Finding Hope and Joy in Mary's Song: An Advent Reflection

Join us for the final week of our special mini-series on Advent. If you missed the previous episodes, we explored the intersections of Mary's yes and our sexual struggle, and the importance of finding connection and community. Today, we dive into Mary's song, reading Luke 1:46-55, and reflecting on how it speaks to us in this season. Listen as we personalize these lyrics to find our own song and discover the joy in knowing that God notices and remembers us. Don't miss this heartwarming and inspiring episode filled with reflections on God's mercy and the ripple effects of our actions.

Contact us today: If you have a question, comment, or need help, email us at info@regenerationministries.org

Free Resources for you!

👉Women 21-Day Prayer Journal & Devotional - (Women overcoming unwanted sexual Behavior)
👉Compass 21-Day Prayer Journal & Devotional - (Wives who are or have been impacted by partner betrayal)

Transcript

Finding Meaning in Mary's Song

Speaker 1 0:22

Here we are in our final week of a very special mini-series on Advent and if you haven't listened to episodes, the previous two episodes the first one Josh and I got to sit down and talk about the intersection of Mary's yes and our sexual struggle. Which, hello, have you ever considered that? The intersection of God's limitlessness and our limits. It's a really good conversation and I hope you listen to that. Number two, kyle sat down with Josh and talked about the importance of finding connection and community and the parallel of Mary's journey and our journey towards sexual integrity and sexual wholeness and the impact, the importance of finding connection and finding community.

Speaker 1 1:10

And today you get the three of us you get me, kyle and Anne and we are all talking about Mary's song and I wonder what it feels like for you to sing, the idea of even singing this season. If it feels too hard to sing, stay with us. If you feel like you might be bursting in song, stay with us. You are right where you're meant to be. We're going to listen to Mary's song and then we're going to work through it together, side by side, and Anne is going to start us off.

Speaker 2 1:53

Oh, I'm so thrilled to read Luke 1, 46 through 55. Mary responded oh, how my soul praises the Lord, how my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior, for he took notice of his lowly servant girl. And from now on, all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One is holy and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things. He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. He has helped his servant, israel and remembered to be merciful, for he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.

Speaker 1 2:54

So what we're going to do is go lyric by lyric pretty much, and personalize these lyrics for ourselves to write our own song, to find our own song.

Speaker 3 3:02

So, Kyle All, right, let's look at 47 and 48, right? Oh, how my soul praises the Lord, how my spirit rejoices in God, my savior, for he took notice of his lowly servant girl and from now on, all generations will call me blessed. I know that in this season and holiday seasons it can be really difficult to feel like you're noticed. There's the hustle and bustle, maybe you have children or other family members that you've got to do a lot of things for, and you can feel like you're just kind of moving through this season just invisible. You can feel like you're just kind of moving through this season just invisible. But I think this is so beautiful to know that God notices you. Even when you think nobody else notices you, god notices you and hopefully, just as Mary did, there is a rejoicing that happens in you just with that knowledge. And that doesn't mean that everything is right in the world, but there is just this being joyful in the knowledge that you are noticed and that you are seen. And it doesn't matter your station in life. You don't have to be the best, whatever, and you don't have to be the worst, whatever. Whatever your station is, god will notice you. God notices you, he sees you, and it's beautiful that there's a blessing in that. There's a blessing in being noticed by God and in this season, maybe there are some.

Speaker 3 4:57

And in this season, maybe there are some family traditions and things that you have been a part of that maybe don't speak to you in the manner that you would want, maybe they just are things that were done and they're very empty and have no meaning in them and have no meaning in them. But how might you allow your joy in that being noticed by God, to change so that things are different for the generations behind you? What are those things that you go? Hey, we're not doing this anymore. We're going to do something very different, something that's going to bring joy and life into our family, and maybe this is the perfect opportunity to create a new tradition. And even, maybe, if you, maybe you're a single person, how might you start some tradition where you can bring in community and begin to get connected to other people? What is it that you can do in this season? Because God sees you and he certainly wants to be a part of that and wants to help you in that.

Speaker 2 5:59

Thanks, kyle, thanks for just kicking us off there. I love the word notice too. And Christmas, like you said, with the hubbub and everything you can often feel like everyone's getting together and having parties to go to and dressing up for things and places to go, and maybe this has been a quieter season and a lonelier season and you aren't getting invited to the parties and the hubbub, and I just love how God notices you and even notices this hard place for you and for all of us.

Speaker 1 6:45

So take opportunity here to notice what God is noticing and write it down. God, you notice my loneliness, or God you notice my frazzled nature right now. You notice how I'm overwhelmed, underwhelmed, how I need more lights. He notices it all. So take the time to be really specific. Right, Anne, do you want to do verse 50? Sure.

Speaker 2 7:09

He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. I am in just awe of this verse the mercy from generation to generation. And yes, we know of scriptures that talk about the sins are passed down from generation to generation. And yes, we know of scriptures that talk about the sins are passed down from generation to generation. But here Mary is praising God for mercy that is passed to generation to generation. And believe this and claim it for your family, your future family Mercy. I am just in awe of this and one or two.

Speaker 3 7:55

It might mean to pass on a legacy of mercy, like it doesn't have to be your biological people, biological people. How can you even pass on this legacy of mercy to those who are, you know, with just within your sphere? Lord's heart? It's what he wants to see happen. So what might it look like, even just to be able to pass this on to others?

Speaker 2 8:39

wow, that word ripple effect is struck a chord with me. That is so beautiful, right? Small acts of kindness, mercy, like you said too. If it's not within your own family, it's. Who are you touching? And then what a song, your song. You have a song to sing of mercy that will be passed down from generation to generation. And the ripple I don't think, I don't matter. Yes, your acts of kindness and love, because it says to those who fear him, just who are in awe of God, mercy will be passed down. Who?

Speaker 3 9:28

are in awe of God, mercy will be passed down. And if you're a person who, right, if you struggle with some unwanted sexual behavior, or if you are a woman who is really trying to work through just the pain of betrayal, right, like, how might you understand the mercy that you have received from God and what you are experiencing and then still be able to pass that out, like you're not prohibited because of what has been done to you doesn't prohibit you from creating that ripple because of what you've done. It does not prohibit you from creating that ripple because of what you've done. It does not prohibit you from creating that ripple. So you don't have to disqualify yourself at all in this. I'm trying not to cry.

Speaker 1 10:18

Wow, it's so good and because we whoever's listening, like you're familiar we this is the work we do of naming the anger, naming the addiction, naming the cycle that we are trying so hard to get out of. But can you name this mercy for yourself and claim this mercy for yourself? Yes, the ripple effect. There's a song right there echoing throughout the grocery store, your workplace, the library, your pickleball club. I don't know what you do, but it's everywhere you go, it's so good and you get to carry that with you.

Speaker 1 10:56

Verse 51 and 52 is big words about a big God. His mighty arm has done tremendous things. He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble, sweet, blessed, innocent, pure, scared. Mary is giving us a really powerful example to remember God in the midst of her song, to remember who he is and how he's moved in her life, whether it's stories she's been told or things that she's seen. So I wonder if you could take time as part of your song to brainstorm, to look back through journals, or I scribble notes in my Bible with dates, like do you have that too? Oh, I remember when God did this for me. I remember when he showed up this way, when that song played just at the right time, or that friend texted me without even knowing how desperately I needed her, or that coaching session was exactly filled with the words that only God could show up with. Remember him.

Speaker 3 12:12

Remember him. I wonder too, as we think about scattering the proud and the haughty ones, how many times have you had to shut out the voices of the proud and the haughty ones? How many times have their voices or their voices have been the louder voices for you, whether it's saying you know you don't measure up as a spouse or mom, or you're not a good friend, or you're not a good Christian because you are engaged in X, y and Z, and how the Lord wants to shut those voices up. He wants to take those voices down so that his voice is so much louder than the voices of the proud and the haughty ones.

Embracing Hunger and God's Remembrance

Speaker 2 13:02

Love that. Scatter them right. Disperse Love that Scatter them right. Disperse the voices that I'm not a good Christian or I'm not handling this like others would handle it, or I'm not who I should be. The mighty things that he has done Put a stop, sign up to those haughty, proud voices. Literally a stop sign.

Speaker 1 13:38

No further. And do you want to take verse 53?

Speaker 2 13:43

Yes, I am equally in awe of this one as well, as I've been spending a little time in Luke 1. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. The hungry right, just like I shared earlier, the hungry to be included, noticed, asked out on a date, asked to a party right, hungry, hungry for community relationships. This is a hard season. There's all kinds of announcements this is happening and this is happening engagements and babies, and it just the ache then grows deeper. And naming our hunger before a loving God is then when we pour out or we name what is hard, then he pours in his spirit and he satisfies the hungry with good things. And, boy Mary, she's like us and she's saying he will satisfy the hungry with good things.

Speaker 3 15:03

And it might feel like everyone is winning out there, but hold on because there is goodness for you and me, you the line in the sand to say no, like this is what God does, and can you believe that and just have your hands open so that they can be filled? And maybe the filling looks a little differently than you might anticipate, but can you at least have your hands open so that the Lord can fill it?

Speaker 2 15:48

Right Naming our hunger. I love that, kyle like hands open right Sometimes when our hands are like, oh, this isn't, you're not giving this to me. Our hands are tight fisted. When they're open, he can put things in there.

Speaker 1 16:02

The last two verses are speaking exactly to what we're saying. The last two verses are speaking exactly to what we're saying. He's helped his servant, israel and remembered the fact that God would remember to be merciful, for he made this promise to our ancestors, abraham and his children forever.

Speaker 3 16:27

I'm sure in this season people can feel forgotten and think that nobody remembers them. But the Lord has not, he's not forgotten, he has not. And even when it's difficult and it's hard, you can still say but God remembers. And it can be hard to make that shift right. Because maybe you want so-and-so to remember, you want mom to remember, you want dad to remember, you want dad to remember, you want sister, brother, kids, friends to remember, and I think it's even okay. It's okay to say you know what, god, I wish they were the ones that remembered. And as you are able to do that, can you go to that place and go, but God, I know you remember.

Speaker 2 17:13

I remember one Christmas day a few years ago, just really feeling like I was struggling and I out loud. I remember getting in my car and just driving around and I literally out loud, said God please help me. And here it says he helps, and so just crying out help and I can tell you he sent the exact right help I needed that year and I am so thankful that I just said help me, god, send me resources for something that I was going through. And I just love this last verse where he helped them love this, this last verse where he helped them.

Speaker 1 18:04

I feel like it might be a a sweet gift to anyone listening to turn off the holiday playlist. You know she doesn't need to sing. All I want for christmas is you again. They can break or stop scrolling. Stop looking up YouTube videos of whatever it is. Just hit pause on all that noise like we've talked about and what culture, history, memory wants to repeat for you this year, and take some time to really fill in the blanks here and write your lyrics. Notice with God what he's noticing, that you're noticing, and asking God to silence what needs to be silenced, and remembering him and feeling the hunger and giving it to him. What a gift to yourself to not worry about what tomorrow is going to look like Yesterday's already done, but the gift of the present and to unwrap that gift by being really present to yourself with a God who remembers, notices and loves you so dearly.

Speaker 3 19:20

Notices and loves you so dearly, prayerfully, that will evoke a song for you, right? So that, yeah, you know you've cut off the playlist, now you've got your own song, and so you know, even daring to to say, you know a God, I need a song, yeah, right, to be able to say that, cause you might go. You know I can't sing and I'm not a writer, but there's still something in you that God wants to have you proclaim for yourself, and maybe there's a day you share it in the future so it can encourage somebody else.

Speaker 2 20:14

Right Even start with one lyric, absolutely.

Speaker 1 20:19

My gosh. I would love to hear people's songs though Me too.

Speaker 2 20:22

I was thinking like can you send them in.

Speaker 1 20:25

Send them in. You want to share, right?

Speaker 2 20:28

Yeah, share them I want to hear it At least one lyric.

Speaker 3 20:33

Yes, what a beautiful gift that could be to others. Okay, we've thrown down the gauntlet no-transcript.

Speaker 1 21:08

None of us will be singing it, but Kyle will be reading it.

Speaker 3 21:10

Yes, this is from.

Speaker 1 21:12

Zephaniah 3.17.

Divine Inspiration and Christmas Celebration

Speaker 3 21:17

And I think part of the encouragement here is that you know, as you sing your song, the Lord will sing as well. And so it reads for the Lord, your God, is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. So what a beautiful picture of being able to, as you praise the Lord with your song, then to have the Lord sing over you. And can you anticipate that in this Advent season and this Christmas season?

Speaker 1 22:09

So beautiful. Thank you, kyle. Well, we hope that this mini-series was a gift. It certainly felt like a gift even to just participate in this conversation, and I'm going to have to sit down and write my lyrics out too. So, anne, I wonder what your song is. Kyle, I wonder what your song is, and I wonder what lyrics mine will look like. But I'm confident and beaming inside, just knowing that the God of the universe is singing over each of us and every one of us listening right now. So, merry Christmas, merry Christmas.

Speaker 3 22:42

Mary Merry Christmas everybody Thank you.