LORD, and the Holy Spirit. 

This morning begins the fourth Sunday of Advent. 

On this Sunday we wait with anticipation for the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ. 

An action of pure love from God, as John’s gospel is crystal clear in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.” 

Abundant love that holds us in tension with the life of Jesus, a life that is ultimately given for our salvation. 

Our reading from the prophet Micah calls to attention the town of Bethlehem, a small place, the birthplace, of the one to come. 

All roads lead to Jesus and Micah’s words offer hope to those who are in labor, for the one who will feed their flock and live securely, to the ends of the earth. 

“He shall be the one of peace.” 

Today and everyday we celebrate Love. 

Leaping together with hope, peace, and joy into love. 

Love that is born out of God’s love. 

I think it is often difficult for me to express how much God loves me and equally how much God loves all of you. 

Love begins with hope. 

Hope that creation is good and God is love.

Love is the brightness of our four candles, awaiting the fifth candle. The candle of hope represents the light of life coming to the world. I believe that God made the world and all of us in it with love. Love that is so incredible that it may seem hard to believe. With love we have peace, but our world often doesn’t agree. We live in a paradox of being there, but not quite there yet. 

Christ has already come, but in Advent we still prepare ourselves, preparing for the final arrival of our savior. 

Like John the baptizer preparing the way of the Lord we still actively engage the coming of the Lord. 

The story and life of Jesus is the greatest story ever told. But just being told isn’t enough, we need to live it. 

Live life as a gift from God. 

Live life joyfully, even with all of the work we still have to do. We are blessed to be a blessing as people of faith. 

Faith that stirs the soul, causing us to jump for joy. 

Does the birth of Christ cause you to jump for joy? 

Or does Christmas feel more like a burden, something to endure? What have we done to Christmas!

I for one have felt the pull away from the joy of Christmas at times. 

Yet it is that exact tension of trying to understand how someone could love me so much. 

What in the world did I do to receive this incredible gift of life? Nothing, on my part, is what makes our story even more incredible. We are saved by faith through grace. 

No strings, no fees, no surprises. 

That’s what love can do. 

That’s why Luke’s story of the Magnificat in his gospel is so amazing. Mary magnifies the joy of Jesus to the world. 

Perhaps you have heard and even sung it from Marty Haugen’s Holden Evening Prayer. 

The Magnificat, literally, Magnifies the constant love and mercy of God. Where does God show up? 

Often in the little places, on the margins, apart from worldly power. With a teenage pregnancy, and no real knowledge of the father. 

Mary is not yet married and her pregnancy would be considered shameful by society, that stigma still carries to this day. 

Who would support Mary, how could she show her face, what next?

Mary went with haste to see her cousin Elizabeth. 

Journeying alone, carrying a secret that would change the world. Mary enters the house of Zechariah and greets Elizabeth. 

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child, soon to be born John the baptizer, leaped in her womb. 

I remember having felt the movements and kicks of my own children as an amazing feeling. 

Could they hear my voice, would they recognize me when they were born? 

John must have heard Mary’s voice and was moved by the spirit, jumping for joy. 

Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit exclaiming the Good News which she hadn’t been told yet by Mary. 

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?” 

I cannot imagine a birth announcement as joyous and unexpected as this. What a surprise, what a blessing, “My Lord comes to me!” Our Lord comes to us. 

God wants us to see what God is doing in other people’s lives. 

“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

Mary believed, like Elizabeth believed, that faith is the grace that God knows the thoughts of our hearts. 

God hears our struggles, as well as our songs of praise. 

Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” 

This is from a teenager, an unwed, pregnant woman. 

Mary trusts God with a faith that passes on abundant grace. 

There is no sign of Mary saying no, only joy, like the joy of Elizabeth that causes us to jump for joy. 

Mary is looked on with favor, in her lowliness, which is about as low as low can be, only to continue to be called blessed. 

Mary is a blessing for all of us. 

A blessing that continues to bless as we look with anticipation for the return of her child, Jesus, yet to be born, yet to live amongst us, yet to be crucified and die, yet to be resurrected, and yet as we wait for Jesus to come again. 

Mary blesses without blame or shame with the tension of faith in God. God will deliver as God delivers us all to salvation. 

Just look at what God has done and continues to do; 

mercy for those who turn to the Lord, 

showing strength and scattering the proud in the thoughts of their hearts,

bringing down the powerful and lifted up the lowly, 

filling the hungry with good things and sending the rich away, remembering mercy and fulfilling the promise made to our ancestors, Forever. 

With loving kindness we thank God, for Mary, the Mother of Jesus, for all of us here and all of those in our hearts. 

Amen