The Divine Crash

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come over you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the one who is to be born will be holy. He will be called God’s Son. Look, even in her old age, your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son. This woman who was labeled ‘unable to conceive’ is now six months pregnant. Nothing is impossible for God.”

Then Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Luke 1:35-38 (CEB)

The fine folks working on the Common English Bible asked me to write a blog devotional using this verse as part of their advent blog tour.  They asked me a few weeks ago and I have been thinking about this verse since then and a few things occurred to me.

The first thing that I realized is that I really like this translation of this verse and I can’t wait to see what the Common English Bible does with the Old Testament.

Overshadowed grace

The power of the most high will overshadow you.”  Ever experienced this?  Ever be in a situation where the only thing you could feel was the power of God? Sometimes we may not feel like it but if you follow Jesus then Jesus should overshadow you.  If you claim to love Jesus and you aren’t overshadowed by the power of God, why not?  Something or someone is out of whack and needs to change.

Messy work creates holy outcomes

If you are overshadowed by the power of the most high whatever it is that comes out of you is Holy.  What an interesting thought that everything that comes out is Holy.  Messy to think about, but interesting to know that all the blood, sweat, and tears that go into creating the thing that God called us to has a holy outcome because sometimes in the midst of living out our calling it sure hurts and we may even hate that God put that calling inside of us.

God’s reminder

Sometimes when we feel God calling us to be a part of something that just doesn’t make sense and is absolutely crazy we need a reminder that God is working out all the details and is making sure it all works out correctly.  For Mary she was reminded through Elizabeth.  Elizabeth was apparently unable to have children and suddenly she is pregnant.  Back then, fertility treatments didn’t exist and she needed a miracle to have children….Elizabeth got her Christmas miracle and Mary got reminded that God is in charge and taking care of everything.

Awkward response

So God has called Mary to bear the savior of the world.  She is unwed, teenager, and pregnant before this and since this there has only been one way this happened she couldn’t go to her parents and say “Really mom, God did this to me.”  In youth ministry I have seen youth who end up homeless because of this scenario.  Mary could have been killed, her reputation destroyed, homeless, penniless, and alone.  yet she looks at this angel and says “I will do this.”

Who does that?

Someday I want to have the faith that Mary has, to hear God’s will for my life and, immediately, be willing to do it.  I went into pastoral ministry kicking and screaming, I did not want to be a pastor and God sent me angels, people, opportunities, and I still didn’t want it but eventually I had no other options.  Ever been there or felt like that?  Mary never did, she just went with it, trouble and all.

Not even a goodbye or a thank you.

Then the angel leaves.  There is no goodbye just *poof* and gone.  It is kind of rude by my standards, but that seems to be how it is with ministry sometimes.  God pesters us to live out our calling and then when we finally agree we are left with a feeling that this is right but now God seems silent at times and as long as we are doing what we are called to then God is content to watch.  Perhaps it isn’t always like this but sometimes it sure seems like it.

The Hokey Pokey (what it’s all about)

So then, this is whole verse seems to be about this idea that sometimes God calls us to things we don’t understand, that are dangerous, messy, and unpredictable, and when we follow where Jesus leads we will be reminded that what we are doing is right because those impossible details just seem to work out. When we listen to this calling God may seem silent at times but when we are done bleeding, sweating, and cursing at our calling the outcome will be holy and as much a product of the God who created the universe as it is a product of us.

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Random Thoughts by RevBT