Rev. Nathan Ferrell
Worship Style - Both Traditional and Contemporary Eucharist
This third Sunday of Advent took us on a bit of an adventure. We had recently lost a close friend in Maine, and we were looking for an opportunity to visit with his wife. We did some research and found this old, beautiful, historic and intriguing church. It was built in 1890, fashioned after the Norman Church of St. Mary's in Iffley, in Oxfordshire, England. It was originally used as a place of worship for the family who built it on their summer estate and was used by family, friends and "summer people." It is stunning both inside and out.
On this Sunday, the focus of the service was Mary, the mother of Jesus. Rev. Ferrell asked us this question, "How are you at surrendering?" He affirmed that this is not something that comes naturally or easily, but we in the church have a role model of surrender in Mary, the mother of Jesus. He asked us to consider how Mary must have reacted to the news of her pregnancy. There is nothing in Scripture that suggests that she wanted this, but she accepted this and finally she surrendered. "I am the Lord's servant,...May your word to me be fulfilled." Luke 1:38(NIV) (Since we know the end of the story, we often forget that this must have been frightening to her.) He said, "In one sense we can think of the incarnation of Christ into this world like a sudden alien invasion. No one asked for this. We can even look at the human baby Jesus as a divine Trojan Horse. On the outside it looks like a simple and ordinary child like so many others, but hidden on the inside He brings the full light of Divinity." Going back to the reference to surrender, Rev. Ferrell acknowledges that the world is not asking for transformation, and Mary did not ask to be the God bearer. These messages often come from the agency of another.
What do we do when we get a message we don't want to hear? We fight. Now resilience is important but even a box of darkness can be a gift. Rev. Ferrell said, "To be human is to be priest, to receive all things as a gift and to give back all things as a gift of love and praise." This is the task of surrender. Finally, we were reminded that Mary was a great teacher of surrender. It was her son that said, "Not my will...."
Worship Style - Both Traditional and Contemporary Eucharist
This third Sunday of Advent took us on a bit of an adventure. We had recently lost a close friend in Maine, and we were looking for an opportunity to visit with his wife. We did some research and found this old, beautiful, historic and intriguing church. It was built in 1890, fashioned after the Norman Church of St. Mary's in Iffley, in Oxfordshire, England. It was originally used as a place of worship for the family who built it on their summer estate and was used by family, friends and "summer people." It is stunning both inside and out.
On this Sunday, the focus of the service was Mary, the mother of Jesus. Rev. Ferrell asked us this question, "How are you at surrendering?" He affirmed that this is not something that comes naturally or easily, but we in the church have a role model of surrender in Mary, the mother of Jesus. He asked us to consider how Mary must have reacted to the news of her pregnancy. There is nothing in Scripture that suggests that she wanted this, but she accepted this and finally she surrendered. "I am the Lord's servant,...May your word to me be fulfilled." Luke 1:38(NIV) (Since we know the end of the story, we often forget that this must have been frightening to her.) He said, "In one sense we can think of the incarnation of Christ into this world like a sudden alien invasion. No one asked for this. We can even look at the human baby Jesus as a divine Trojan Horse. On the outside it looks like a simple and ordinary child like so many others, but hidden on the inside He brings the full light of Divinity." Going back to the reference to surrender, Rev. Ferrell acknowledges that the world is not asking for transformation, and Mary did not ask to be the God bearer. These messages often come from the agency of another.
What do we do when we get a message we don't want to hear? We fight. Now resilience is important but even a box of darkness can be a gift. Rev. Ferrell said, "To be human is to be priest, to receive all things as a gift and to give back all things as a gift of love and praise." This is the task of surrender. Finally, we were reminded that Mary was a great teacher of surrender. It was her son that said, "Not my will...."