First Love Church
These podcasts are messages that were preached at First Love Church in Ocala, Florida. We hope that you are encouraged and inspired by what you hear. We are a non denominational, egalitarian church that practices a generous orthodoxy. Find out more about our local congregation online at firstlovechurch.org.
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First Love Church
Vulnerability as a Path to Divine Love - Mary and Martha have something to say
Imagine a world where love and hope challenge the very foundations of societal norms. In this episode, we journey through the Advent season, exploring the profound impact of these themes in our lives. We revisit the powerful narrative of Mary and Elizabeth from the Gospel of Luke, revealing how their courage and acceptance of divine will set an example for us all. Through this story, we uncover the importance of consenting to co-create with the Holy Spirit and how embracing this divine collaboration can fill our lives with purpose and meaning.
Join us as we examine the transformative role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of these remarkable women, transcending age and societal judgment. We highlight the beauty of mutual support and recognition of God's work, demonstrated in the encounter between Mary and Elizabeth. Elizabeth's joyous acclamation of Mary's blessing is a testament to the significance of belief and the power of divine promises. As we ponder their faith and courage, we are invited to reflect on how these themes of hope, joy, and love can inspire us to trust in the unseen work of the Holy Spirit in our own lives.
Finally, we turn our attention to the revolutionary love embodied during the Advent season, challenging oppressive systems and reminding us of the principles of God's kingdom. We discuss the notion of vulnerability as fertile ground for divine intervention, drawing insights from historical and biblical figures. As we prepare for Christmas, we are encouraged to embrace the transformative power of love and the assurance of new life being nurtured even in times of waiting. This episode serves as a heartfelt invitation to embrace love and hope, guiding us to live in a way that reflects heaven on earth.
This podcast is made possible, thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would like to support the ongoing work of First Love Church you can donate at https://www.firstlovechurch.org/giving
In the service of LOVE,
Pastors Dennis and Heather Drake
Welcome to the First Love Church Podcast. This is a collection of Sunday teachings inspired by the Revised Common Lectionary and recorded weekly in Ocala, florida, morning.
Speaker 2:I'm sure glad you're here at church. I'm glad you're watching online. Welcome to everyone. Merry Christmas, happy New Year.
Speaker 1:It's not Christmas yet Not until Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Wednesday, Christmas but we do celebrate the Christmas season. This idea and Advent is even a greater understanding or a greater knowledge of this beautiful hope that love came for us. Love came for us. Love is still coming for us. Love is coming for us in incredible and beautiful and wonderful ways, and one of the things that is so beautiful about us gathering together is that we do get to see how love expands.
Speaker 1:How someone loves someone else inspires us to love each other and to love the world better, and so I'm so grateful for your presence here and for the way that you care for each other so beautifully and hopefully, and it is a good news to be in the presence of love. Advent reminds us that this is what it's always been about. In fact, Advent brings to us on December 1st. It is the Christian calendar's new year, and it is love is the beginning of everything, love is the end of everything, love is all that it's ever been about, and this is an invitation for us to reorient ourselves in the love that God has for us, in our belovedness, in the hope of the world that is coming for us, and I am so grateful that together we get to study the text, that we get to remind ourselves and that the spirit that is here among us gets to reignite or gets to illumine the word of Christ in us.
Speaker 2:You know, for the past four weeks now, we've been sitting in darkness as a church, and by that I mean our main lights are off, and it's been difficult for some to try to take notes and see what's going on. And, based on how old I'm getting, I think it's just best that the lights are low. But the truth of the matter is, when we set in darkness here, it reminds us that we are at some level. Whether you realize it or not, you are in darkness In some areas. But it's these themes that we talk about and they can be practices for us, the practice of love which will bring light and life to us. And so we must be reminded that.
Speaker 2:You know, because I hear people all the time is this all? There is no, and that's why we have these practices and these lessons, so that we can remind you. No, seek after joy, hope, peace and love, because these are the beautiful gifts that this life has to offer and we miss out on it so much. And really maintaining it as a practice is, for us, the way that we can develop in those skills, any skill you have. You might have had some natural inkling, but the truth is it was your discipline to practice and develop that made you skillful in whatever gift that you operate well in and for us. I want to see that, for us as followers, that we're known by these fruits and that people experience them and that you get to have a life filled with the love of God.
Speaker 1:And this is what it's always been about. We've mentioned that a few times that there are things in our life and the experiences that we have that sometimes tell us that life is about something other.
Speaker 1:But, life is the life that God gave us, is about love, is about allowing the Holy Spirit to illumine us and for our love to be able to expand. And so this morning in the text we get to see this beautiful experience between Mary and Elizabeth, and we get to hear Mary's prophecy of Jesus and of the hope for the world. And so if you would just remind yourself this week to maybe allow the spirit to bring this to your remembrance as we read this morning, may you hear it and see it everywhere. But we read from Luke's gospel in verse 39, but in chapter one. So after the angel appears to Mary and says to Mary God is up to something and God wants to know if you would like to participate. And Mary says yes. First she says I don't know how this will happen, and then the angel tells her the Holy Spirit will come. And that is the answer for all of us today, beloved, we have questions. How will peace come to the earth? The Holy Spirit will come. How will this happen? The Holy Spirit will come, and this invitation to co-create with the Holy Spirit is our invitation as well. And Mary gives her consent. And Mary says okay, be it unto me, according to your word. So she goes from this place of awe because this angel has showed up to this place of okay, I'll do whatever you tell me to do. And this becomes this beautiful, incredible conversation and lifestyle. And again I hear Mary saying this a few times in the scriptures. She says be it unto me, according to your will. And then later, as Jesus is born and he's beginning his ministry and the people need wine, and Mary says Jesus, can we do something about that? And he tells her that he's on it. And she leans over and says something very similar to the people around her and says whatever he tells you to do, do it. It is the same thing as be it unto me, according to your will. Whatever you tell me to do, I will do this. So Mary has consented, the Holy Spirit has come upon her and she takes off and she goes to Elizabeth's house. Now there's a few things I want to bring out before we read the text.
Speaker 1:Elizabeth is a much older woman who has been marginalized. She is a wife of a priest, but she has not had a child, and so in their culture it was assured that she had done something wrong. There was some kind of curse on the family. Something bad had happened, she had made something wrong. There was some kind of curse on the family. Something bad had happened, she had made a mistake, and so she had suffered for years under just the assumption and the whispers of people who said surely she is not blessed.
Speaker 1:I remind you that an angel also shows up to Zachariah and says this is what's going to happen. Your older wife is going to have a child. And Zachariah says, yeah, that's not going to happen. Do you understand how things work in the world? And then the angel says no more talking for you Until the baby is born. No more talking for you If this is the kind of response you're going to have to the invitation that the Holy One is among you, and the Holy One is going to do this thing. And so I bring that to your remembrance, because you're going to hear Elizabeth talk to Mary in such a beautiful way. Mary is a much younger woman who, upon taking this call to birth the Holy One, she realizes there will be people who talk. There will be situations where people think that she is either crazy or she is a full-on sinner in this kind of condition. And so we listen to the song of the older and we listen to the song of the younger and we hear God in the middle of it.
Speaker 2:You know, and I think the shame would be that you and I would listen to this message today and it would just be like a you know book report about the story that happened a long time ago, instead of the purpose and relevance for your life and mine today. Because we see something like Christ being born in Mary and we see, well, that's obviously a move of the Holy Spirit. And then we have situations in our life and we go well, there's no way that's ever going to change. And how is it that we can assume that the rough people in our life are too big for God to change or the mistakes we've made are too big for God to fix? When we really will step out of this church building and walk into a world that was created because the Holy Spirit hovered over the void and then made it good?
Speaker 2:We forget that God is able to put that baby in the womb of that woman who's past the age of conceiving, and that was the holy spirit that did that. And so if I feel like, well, maybe I'm too old to to the of a dog to learn these new tricks, or maybe there's no way in my body that these things can be fulfilled, wait a minute. What about the Holy Spirit? And I think that a thing that we ought to learn from Zachariah is before God shuts up our mouth for us, why don't we just be quiet when we don't understand, instead of speaking immediately against the possibility of hope, of joy, of peace, of love, do you follow me, because it's the Holy Spirit that will bring it to pass in your life, in just the way that this is now a reminder, an evidence that God has done it before and God will do it again in you and I.
Speaker 1:Amen. I love this beautiful part of the story where it tells us that Mary has this encounter and then Mary hurries, she rushes off to talk to her aunt about this, someone else who has also been marginalized, someone else who also understands what she is going to enter into, and she begins to talk to this older woman. And so I love that this story is so beautifully age-inclusive, but even more than that, asks us to look past that and see this new kingdom that God is bringing Afterward. Mary arose and hurried off to the hill country of Judea, to the village where Zachariah and Elizabeth lived, and, arriving at their home, mary enters the house and is and greeted Elizabeth, and at the moment she hears Mary's voice. The baby within Elizabeth's womb jumps and kicks and suddenly Elizabeth was filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. Now this is so incredible and so beautiful because even beforehand, the prophecy is that when John is born, this baby inside of Elizabeth that he's going to be filled with the Holy Spirit before he's even born, and this baby that is within her is so overflowing with Spirit that it fills Elizabeth too, and there is so much goodness in that that the spirit of God in you can affect the spirit of God in other people, that there is this healing, this beautiful inclusion that comes, and with a loud voice. I love this. It doesn't say demure, it doesn't say she kept it down. She whispered this with a loud voice. She prophesied with power. I mean.
Speaker 1:Mary comes into the house, the babe jumps inside of her. Elizabeth then is filled with the Holy Spirit and she says Mary, you are a woman given the highest favor and privilege above all others, for your child is destined to bring God great delight. How do I deserve such a remarkable honor to have the mother of my Lord come and visit me and listen to her prophecy? Elizabeth's here. She recognizes the baby in Mary as the Lord. She's the very first person to recognize this incredible thing and say it out loud. What you are carrying, what you are doing, what is forming in you, this is the Lord. How do I deserve such an honor? The moment you came into the door and greeted me, my baby danced inside of me with ecstatic joy. Great favor is upon you, for you have believed every word spoken to you from the Lord. Now, this is the part that is so essential for us to pay attention to today. Mary, you believed every word spoken to you from the Lord.
Speaker 1:We see here that Mary is a believer, that she has always, at this place in her life, declared I'm going to believe what God has said. I don't know how it's going to happen, but be it unto me, according to your word, this idea that we believe that love is true, that God's words, that love's words, can be trusted, this is the hope for all of us. And Mary sang this song. I love that.
Speaker 1:When these women are together, one of them's loud and prophesying with power and praise, this is incredible. Who am I that I would even be in the presence of the woman who carries my Lord? And then Mary bursts into song. My soul is ecstatic, overflowing with praises to God. My spirit bursts with joy over my life-giving God, for he set his tender gaze upon me, his lowly servant girl, and from here on, everyone will know that I have been favored and blessed.
Speaker 1:This is a prophecy. This is a beautiful thing, but I'd want to tell you that Mary was not out of touch with reality when she knew, and she knows the neighbors will probably not talk like this. This is a conversation between her and her cousin, elizabeth, who is this older woman who has wisdom who has also encountered the Holy Spirit. And she begins to say everyone will recognize that I have been favored and blessed and blessed. And I want to tell you that will recognize that I have been favored and blessed. And I want to tell you that as she grew in her pregnancy and people knew that she was not married, they did not call her favored and blessed. They said a lot of things that were not.
Speaker 1:And so this is the beauty of Advent for us. It teaches us to be able to hold in us this incredible tension of the now and the not. Yet One day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. But that day hasn't happened yet. And yet Mary's prophecy from here, from this very place in history, prophesies to the whole world and says there will be a day when we recognize that the consent of a woman who said I will allow the Holy Spirit to birth something in me. And the promise of Advent is to us that Christ can be born in all of us, that love can be formed in us in such a way that what we see is the promise of God's good kingdom.
Speaker 2:You know, there's so many powerful things that are being taught to us here in this passage of scripture, you know, one is, you know, the transfer of authority from being just by men to now God doing this through the main characters here, of being women is to not be missed. That that god is not uh going to from, from this moment forward, make the church about what a man would do, uh, and, and exclude women, uh, or or have women do everything and exclude the men that we're all called and that that's a beautiful thing, what we see here. But beyond that, I want you to think about these two women at the time for which this is happening. They're completely immersed in a culture where they're basically property of their husbands, considered maybe even less than a human being in the culture, and yet God is doing in them, in this weak place, he is doing something strong.
Speaker 2:And so I think to myself about how oftentimes I look at the weakness of my life as unfertile ground, or obviously proof that nothing can change in me, or obviously proof that nothing can change in me when we see, I think of the multi-layered things that God has shown us here.
Speaker 2:One of the very most important things are how, within our weakness, god will become strong. And I think the contrary is so true. How, in my own strength and my own ability, when I put my faith in that and suppose that that is how things are going to happen, I tend to seem to always push my blessings just out of arm's reach, because there never was a place intended for you and I to try to earn something, or based on our skills that we would achieve that. But because of God's great love for you that in any vulnerability or weakness, he would make things right for you, that God would bring transformation, healing, blessing, provision for you. And so let's stop hiding those vulnerabilities from God and recognize how they're just such a right place for God, a stage for God to perform, you know, an opportunity for you to see the hand of God.
Speaker 1:We pause here for a moment to thank you for joining us today. If you're finding this episode meaningful, would you take a moment to share it with a friend? This podcast is made possible thanks to the generosity of people just like you. If you would like to support the ongoing work of First Love Church and the continued work of our podcast, visit us online at firstlovechurchorg, reminding you to like, follow and subscribe.
Speaker 1:The Mighty One has worked a mighty miracle for me. Holy is his name. Mercy kisses all his godly lovers from one generation to the next. Mighty power flows from him to scatter all of those who walk in pride, powerful princes. He tears from their thrones and he lifts up the lowly to take their place.
Speaker 1:She begins to have this political discourse. She begins to talk about what it's like to grow up with an oppressive government over you. She begins to talk about this love that is growing in her. That will come in such a way that it will not even be noticed or be seen, but will absolutely revolutionize the world. This is an invitation into love's revolution. And she begins to say listen, those people that thought that greed and power were going to be the way that Jesus is going to come and show us something else that loves, co-suffering, generosity is going to move the things that couldn't be moved by just sheer force or by manipulation. And it's such a beautiful reminder for us today that the kingdom of God, the kingdom of love, comes and looks like a towel in a basin, it looks like feeding the hungry, it looks like loosing the bands that call people into prisons and that keep people addicted. And this is the invitation of the upside down world those who hunger for him will always be filled. This is such a beautiful prophecy for us to see.
Speaker 1:She's reminding us of these incredible truths what has been said before will happen. And this she is saying to herself, to her cousin who is here. She's reminding herself of this beautiful truth that just because it has not happened yet does not mean it is not happening. This is the power of Advent. We stand between the now and the not yet have hope beloved. This is an incredible time of waiting.
Speaker 1:Sometimes we get tired of waiting, sometimes it becomes to us a burden, and Mary is reminding us the power of the Holy Spirit will wait with you. Sometimes the dark seems like there can be nothing going on, but this is when the seed actually begins to grow. This is when nature rests and then remind us spring is coming. In dark places we are not alone, that the presence, the hovering of the Holy Spirit is with us, calling us and calling the whole world to new life. I love this part where she reminds us it's going to be like to the descendants, to people who have waited a long time, for those of you who have tried really hard and find no results. This message is for you, for those of you who have prayed for years and are not seeing an intervention yet. This is the good news for you, this is the good news for us, this is the good news for the world that love has come.
Speaker 1:This week, in the middle of the week, we'll celebrate Christmas and in fact, on Christmas Eve we'll have here at the church a Christmas Eve service where we'll sing the Christmas hymns and read the story from Luke and we'll have Holy Communion together and then we go home and it's still not Christmas and that, for us, is kind of what it's like, where we do the things and we remind ourselves of the rituals and we gather together and we're renewed with hope and nothing changes. But beloved. Just because nothing changes to our eyes does not mean that the Holy Spirit is not at work, building this new life, inviting us into the kingdom. That is love. And we hear Mary's song where she's saying listen, the proud and the powerful thought that what they needed was thrones and what they needed was oppressive systems. And I'm gonna tell you that love is going to be born, and love is going to bring us to something completely different.
Speaker 2:You know, for us there really needs to be that place of contemplation, of setting and waiting, that we can have the revelation of things that we're holding on to that seem right. You know, just this past week I've had such revelation about work, because the biggest struggle in my life is surrounding work, and by that just I mean that obviously work's hard. People don't want to work. If you had your, rather you could just pick up a paycheck on Friday and not do anything. How fun would that be. I don't mean it that way. I mean more along the lines of like, if I'm going to fight with Heather and our fights are really usually we don't yell at each other anymore. What's the point? But when you're just having that disagreement, you're not at peace. It's going to be around preparing a worship list Isn't that the craziest thing you've ever heard? But it's our work. And so if we're going to have disagreements and struggle, it's going to be around work. And if I'm going to get really in any kind of frustration with my sons, the, the about the only time it ever happens is when we're out doing a little project, and then it almost always happens then because around this work, you know, and so I probably asked god a million times about that. You know, can't, can we just have peace? You know, can you just wave a magic wand over our work? You know, why do my sons do not like me when it comes around work? You know, would you fix them, please, lord? And you know, and there's, there's all this opportunity.
Speaker 2:But as I just this week began to look at what is the deal, you know, I began to see that I put the work above everything, that I go, okay, we got to get this job done, so this is the most important thing. And then I noticed earlier in the week, it got about three o'clock. We worked all day long, you know, almost eight hours, but I wanted to work 10. I said, well, let's work till dusk. And everybody was like, done, and I'm pushing because no, we said we were gonna do, you know. And so I got in that thing where work becomes the most important thing. Instead of, all of us were tired. How about, considering the people around me? Well, I could ask God to wave a magic wand over our work all I want.
Speaker 2:But if I'm going to continue to behave the way that I'm behaving about work, it's going to continue to hurt the hearts of my sons and my wife, and there will always be conflict there and and I could say, god, why don't you show up? And then I take that time of quiet and I realize and God gave me this very simple principle Work can never be as important as the people I'm working with, and that is an epiphany to me, that is a profound revelation that, if I don't let that slip through my fingers, can keep, because anytime I want to get this job done, yeah, but at the cost of yelling at my son, at the cost of fighting with my wife. Is that really what? And that's what I had been doing, maybe unaware, I mean, I honestly don't think I said let's just be a jerk to everyone I love. But, for whatever reason, I had coveted with that idea that work is so important that I have to yell to get it done. And I'm telling you that.
Speaker 2:Where do you have these places where you can sit and just let God show you? Where do I have a misinterpretation? Where do I have a misunderstanding about the world? And where have I picked up the world's system of doing things that is contrary to God? Well, it would need to be. As I sit in the darkness and realize I don't like the darkness anymore and I cry out to God not just wave a magic wand and fix my family, but show me where my misunderstandings are, throwing a bomb in this place. That, I say, is to be a safe place, is to be holy and sacred the home. And I'm the one destroying it, it's my hands and I'm going.
Speaker 2:God, where are you in the middle of all this? Well, I could testify God. For all these years you pray and he doesn't fix it Because our work is still miserable. Or I could look at where I am not surrendered. Amen. Now, this is just for me. You guys got it all together, so stretch your hands towards me. Or maybe is there an area in your life where we need this place of contemplation and we need to be able to sit down and say God, have your work in me, show me. And I got to kick some sacred cows here For us men. Most of the time, the answer will be found in your wife's voice. We didn't want that. Our arrogance and pride wanted to be the one to discover it. And so many of the times, for so many years, heather's been on the side just whispering to me. Be kind to them. You're being rough on them.
Speaker 2:Well, if I don't tell them, how are they going to learn? Well, do I really want them to learn how rough the world is because I am a jerk? Is that really the lesson that I want to teach, or do I want to teach that there is a place of love? And so I had a friend the other day and I was talking to him and he was just telling me about how he just can't understand how come his kids are. And I hear his wife alongside just saying would you, why don't you? Just? All I'm asking for you is to listen to him and be peaceful and he's like, yeah, but they've got to learn. If men, if we would sometimes and listen to the Holy Spirit that might be speaking through your spouse. Oh man, it got quiet in here. Heather, run out and get the car started. There's going to be a mutiny.
Speaker 1:I suspect that what the Holy Spirit is up to is reminding us of who God is, of what God is, of how God speaks, and it is always gently. The voice of the Holy Spirit is never harsh. The voice of the Holy Spirit is never harsh.
Speaker 1:The voice of the Holy Spirit is never angry. The voice of the Holy Spirit will never condemn you. God's voice to us is gentle. God's voice to us is kind. We have a good shepherd beloved and that is good news to all of us that when we need adjusting, it will come through a gentle voice, that there are things that we can trust in the goodness. In fact, the scriptures tells us let your gentleness be known to all. We see this in the way that Jesus behaved in Mary's own gentleness. We see this over and over again being something that Jesus gets to emulate.
Speaker 1:Because we see the gentleness in Mary, the gentleness in Jesus, we see the gentleness in this season even in the way that babies are formed in us in a gentle, holy, very safe place. But because God can never forget to show mercy, may you be reminded of this this morning. May Mary's song remind you that mercy is always present, that mercy always triumphs over judgment, that God is infinite mercy. And so where we need mercy in our life, god is. And we see this time of Advent, this song between Elizabeth and Mary that remind us of hope. Now, they sang this song together, together, and I wonder if, as things you know actually progressed for them if they needed to rehearse the song, or maybe they sang it to each other when things got very difficult. This understanding of the rehearsing of the goodness of God, the rehearsing of this hope that the proud and those people who oppress will be brought low and those who are lowly will be lifted up. Jesus says these same words, but he uses the prophet Isaiah and he said I have come to set the captives free. I have come to heal the broken hearted. I have come to loose those who are bound. And so Jesus says these same words to us that the coming of the Christ looks like this gentle invitation into a kingdom that is completely upside down, where people around in the culture say greed is the way to have.
Speaker 1:Jesus tells us that generosity is the way that we live, that love serves, that love comes, that love is with those who are marginalized and love includes and says everyone is welcomed at this beautiful table, everyone is welcomed at the kingdom of God, that love is what is shown here and that, following the belief, the trust that Mary has that God is at work, that God's work can be done through her Beloveds, god's work can be done through you that, if you will allow Christ to be formed in you, there is so much hope.
Speaker 1:What our world needs is hope, not wishes, but hope. Hope in the fact that love has come and that love is still coming for us, that the Holy Spirit is with us always. The Holy Spirit, the agent of transformation, the agent that changes the way that we think. And Jesus invited us into this kind of life where we'll change the way that we think about things. Love changes that for us, and this is an invitation into love's change, into the hope for the world, into the hope for us that there will be a day when, as it is in heaven, it will be done here on the earth.
Speaker 2:I was told that there's a tribe of people and when their babies are born, the women of the tribe go off and they pray and they get a song and the song is about this baby.
Speaker 2:And then they go into where the baby's being born and they sing the song over the mother and the baby. As the baby's being born and throughout the whole life of that child. They teach that child that child's song. They teach that child that child's song and when, inevitably, a child goes wrong and gets out of line and mischievous and starts to drift away from the family and their faith and their purpose, they don't go out and scream and yell, they just go over and they sing the song over that young adult. They sing their song and they gently remind them of who they really are, not who they've forgotten and become. You know, and I love this song here because I think that it reminds us of what we've forgotten. And let this song be sung over you and remind you who you really are and God is in love with you and is giving you this peace. And so follow that song and let it remind you of who you really are.
Speaker 1:We hope you've enjoyed this week's sermon. If you would like more information about us, visit us online at firstlovechurchorg.
