World Evangelical Alliance - Mary, our example for Advent

Mary, our example for Advent And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord   and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,   for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.” Luke1:46.49 We are well into the season of advent, a time of waiting for the birth of Jesus as well as intentionally reflecting about his second coming. the question to ask is ‘How have we been waiting?’ Mary, probably the first to be told about the birth of Jesus, was not passive. When angel Gabriel first appeared and called her highly favored, she was deeply troubled. Having a visit from an Angel is not a regular occurrence. Yet she had the courage to engage with the angel with questions. These questions were not of doubt of the Lord, but of method – how will it be? The angel told her that her aged relative, Elizabeth, was pregnant, as proof of God’s invincibility. Wanting to see it for herself, Mary hurried to visit Elizabeth. Just as she entered the door, it was recorded that Elizabeth’s baby leaped in her womb, she was  filled with the Holy Spirit and started blessing Mary as well as the unborn baby. Elizabeth validated the unborn child because of the Holy Spirit. Mary finally understood why she was highly favored. The God who does the impossible has blessed Mary with being the mother of the Messiah. She reached a place of truly understanding what the angel said. There was a progression in her feelings, from being troubled and fearful, to recognition, worshipping, rejoicing and glorifying God. For Bonhoeffer, the song of Mary is the oldest Advent hymn. It is also the most passionate, the wildest, and one might almost say the most revolutionary Advent hymn that has ever been sung. As we enter the final days of waiting for Christmas, may we have the courage to come to God with the questions of our heart. May we also remember to share  what God has done in our lives with others, reminding each other of the Good News that began with the life of our saviour Jesus Christ. Over two billion Christians in the world today are represented by three world church bodies. The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) is one of those, serving more than 600 million evangelicals belonging to churches that are part of 143 national Evangelical Alliances in 9 regions. Launched in London in 1846, the WEA unites evangelicals across denominations for prayer, evangelism, mission, theological education, religious freedom, human rights advocacy, relief, and engagement in a wide range of social issues. It speaks with one voice to United Nations, governments, and media in public or through behind-the-scenes diplomacy on issues of common concern to the Church. For more information, visit worldea.org WEA has been a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability since 1980. WEA is audited annually by an independent public accounting firm. WEA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. In the United States, your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

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