Sermon - 30th November 2008

Scripture - Luke 1:26-38

Rev Andy Braunston

  

 

Introduction

Today as we start our journey through Advent we reflect, from our reading, video clip and in the sermon about the events at the start of Our Lord's incarnation – the visit of the Angel Gabriel to Mary.  The film clip from Zeffirelli's Jesus of Nazareth very cleverly doesn't show Gabriel but instead, the focus is on Mary from her mother's point of view.  We see Mary respond to the angel, ask questions and eventually say “yes” to God's will.

Mary was called to be the mother of Jesus; whether she fully comprehended all that Gabriel said that Jesus would be is something we'll never know.  We do know she would have understood the immediate implications of the call on her; shame, the end of a relationship and possible death by stoning for adultery.  Not surprisingly she was startled  - not it seems by the angelic visit itself but more by message.  She asks how she will become pregnant as she has not yet had sexual relations with a man.  The simple “for nothing is impossible for God” is backed up by the astounding news that her aged cousin Elizabeth is to have a child too.

Mary says “yes” to God not knowing all that will be involved.

God Called Us

We are here this evening as we have responded in different ways to God's call.  The call would not have been as dramatic as Mary's but still as insistent.  We hear God's call in different ways – the nagging sense inside that we should do something, the seemingly irrelevant set of coincidences which lead us to a certain place, the random suggestions of friends all saying the same thing, the way our heart resonates when we hear something that we know is meant for us, the search we have for meaning and purpose are some of the ways in which God attracts our attention.

We have all been called to follow Jesus Christ, to live our lives in ways that honour him and treat others in the ways that Jesus taught.  We have been called to be in a relationship with God through Jesus where we seek to become more like Jesus in how we live, think and pray.

We have been called to this congregation.  Some of us have never been in other Christian congregations and our journey to this place and our journey to Christian faith is one and the same.  Some of us have been in other congregations but have felt the gentle pull of God – and the not so gentle push of the other congregations – to make a home here.  We are called to to grow and become more like Christ with each other, in relationship and friendship with those with whom we worship each week.  And we are called to welcome the newcomer to this congregation, to make them feel welcome, to get to know and love them and share their burdens and joys.

We have been called to our careers, our friends, our paths in live, to those whom we love, to the voluntary work we do.  We have been called to make a difference in our world and most of us, but not all, have been called to do so in relationship with another.  We often loose sight of the work we do and how we can use that to make a difference.  Of course this is easy if we are nurses or doctors or work for human rights organisations, but in our daily work we can practice the presence of God – being salt and preserving that which is good in our world for those around us, using the contacts we make with work to be an influence for good, listening to our co-workers and helping them with their struggles and joys.  Doing our best in our work and using it  to glorify God is also part of our call.  We may find that our work doesn't do  much to glorify God – our interactions with our colleagues may – and we involve ourselves in voluntary organisations – here again the ability to make a difference and to help make our world a better place is all part of our calling that God has given to all of us.

God Calls Us

God hasn't just called us, but God continues to call us to make His will known in our lives and in our world.  We are all called for a particular purpose; in one sense the purpose is the same – to know, love and serve God in this world and to be happy with him forever in the next.  But in another sense the calling given to each of us differs.  Some are called to be parents, to nurture and love and help children grow and develop.  Some are called to adopt or foster and help put right the damage that has been done to the most vulnerable people in our society.  Some are called to a particular job to make a difference and spread Christ's reign, most are called to be in relationship with another – and have to learn how to nurture and develop those relationships so they keep on growing and developing – we're all called to help build this church into being something which develops, grows and continues to glorify God in our community.

No Guarantees

In the midst of this sense of calling we have to realise that there are no guarantees.  Mary was greeted by the angel as being “full of grace” but look how it turned out for her.  She was told just after Jesus was born that her heart would be pierced with a sword and she probably never understood those words until she stood at the foot of the cross watching her baby die.  Yet she continued to say “yes” and witness the resurrection and was present at Pentecost with the other disciples and received the Holy Spirit.  Tradition records she moved to Ephesus in Asia Minor with John and lived and worked there until the end of her days.  She continued to say “yes” to God despite the pain and the uncertainty, in the glorious days as well as the days of utter despair.

There are no guarantees for us as we follow God's call except that our lives, like that of Mary, is forever changed

• by a child
• by a lover
• by a friend
• by a job or voluntary work
• by God in our church

This sermon was first preached in the Metropolitan Community Church of Manchester. Click here for further information.