Tammy’s Reviews > Songs for a Saviour's Birth: Journey Through Advent With Elizabeth, Mary, Zechariah, The Angels, Simeon And Anna > Status Update

Two more p's -- praise and proclamation. Anna's responds to seeing her prayers answered were to praise and proclaim. This is the capstone of all five Christmas songs (Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Simeon, and Anna).

I see a pattern: peace, purpose, and now pain. This is not a pleasing prosperity gospel. Here Jesus reveals what we are and scratches off the crusty scales of the old man as happened with Eustace in Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Jesus is the way and the life, not a way and a wife. When we accept that, then we can learn our purpose and share in his work.

A little section on peace. Peace comes from believing in Christ. Of the 1,000 things to do before you die, this is the only one that matters. This kind of peace leads to true contentment and takes away the fear of death. "O Death, Where is Thy Sting?"

The birth of Jesus has so many doubles that function as mirrors. Joseph and Mary > Zechariah and Elizabeth > Simeon and Anna and they are three stages of life. God is such a great storyteller because of the clever design and craftsmanship.

We rebeled against our maker and he sent an army of angelic warriors to do battle with Satan rather than children who rebeled. While we have such a hard time reconciling with people who have wronged us, that is not the case with God. I just read about Boromir's confession and Aragorn's response which reminded me of Aslan's response. God is the wronged party but he is also the great reconciler.

This chapter connects the idea how Jesus came down a person so that we could relate to a person and then went back up. He was the mountain and hill made low and then was the valley that was made high. That speaks to him a God (exalted and lofty) as well as man (humble and meek).

The sunrise imagery used in The Benedictus is glorious.

In this advent season two ideas have emerged in books and music and art that have been in my life. Darkness covered the earth and the Light invaded it and transformed it into a new world. God has raised the humble (every valley shall be exalted) and He has brought down the mighty (every mountain and hill made low).

Our social media/influencer culture is far different from Mary. An astonishing thing happens and also a dangerous, frightening thing happens (there are dire consequences for a young woman who is pregnant before marriage). Mary does not focus on herself or even the baby. In her song is about what God will do as a result of this birth. God coming to earth will right many wrongs.