This is the fourth and final week of Advent. In just a few days, Christmas will be here, and we will celebrate the arrival of the Christ child! You might recall last year at this time we were much more hampered by the pandemic, and we were not able to visit friends and relatives. We were honing our Zoom skills and looking for ways to cope with restrictions that prevented us from keeping our traditions in the same manner we had practiced them for many years before. Things were upside down for us.

In our passage for this week, we will reflect on Mary’s song of praise, “The Magnificat,” where she describes how God often turns things upside down. The powerful are brought down, and the lowly are exalted; the hungry are filled, and the rich become empty-handed; and the proud are scattered, and yet she finds favor from God as a lowly servant. Our situations are constantly changing, yet we can always count on the promises made by God. The principles of love and compassion will always serve as steady guides in our changing circumstances, and we can rest assured that we will receive grace and mercy as we grow closer to God. Join us in worship on Sunday as we celebrate the great things God is doing in the world.