“Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
-Luke 1: 28

As just a young girl Mary must have been surprised over and again by all the things that were happening to her. When Gabriel first came to Mary she addressed her as “favored one”, never mind that being spoken to by an angel was out of the ordinary but to be addressed in such a formal way would have been disconcerting too, of course she was going to be the mother of the Son of Man, so it seems a title, or at least a formal greeting would be in order as this new holy family comes together. The verse reminded me of all the times that we share the exchange “Peace be with you, and also with you”, it is a rather formal greeting as we come together in worship. What does it mean for you when you are greeted or when you offer the greeting to another? Perhaps it’s the way that we hold each other sacred in the family of Christ, it’s a sign or signal that God is with us, that you are beloved. When we share this exchange, I invite you to remember that this is how Mary was first told that Jesus was with her, and would be always, and when we share this today we remember that Jesus, Emmanuel, is with us too.

-Pastor Carrie