The Gate of Wonder
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.”
The Irish artist Adam Pomeroy gravitates towards a minimalist and photorealistic style — even in his depiction of Biblical scenes. His message is conveyed as much — perhaps more! — by what is implied than by what is depicted.
This is his Annunciation, which you can find in the physical world in the Cathedral of Peter and Paul in Ennis, Ireland. Mary is depicted as a simple, working class girl — in appearance, not unlike many of the girls who might see this picture in the County Clare Diocese. She wears a plain white dress and sits in an empty room, surrounded by the cool colors of gray walls, and a blue comforter. Her angelic visitor is indicated only by a the presence of an unusual flood of light, whose source is unseen in the image. Mary is poised and peaceful: her posture is confident and serene. And yet, she peers beyond the horizon of what we can see, to this angelic figure that evades our gaze, with notes of uncertainty and perplexity knit within her brow. It is as though she is about to utter her famous response to the divine announcement, “How can this be!?” … and indeed, thus do we receive the living and life-giving Good News and great joy of our salvation: it is an impossibility, and more than we can bear.
Lift up your heads, O you gates, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
—Psalm 24:7
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Texts for this Week
Prayer
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and as we are sorely hindered by our sins from running the race that is set before us, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever.
The Risk of Birth
Madeleine L’Engle
This is no time for a child to be born,
With the earth betrayed by war & hate
And a comet slashing the sky to warn
That time runs out & the sun burns late.
That was no time for a child to be born,
In a land in the crushing grip of Rome;
Honor & truth were trampled to scorn—
Yet here did the Savior make His home.
When is the time for love to be born?
The inn is full on the planet earth,
And by a comet the sky is torn—
Yet Love still takes the risk of birth.
Magnificat
This is a simple, contemporary (2003) acapella chorus inspired by Mary’s song, written by Randy Gill of the Zoe Group. The sopranos intone the first line of Mary’s song as a call to worship, with the basses responding with a doxology. The altos recount Mary’s experience of God’s blessing, and the tenors add a final layer of acclamation and adoration to the one mighty and holy, who has done these great and awesome things.
It would seem that Gill, via the Zoe Group and beyond, is a part of a movement rooted in church traditions that emphasize acapella music in worship that is trying to open that practice to a more diverse and contemporary repertoire. Another interesting group he is a part of, United Voice Worship, pursues a similar social vision of Reconciliation Anglican Church through its music, “celebrating differences and inspiring intentional conversations through diverse a cappella worship experiences and resources.”
Introitus
Rorate Coeli Desuper
The text for this week’s introit again draws from the Prophet Isaiah (45:8), with responding psalm verse lifting the up opening words of Coeli enarrat: Psalm 19:1. In English, the whole thing runs like this:
Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; Let the earth open, let it bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I, the LORD, have created it. Ps. The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.
