Preparing the Way for Blessedness

Summary

What does it mean to be blessed? I feel as if we live in a world where we have a tendency to say things without really thinking about what they mean, and this word is no exception. On Instagram you can find pictures of manicures and pedicures, or family, or even one’s dinner with the hashtag “blessed.” People refer to their great wealth or influence, or their white privilege and power as “being blessed.” And there’s no problem in being grateful for what you have, I just always find myself thinking of the implications of the converse thought…as in, what if I don’t have a nice car, or home, or meal? What if I don’t have any family, or a lot of money, or a great support system? Am I not blessed? Has God forgotten me? I don’t believe this is true, but I do think this prompts us to take a serious look at our concept of blessedness and what it means to actually be blessed.

This is a bit of an unusual preaching text. I combined the text for this Sunday, which involves John the Baptist being the voice in the wilderness, as well as the story of Mary’s song, or the Magnificat, as there will be no sermon next Sunday on which to reflect on the Magnificat. I know both of these texts to be revolutionary and celebratory in nature. They are essence of what, I believe, it means to live into Advent, here and now, in our context.