A Sung Blessing

“Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment 

of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

–Luke 1:48 

“In those days,” the gospel writer Luke wrote, “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.” Those opening words provide the context for the Biblical verse we read moments ago. It comes from an encounter between two women who were related in some way yet had far more in common than a blood or marriage tie. As both of them were pregnant, too, and carrying a child who would further God’s purposes. 

At the sound of Mary’s voice the child within Elizabeth–one the world would come to know as John the Baptist–“leaped in her womb.” Elizabeth exclaims, “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 has come to me?” She tells of her unborn child’s reaction to Mary’s greeting and then concludes, “blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’”

Certainly there is much to ponder in those events—the in-utero leap and how the Spirit informed Elizabeth of what was happening within Mary.  There is the image of  two women coming together to talk about events that only the other could fully appreciate. It’s a rich scene with all kinds of interpretative possibilities, but I want to focus on its theme of blessings.  

Elizabeth opens by naming the blessing of Mary being chosen to bear God’s son and the blessing that Jesus will be for humankind. Then, after describing the wonder of her own child’s response to Mary’s voice, Elizabeth concludes with words that speak not of what God has done, but a request she makes of the Almighty. “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” In essence, Elizabeth is asking God to bless her kinswoman once again.

That’s a wonderful image for the life of faith. We celebrate individually and as a community what God has done in us and others. Yet at the same time, we bless in our own words and deeds. “Blessed to be a blessing” is how it is sometimes described. Such blessings come in many forms.        

One Sunday in my first pastorate, a member named Dorothy invited young worshipers to come forward for the children’s message. In that congregation, I typically offered the message a couple of times each month with members helping the other Sundays. Dorothy had been a bit nervous about sharing her gifts in that way, but came prepared. It was an Advent Sunday and she planned to teach the children a song called “The Friendly Beasts.”  Perhaps you are familiar with that piece which tells of various animals at the manger providing their gifts to the baby Jesus.

Once everyone had settled in with her on the chancel steps, Dorothy told the children that she wanted to teach them a song.  Her plan was to offer a verse at a time that they would then sing back to her. She had just finished the first few words when a 7-year old named Kathryn Stone gasped audibly. Dorothy stopped as the child said, “I can’t believe it. I just learned that song.” Dorothy asked Kathryn if she would like to help her teach it to the others and Kathryn quickly accepted. That was a courageous thing for Dorothy to do. I’ve learned the hard way over the years to be very careful about young voices having such freedom, especially when amplified by a mic!

On that morning, though, the child accepted and soon a duet between a seventy and a seven year-old began. Yet in a decision that was either instinctive or Spirit-inspired or both, Dorothy quickly stopped and Kathryn’s voice alone filled the sanctuary. “I said the cow, all white and red,” she sang. “I gave him my manger for his bed. I gave him hay to pillow his head. I said the cow, all white and red.” 

Line by line, Kathryn told of animals offering what they could. The congregation was mesmerized.

Eventually, she came to the last verse.  “So every good beast had something to tell,” she sang “of the gift he gave Emmanuel. So every good beast had something to tell.”  As did every person present in worship that day.

A sung blessing. Words that tell of what God has done and offer a gift to others. Elizabeth did that one day in the first century. A child did the same one Sunday in 1987.  May the days ahead include moments like that as well when you celebrate and offer a blessing, maybe even through song.

Source of every blessing, may the remaining days of this season be ones when I recall and offer such gifts to someone else. Amen.