Luke #4: Magnificat! (Luke 1:39-56) - a podcast by Rob Woodrum & Others

I hope everyone had a happy, peaceful and safe Thanksgiving. No matter what, we have much to be thankful for – down to the very breath we breathe.

We’ll be continuing our study in Luke this Sunday, reading Luke 1:39-56.

It is a section traditionally called the Magnificat because that is the word in Latin that Mary exclaims when she breaks out in a song. This whole section, from Mary’s interaction with Elizabeth to the song Mary sings carries the theme of reversals.

Think about all that has been reversed in Luke’s gospel so far. We started the story the story of a man, a priest – but he’s been silenced. Instead, who is now the focus of the narrative? Our first great piece of theology doesn’t come from a priest, but from the mouth of a teenage girl. Think about how that time and culture viewed women. Think about the dynamic between younger and elder people in that time and culture. What reversals are you witnessing in this text?

When Mary sings her song, she is providing the theme of the Good News that Israel had been waiting for. Is this a song about going to heaven when she dies? What is the main theme of this song? What happens to the proud, what awaits the humble? What is anticipated for the rich and for the poor?

Why do you think the theme of reversal is so important to Mary…as she echoes the cry of her ancestors? What implications do these reversals have for us today? In what ways do the trappings of our culture, our politics, even the way we practice our faith run contrary to what Mary sings about here? How would you apply the theme of Mary’s song to your life as a Christian today?

This should prove to be an interesting study.

Also, this Sunday we’ll be celebrating the Communion – if you are joining us online, be sure to have bread or wine or some symbol of sustenance handy – we’ll attend to the ritual at the end of the teaching. If you’re going to be there in person, we are still going to be using the individual pods (longing for the day when we drop the restrictions and celebrate more casually and comfortably). Hope you can join us – in person or online!

Click here for a pdf of the teaching slideshow.

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