Mary's Song
Dec 8
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Melodie Scalf
Copyrighted art is included with permission and is available for purchase on Bette Dickinson's site.
I was fortunate to find beautiful, art-filled Advent cards last year during a conference I was attending. Each morning, I light a tall white taper candle and then flip over the card for that day. I spend a moment gazing at the artwork, allowing the image to wash over me; I pay attention to what I am sensing and feeling near the scene on the card. Next, I focus on the words at the top of the card. Each wording invites reflection, beginning with the phrase: “Make room for (…);” the last part changes daily, and today it was “one another.”
The image shows Elizabeth, with a womb full of life, kneeling before Mary, the mother of Jesus, her hands embracing Mary’s rounded belly. I am touched by the miracle growing inside Elizabeth, who is beyond the usual age for bearing children, yet she is at Mary’s side, making room for her miracle. I imagine Elizabeth welcoming Mary into her home with food, preparing a cozy place for her that would accommodate her growing belly. Elizabeth wouldn't merely care for Mary’s physical needs but also be attentive to her emotional well-being. Mary was living in an era where being pregnant without marriage brought shame and could be punished by stoning.
46 And Mary said:
What would it look like to “Make room for one another…?”
The image shows Elizabeth, with a womb full of life, kneeling before Mary, the mother of Jesus, her hands embracing Mary’s rounded belly. I am touched by the miracle growing inside Elizabeth, who is beyond the usual age for bearing children, yet she is at Mary’s side, making room for her miracle. I imagine Elizabeth welcoming Mary into her home with food, preparing a cozy place for her that would accommodate her growing belly. Elizabeth wouldn't merely care for Mary’s physical needs but also be attentive to her emotional well-being. Mary was living in an era where being pregnant without marriage brought shame and could be punished by stoning.
The idea of making room for one another sounds simplistic, yet it is often tangled up with the emotions that run high from within, making creating space for another much more complicated. Our emotions may occupy the entirety of the limited space available in our busy lives, thus obscuring the other.
We might find it hard to get excited about Mary, unsure whether to believe her story and concerned that sheltering a young, pregnant cousin could cause problems. Perhaps we're so captivated by the wonder of new life growing within that we dominate the conversation, forgetting that we're not the only ones in the room—each person being created in God's image as a living story.
As I reflect on this image and read the scripture passage about the two women, I sense that this was a sacred moment—an in-between, liminal space filled with wonder, joy, and hope. I imagine these women going about their day, living an ordinary day that was forever transformed. Unaware of what the next chapter would hold, they only knew they were now part of a larger story.
While sitting with this story and spending time with Mary’s Song, my attention is brought to a feeling of hope in the phrase, “He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.” During this season, I find hope in knowing that the Divine Creator chose Mary, who was lowly and humble in heart.
I invite you to sit with Mary’s song and ask yourself, “What stands out? Notice what is stirring within you and perhaps invite God into that space with you. There are several ways to engage with God through inner noticing. One way to try is to take out a piece of paper and write about what is stirring within, perhaps as a letter, a prayer, or a lament to God.
Another is through conversational prayer,
- Sit comfortably in your chair, with one hand on your heart and the other on your belly. Take a deep breath and relax.
- Invite God into that space with you, bring to mind what stood out to you in the reading, and invite God to speak to you, share with God any sensations, feelings images that come to mind during the reading. Listen and be still.
- When you are ready, you may return to the place where you are seated.
46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48, for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on, all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
Luke 1:46-55
What would it look like to “Make room for one another…?”
Melodie Scalf
Melodie is a certified spiritual director with over 20 years of experience in congregational and children's ministry. With her background in integrative health and wellness, Melodie engages her directees through a holistic lens, combining a variety of modalities in her practice.
Melodie has a passion for hiking mountains and spending time in the outdoors. When not outside she can be found playing boardgames and doing puzzles with her family.
Currently, she accompanies individual directees and offers small group spiritual direction. She would love to guide a wilderness experience or embodiment workshops for you or your small group.
You can connect with her via her website www.walkingbeloved.com or through email: melodie@walkingbeloved.com
Melodie is a certified spiritual director with over 20 years of experience in congregational and children's ministry. With her background in integrative health and wellness, Melodie engages her directees through a holistic lens, combining a variety of modalities in her practice.
Melodie has a passion for hiking mountains and spending time in the outdoors. When not outside she can be found playing boardgames and doing puzzles with her family.
Currently, she accompanies individual directees and offers small group spiritual direction. She would love to guide a wilderness experience or embodiment workshops for you or your small group.
You can connect with her via her website www.walkingbeloved.com or through email: melodie@walkingbeloved.com
