the Magnificat

D.L. Mayfield wrote this little article (which includes a fabulous image of Mary by Ben Wildflower) for the Washington Post a few years ago. In it she wonders why this song been forgotten, or trimmed, for so many people who grew up evangelical? While she gives some answers about it being a byproduct of the Reformation and of the powerful, I also wonder about it being a byproduct of misogyny and a church that focuses on white men in leadership. Below is a reflection and song by Kim Taylor that she gave at our last Sunday Night Service on 12/19/21.

First, the actual text:

Luke 1:39-45(46-55)  

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house  of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy  Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of  your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."  

And Mary said,  

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the  lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”  

To be completely transparent, I said yes to offering tonight’s reflection not because I really wanted to (I do get a little anxious around public speaking). But if I have learned anything in my  almost 48 years it’s that when someone asks me to do something that feels a bit challenging and my immediate reaction is no, this is a signal to myself that I need to stop, listen and get curious. I often find that this gut reaction ‘no’ is really an ‘I’m afraid.’ When I acknowledge this fear, not always, but most of the time I will say yes. I will open my heart and step into the unknown. 

It is really important to note: saying yes does not always or even often equate with a happy ending.  

I didn’t grow up with a very deep connection or even, really, respect for Mary. I was raised a Southern Baptist and other than Mary showing up in the yearly Christmas pageant there wasn’t a whole lot of talk about her. Quite frankly, I think there was fear in talking too much about Mary (we weren’t Catholics you know) but bigger than that I think there was deep fear about getting too close to Mary. 

Needless to say since I was held at an arm’s length from her, I had no understanding of her song aka The Magnificat aka Mary’s cover song of the folk classic “The Song of Hannah.” We find the Song of Hannah in the first chapter of Samuel in the Old Testament. After Hannah gives birth and weans Samuel, she gives Samuel to God and in Chapter 2 of the Book of Samuel she prays a  prayer with some great and familiar lines like:  

“My heart exults the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God.” 

“The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts.”  

“He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap . . .”  

Hannah’s son, the prophet Samuel, would become a hinge figure. He would be the one to anoint  Saul, the first King of Israel and he is seen as a “transition between the period of the judges and  the monarchy.” Samuel ushered in the the Kingdom of Israel.  

Mary sees her child as ushering in something too. Something larger: “He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.”  

Mary was the mother of Jesus and my early formative spiritual leaders wanted to make very certain that I understood she was just a human and was certainly not God. This exact idea is what I want us to lean into. Mary was and is the mother of Jesus. She was and is the mother of God. The greek is Theotokos (I am so fortunate to live with a walking, talking textbook of a husband) and this is translated to mean “God Bearer.” Through her body, she brought God into the world. God came to us through a young, unwed, poor, Jewish woman. And Mary said yes. We know how the story ends. It’s not with great wealth, success or comfort. Mary offers us the ultimate model of the Christian life and this is what I want us to just chew on together. 

two reflection questions:  

1. Reflect on a time you’ve pushed fear aside and said yes. Maybe it led to more questions,  doubts or even an unraveling. Maybe saying yes led to a great joy, kindness or rich experience of life. 

2. Reread the Magnificat. What phrase, line or idea catches your attention as you get to know Mary through her song?

–Kim Taylor

And here’s a rough cut of Kim’s cover of the Magnificat (don’t miss it!).