Sunday, December 19, 2010

Sunday, December 19

I was delighted by Andrew's choice of sermon topic this morning.

The importance of choice must not be undervalued. Throughout scripture, both Old and New Testaments, we see example after example of the importance, the absolute necessity of choice for our humanity. As far back as the second chapter of Genesis, human choice affects and effects history. But despite the prevalence of examples, we often read these stories without appreciating the essential character of the choices made by the people immortalized in holy literature. Too often, we are comfortable discussing the "wrong" choices made by some - Adam and Eve, Cain, the citizens of Sodom, Pilate, Judas Iscariot - but dismiss the "right" choices as merely submission to the will of God or that person's destiny, ordained by God.

But choice is important. It is essential to our humanity, and it is essential to our relationship with God. Through Jesus Christ we are given a most monumental choice: to accept His salvation and His yoke which comes with it, or not. He gives us the choice to accept the conditions of a relationship with the Divine. What is also remarkable is that even His conception came with a choice.

As Denise Levertov writes in her poem, Annunciation,
But we are told of meek obedience. No one mentions
courage.
The engendering Spirit
did not enter her without consent.
God waited.
She was free
to accept or to refuse, choice
integral to humanness.


Andrew's reflection on the word used by Mary as related in Greek, "doula", was particularly fitting and struck me very personally - and, truly, isn't it always best we are personally touched and affected by scripture? The word originally meant simply "servant" but now, as Andrew noted, it is used to refer to women who attend other women before, during and following birthing. As one who has birthed a child while attended by a doula, who will do so again in just a few months, and as a woman who is also preparing to become a doula myself, I found this linguistic connection struck me very personally. The use of the word "doula" relates that Mary doesn't merely agree to be a vessel, an incubator for the Messiah: she agrees to help the Almighty bring this Saviour into the world. She agrees to help God birth.

A phrase often used in the birthing and doula community in defining the role of the doula in a birth is that she "mothers the mother". Truly, Mary consents not only to birthing the Christ-child, but to being His mother. She agrees to carry Him in her body, but also in her heart. To care for Him, but also about Him. To love Him.

- Darlene M

2 comments:

  1. For a number of reasons on Sunday, I sat in a different pew than I usually do. There's no reason why I always tend to sit in the same spot week after week, but I imagine comfort and laziness probably play a role.

    But yesterday, from my different vantage point, I was offered a new perspective. I saw the same stained glass windows, differently. The gorgeous wooden support beams, I saw them from a new angle.

    I think it's the same with the Christmas story. We've heard about Gabriel's message to Mary a hundred times. Yesterday, it seemed new somehow. As Darlene pointed out, Levertov's poem is beautiful, and such a fresh perspective. Yes, Christ's birth was following a plan foretold in the prophecies, but it was carried out by a choice - Mary's choice to accept.

    Darlene, I love your point above about dismissing the right choices as merely submission to destiny. But submission can be a choice, an active and path-defining choice. Let Mary be a role model for me!

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  2. I think it's the risk we run with a Calvinist - or even Aquinian - theology. Reconciling choice and freedom of will with predestination - or providence, in the case of Aquinas - is challenging for the most adept theological scholars. For we who are not theological scholars or masters, it's that much more difficult. Easier to discount choice altogether and simply declare it "the will of God".

    But even Christ chose. Considering this topic, read through the story of His time in the garden of Gethsemane. He's struggling, He's lamenting: He's looking for another option. He knows, all to well, that there is no other option, but He begs the Father for another way. And then He chooses sacrifice, torment, death. And life for us all. And I think that choice, and not just that choice, but that active choosing, is essential in the sacrifice (I'm way out of season, now!) because Christ's sacrifice must be one of both God-head *and* man. If choice is an essential part of our humanity, He needs to make the choice. Otherwise it's not ritual sacrifice, it's just murder.

    I remember someone once saying to me that Mary had to be given a choice, otherwise the Spirit of God is a rapist. That's a rather extreme way of phrasing it, but it definitely puts it into an interesting perspective.

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