A Reading from Psalm 24
1 The earth is the LORD'S and all that is in it, *
the world and all who dwell therein.
2 For it is he who founded it upon the seas *
and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.
3 "Who can ascend the hill of the LORD? *
and who can stand in his holy place?"
4 "Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, *
who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,
nor sworn by what is a fraud.
5 They shall receive a blessing from the LORD *
and a just reward from the God of their salvation."
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, *
of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
7 Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors; *
and the King of glory shall come in.
8 "Who is this King of glory?" *
"The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle."
9 Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors; *
and the King of glory shall come in.
10 "Who is he, this King of glory?" *
"The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of glory."
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Meditation
As a child, my mom worked hard to catechize my brother and I to put our faith and trust in God’s grace and never in our own goodness. A few years ago she commented on how hard it was to talk us out of thinking that going to heaven had something to do with being good and doing the right things. So perhaps it’s no surprise that I have always struggled with finding the balance: what is it to rest in grace? When does trying to do what God calls you to become prideful, because it’s not grace? When is it lazy, because you’re not trying much at all?
Mary at the Annunciation answers so many of those questions. She embodies the words of our psalm this morning, “Who can ascend the hill of the Lord? … Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, who have not pledged themselves to falsehood.” She welcomes in Grace Himself, not by trying, but simply by being willing. There will be plenty of trying, surely — she has so much difficulty ahead of her — but the effort isn’t to do everything perfectly, it’s to continue being fully open to God; to not pledge yourself to falsehood and refuse grace when it calls you to hard things.
I love one of our children’s Bibles which titles the story of the Annunciation, “Mary Dared to Obey.” Because she did dare. She was amazingly brave to accept this outrageous call which might easily have cost her Joseph, her parents, her reputation, everything. Unlike Moses, she doesn’t say to God that he needs to choose someone better. Obedience requires courage. So isn’t this psalm just exquisitely chosen for Advent? “Lift up your heads, O gates; lift them high, O everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.”
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Elizabeth Baumann is a seminary graduate, a priest’s wife, and the mother of two small daughters. A transplant from the West Coast, she now lives in “the middle of nowhere” in the Midwest with too many cats.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
The Diocese of Virginia
The Anglican Church of Korea
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