Mary and Elizabeth: Singers of God's New Song

This Bible study was presented at the morning plenary of Assembly on April 28, 2002 by Joyce Sohl, Deputy General Secretary, Women's Division. Click here to watch the video You must have the free RealPlayer^tm plugin.

Mary and Elizabeth, two women-- each pregnant with her first child. Mary and Elizabeth, one a young virgin, the other an old barren woman. Mary and Elizabeth, visited by angels proclaiming God's surprises. Mary and Elizabeth, women of faith and accepting of God's purposes in their lives. Mary and Elizabeth, relatives in the extended family of Abraham and Sarah. Mary and Elizabeth, two women, lowly women but blessed instruments of God's grace. Mary and Elizabeth, both filled with the Holy Spirit, companions in their time of waiting.

It is in the presence of Elizabeth and in her home that Mary sings her song. And what a song it is!
   A song similar to the song sung by Hannah at the birth of Samuel;
   A song reminiscent of the song of Miriam at the crossing of the Red Sea;
   A song of praise and a song of revolution;
   A song of a hope-filled faith in God's promises; A song of God's mercy and God's justice;
   A song of the past, a song of the present, a song of the future;
   A song of good news for the poor;
   A song of turning the structures of the world upside down;
    An old song reciting the almighty acts of God;
   A new song of God's new covenant in Jesus the Christ.

Believers and Claimers of God's Promises

Mary and Elizabeth were believers in God. They knew the stories of their people and of God's continuing covenant throughout the history of Israel. They were grounded in the faith. They knew the hymns of praise, the songs of lament, the somber melodies of brokenness from God and the harmonies of reconciliation with God. They claimed God's promises for themselves and for their people.

They knew, believed and claimed God's promise of a covenant between God and the descendants of Abraham and Sarah; They knew, believed and claimed God's promise of never again destroying creation as God did with the Flood; They knew, believed and claimed God's promise to deliver and protect those who worship God and obey God's commandments; They knew, believed and claimed God's promise of faithfulness at all times; of justice and righteousness and steadfast love; that God will be God and is and always will be in charge of the world.

They also knew, believed and claimed God's promise of forgiveness for individual and community sins; of good news for the oppressed and liberty to the captives; that God will create a new heaven and a new earth; that God will send a Messiah to save God's people.

They knew, believed and claimed God's promises even in the midst of oppression and the seeming lack of God' s presence in their world. Once again they saw and Mary sang that God is capable of making the impossible into the possible. Mary sang with hope, a strong faith-filled hope, that her son Jesus would fulfill God's promises.

Can you and I claim these promises? Can we stand on them in our everyday living? Can we believe that with God all is possible in the midst of the turmoil of our world? Can we accept Jesus' gift of the Holy Spirit and his promise to be with us always? Can we sing loudly and with conviction "Standing on the Promises"? [Assembly sings the song.]

To sing a new song unto the Lord requires that each of us claim God's promises so that we can sing with confidence, with hope, and with joy. Our singing at times will be the reciting of God' s wonderful, awesome and surprising acts. But our singing at other times will be crying out to God in anger, fear, frustration and dismay. There is no promise of God that I can find that God made that assures me of an easy and painless life. It is as you and I claim God's promises that our songs of lament can move into songs of praise to a ever faithful God. To claim God's gifts and promises will make our singing truly a new song in harmony with God's plan for all of creation and for all God's children.

Obedient to God's Guidance

Mary and Elizabeth were obedient to God's directions for their lives. Here were two women whose lives had been totally disrupted. (Imagine, friends, if you were Elizabeth at her age... You got it?) Elizabeth was pregnant after years of not being able to have children in a society that saw motherhood as the defining factor for women. She also had to deal with Zechariah and his muteness while she prepared for this long awaited birth. And then Mary-- a teen woman, pregnant, enduring the suspicions of family and friends-- she also had to deal with Joseph's unhappiness and confusion until he too was visited by the angel.

Some would suggest that Elizabeth and Mary were simply submissive women doing what they were told. I don't think so. Both were strong women. Mary questions Gabriel. Mary accepts Gabriel's admonition that God is capable of doing whatever God wants, but she still thinks about and ponders all that is happening. Elizabeth realizes that God has taken away her disgrace and for this she is thankful. But she defies tradition and is the first to name her son before Zechariah has a chance.

These were strong women. Mary and Elizabeth were obedient listeners and responders to God's message coming from the angels, from family and friends and especially from the inner most longings of their hearts. They believed that God was calling them to aid in the process of salvation. They knew that their roles were essential and worthy. They believed that God was keeping his promise of redemption; therefore they said a strong and vibrant "Yes" to God.

Obedience to God's guidance in our lives is about the freedom that comes to us through Jesus Christ. Our baptismal vows declare that we have accepted "the freedom and power God gives us" and that we "promise to serve Jesus Christ as Lord." Such obedience is not about submission or rules, but it is about living as persons liberated from all that oppresses. It is obedience that is built upon a relationship with God and God's Son. It is obedience that brings about transformation and not conformity. It is obedience rooted in the gospel and lived out as each of us tries to be followers of Jesus, the Christ.

Clement of Alexandria, writing in the second century, uses the metaphor of the New Song as his name for Christ. He says:

"Do not suppose the song of salvation to be new, as a vessel or a house is new. For 'before the morning star it was'; and 'in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' Inasmuch as the Word was from the first, He was and is the divine source of all things; but inasmuch as He has now assumed the name Christ, consecrated of old and worthy of power, he has been called by me the New Song. Jesus Christ is the New Song, the manifestation of the Word that was in the beginning, and before the beginning."

Yes, the new song we sing is the song of Jesus. It is the song that demands of us obedience in the midst of our freedom "as whole persons through Jesus Christ." It is the song that is old and at the same time new. It is the song that must be learned over and over again as we are faced with new opportunities of service and new calls from God.

This song has to be practiced both privately and in community. It is about neighborliness, singing with your neighbor but not always in unison; it is about prayer, Bible study and spiritual disciplines; it is about living out our vows of baptism; it is about participating, really participating in the eucharist; it is about following the teachings and example of Jesus. This song is Jesus and it is the unique song that each of us must sing as a follower of the Christ.

Howard Thurman in his book Meditations of the Heart writes:

"I will sing a new song. As difficult as it is, I must learn the new song that is capable of meeting the new need. I must fashion new words born of all the new growth of my life, my mind and my spirit. I must prepare for new melodies that have never been mine before, that all that is within me may lift my voice unto God. How I love the old familiarity of the wearied melody-- how I shrink from the harsh discords of the new untried harmonies. Teach me, my Father, that I might learn with the abandonment and enthusiasm of Jesus, the fresh new accent, the untried melody, to meet the need of the untried morrow."

To sing a new song is to be alert to God's new and renewed call to be a disciple of Jesus in today's world. New skills, new ideas, new methods, new plans, as well as new melodies and harmonies are required. God is periodically interrupting our lives with God's surprises. In order to sing a new song, we must be alert to God's guidance, to the song, so that we can really sing.

Singers of God's New Song

Elizabeth and Mary were singers of God's new song. Mary sang the song, but I imagine that Elizabeth was singing the chorus with her or saying a loud "Amen." Let's look once again at the song. It is
   A song of praise to God the Savior;
   A song of a young woman living on the margins of society, but a young woman noticed and called by God to fulfill God's purposes;
   A song of the people of Israel using well-known materials from the ancient texts to sing a new truth;
   A song that celebrates God's faithfulness.

Yes, this song does praise, honor, celebrate and retell the old story, but it doesn't stop there. This is
   A song of prophecy, of freedom, and of revolution;
   A song that puts God on the side of the powerless, the oppressed, the poor;
   A song that tells the power of God in the world;
   A song that redistributes food, money, land among all God's peoples;
   A song of God's mercy and God's justice.

Mary's song tells of God's promises in the past tense (did you notice that?), for she believes that God has and will continue to be God. Notice how similar Mary's song is to the scripture from Isaiah that Jesus quoted when he read in the synagogue in Nazareth: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor..." Also note how similar Mary's song is to the beatitudes, the blessings and woes that Jesus preaches: "Blessed are you who are poor for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.... Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry...."

Mary's song lays out the ministry and message of Jesus the Christ. It is a difficult song, for it changes the status quo for everyone. It is a song of good news for the poor, but certainly not good news for those who have power, money and food. It is the same song that was sung by Moses and Miriam as they led the people out of Egypt. It is the same song that the prophets sang as they tried to keep the people in a true relationship with God. It is the same song of Paul, of Phoebe, of Lois, of John, of Timothy, of Clement of Alexandria, of Hildegard, of Suzanna, of Isabella, of Clara, of all the saints that have gone before. It is the old song but the new song of God' s mercy and justice.

Can we sing this new song? We who are among the privileged of the world may have trouble with Mary's song. The song is easy to be sung in the pew, but what happens to our singing when we go into the workplace, the school, our homes, the places of government, and on the streets and roads of our land and all around the world? Are we willing to let God be God and do His work of justice and mercy in our world? Are we ready to live our lives as followers of Jesus in this alternative society that Mary sings?

To sing a new song requires faith, commitment, openness, hope, struggle and even pain.

To sing a new song requires a daily living with God and claiming God's promises.

To sing a new song requires following closely the teachings and example of Jesus.

To sing a new song requires listening to the Holy Spirit within.

To sing a new song requires obedience and persistence in the face of obstacles.

To sing a new song is to sing God's song within each of us.

To sing a new song is to sing The New Song.

How can we keep from singing? Amen

E-mail Contact: kmartini@gbgm-umc.org