Two Biblical women celebrating a pregnancy inspire today’s Whirlow blog, which looks for good news, reasons to be joyful and connect at the start of 2022.
Photo by Universal Eye on Unsplash
Happy New Year!
Perhaps in recent days, you have celebrated with friends and family; perhaps snuggling up and reflecting quietly on the passing year is more your style. Celebration can take many forms! - If this has been a sad or anxious season for you, may you feel remembered, accepted and accompanied.
Think of the last time you had good news you wanted to shout out about -
A new job; an exciting opportunity; a relationship; a material gift ... a pregnancy, birth, new pet or other addition to your family.
Who did you want to tell, message or visit first to share the news? Was that an immediate instinct, or did you want to keep the joy to yourself for a little while? Why?
News of a pregnancy for Mary, mother of Jesus, was - according to the Gospel narratives - somewhat unconventional! An angel appeared to say she would have a baby by the Holy Spirit and that he would be the Son of God.
You might forgive some slight pause before there is celebration! But there follows intense joy that might fill us with wonder. Mary’s song of praise - The Magnificat - shouts out joyful thoughts and emotions to the world. Read its phrases, from the Gospel according to Luke, slowly and consider how Mary was able to rejoice and be humbly, authentically thankful; how she was overwhelmed by a need to praise; how and why she felt drawn to sing and worship at this time.
Before Mary were many women who wrestled with the emotions and vulnerabilities of fertility and infertility in a patriarchal society. Some of Hannah’s story is told in the Hebrew scriptures.
Hannah is one of two wives and she longs, desperately, for a child. She encounters the priest Eli in the temple and pours out her soul. He sends her away in peace, asking the Lord to grant her request. Later, Samuel is born. Women like Hannah can be seen as ‘forerunners’ to Mary and, in his role as prophet, her son Samuel’s life paved the way for Jesus.
Neither of these women enjoyed lives, pregnancies or parenting roles of unmitigated joy - but there were seasons, moments, of real joy and celebration. Perhaps that is enough?
What can we, as broken people, celebrate and ask for unashamedly this January? Can we let the passing celebrations be enough, in this world so anxiously seeking permanent happiness?
Sometimes, as in Hannah’s case, we get what we want after much waiting. Sometimes, an unexpected gift arrives that we must choose to celebrate. Sometimes, it is hard work to find any cause for celebration.
Do you want to build in moments of connection and joy that transcend the events of your life? How can this be done? What help do you need?
The idea of worshipping God is part of the joy and celebration made possible in these biblical stories.
What do you understand worship to be? Does it have a place in your life? Why / why not? And how do you worship?
You may like to listen to the Hymn below as you reflect on these things.