Confidence in the Waiting
Elaine Poproski Download: Audio
Scripture: Luke 1:26 – 38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. Read more…
Scripture: Luke 1:46b-55
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour…” Read more…
Looking to Sunday
by Elaine Poproski
At 5:02 a.m. on Dec. 21st, the northern hemisphere of the earth will be tilted as far as it’s possible to tilt away from the sun. The sun won’t rise in Toronto on that day until nearly three hours later. And then, less than 9 hours after it rises, it will set. It is the shortest day of the year. It’s the day in the year when the sun’s path across our sky will be the lowest it’s ever going to be. If you go outside at noon on this day and the sun is shining, you’ll cast your longest shadow of the whole year.
The good news is that from this point on our hemisphere of the earth begins to tilt a little bit closer to the sun each day. It’s not terribly noticeable at first; it’s just a matter of minutes added to our daylight. But as the days and months progress we find ourselves finally out of the dark, cold winter and into the long-lighted days of spring.
On Sunday we’re going to be reading Mary’s story from Luke 1. It’s a story full of drama and promise; it happens in the dark and carries the promise of Light. It’s a story that begs the reader to enter it and become Mary. What might it have been like to be confronted by an angel – not a cute little cherub, but an honest to goodness messenger of God? How does the brain of a teenager even begin to comprehend the weight of the angel’s words? What kind of faith must she have had to say to the angel, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (v. 38)?
On Sunday when we gather to worship, if Jesse and Carrie join us from Alberta, they’ll still be waiting for the sun to rise as we meet together. But I’m confident both of them will be expecting the sun to rise. Even at the north pole, the sun always rises eventually. God is predictable like the sun is predictable. As He has acted, so will He act. Regardless of how long He is silent or absent, regardless of how bad the world gets, God never leaves us and never forsakes us. God always shows up, is always good, is always love, and is always about the business of saving the world. Mary, I think, knew this. I think this knowledge is what enabled her to respond as she did. I wonder if we know this.
As you prepare for Sunday, how is your faith in God’s consistency? Are you convinced that He still shows up, that He is good, that He is love, that He is still about the business of saving the world? Where do you see hints of sun in the dark places of our world? How are you doing with hope in these long nights of 2020?