Mary’s candle of joy
It is now one week since I lit the last of the four advent candles with their different meanings:
- The Candle of Hope (the patriarchs)
- The Candle of Peace (prophets)
- The Candle of Love (John the Baptist)
- The Candle of Joy (Mary)
To leave this series incomplete seemed a shame, however. Mary is an enigma to many, and especially to those of an evangelical protestant tradition. When I asked for help earlier this year with a sermon on Mary, most of my respondents were from traditions other than my own. You can see the results here.
Some of us are frightened of respecting Mary so much that we end up venerating her by mistake. The real problem, though, is this. Mary brings us face to face with the terrifying consequences of God’s serious intent to work in partnership with us rather than over us. A God who can take up residence in a human womb for nine months will surely stop at nothing to partner with us?
Last year, at a point where all the Christmas services were already planned, I heard the song below. I fell in love with it instantly, and made a note of it in my diary 11 months hence. On Monday night I used it to help us with a mediation at the midnight service. Anita Skorgan started out as just another Europop singer. However, for the past twenty years she has placed an emphasis on singing in churches, which she describes as “the most meaningful musical activity she has ever been involved in”.
One week late, please enjoy her lovely song ‘miracle in me’:
