2018 Advent 2: The Song of Zechariah

Luke’s Gospel records the first songs of Christmas which are called the Canticles of Christmas.  A canticle is a song in the bible that is not a psalm.  Embedded within the arc of the story line that leads from before conception to the intertwined births of John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ and their presentations in the temple, Luke records four songs that present a powerful pathway into the beauty of the Christmas story. The songs are poetic story pieces that belong to Mary who was the mother of Jesus, Zechariah who was a temple priest and the husband of her cousin Elizabeth, the Angels who announced the birth of Jesus first to the shepherds in prayerful song, and Simeon who was a righteous and devout man of God who met Mary and Joseph with Jesus in the temple.  You may want to read Luke 1:5-2:40 for a view of the whole within which these pieces fit.  At the end of Advent, I'm adding the Song of the Messiah from the book of Isaiah to celebrate Christmas. 

This week we explore the song of Zechariah, found in Luke 1:68-79.  The Canticle of Zechariah is known as the Benedictus, which comes from the first line of the reading in Latin:  Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini meaning “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”  The Benedictus has been an important reading since the earliest times of our tradition.  It is believed that St. Benedict (5th Century) introduced it into daily prayers, and it is still sung during the prayers of Lauds in the daily office and in many protestant morning prayer services, such as the one found in the Upper Room Worship Book.    

If music is a pathway to God for you, you might want to listen to “Benedictus” performed by “The Priests” who are three Roman Catholic priests from Northern Ireland.  LINK
The link will take you to YouTube where you will find a video “lovingly dedicated to all of those who were lost on September 11th, 2001, lest we forget.”  I found knowing this gave the video and the message of the Benedictus a depth and poignance that I was not expecting. 

Be aware that this arrangement is sung in Latin.  Whenever I listen to a song sung in a language I do not know, I find that I must listen from a deeper place within myself as the music draws me in rather than the words.  My suggestion is to listen to it now and allow yourself to rest in the beauty of the music.  Relax!  You will not understand the words so you can let them go.  I’ll suggest a couple of other times to listen.  This video does have the words in both Latin and English along with really beautiful scenes if you feel you need to see them but if you can, really try to just listen especially on the 2nd and 3rd times.  Notice how your experience changes.  Perhaps through the power of Spirit, you will find a knowing later while listening that you don’t have right now. 

An icon of Zechariah and John the Baptist from a medieval Georgian fresco in Jerusalem Unknown author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

In the arc of our Advent/Christmas story, the Angel Gabriel has appeared to Zechariah with news that he and his wife Elizabeth, in their old age, would have a son.  Zechariah was instructed to name him John by the Angel.  But Zechariah doubted!  As a result his ability to speak was taken from him.  Soon after this happened, Elizabeth IS pregnant with John the Baptist, the one chosen to “prepare the way” for the Lord.  Remember last week (LINK) the child in Elizabeth’s womb leaped when Mary entered her home.  Take a moment to ponder Zechariah’s response which is in stark contrast to Mary’s response.  Zechariah, the aged male priest doubts, whereas Mary the young woman trusts.  Who are you in your life today … Zechariah or Mary?

But of course, God is not finished with Zechariah, nor with us!  After John’s birth, he and Elizabeth take him to the temple for the ritual of circumcision and the important act of “naming.”  In the Hebrew tradition, when a child is born, it is believed that a spirit of prophecy rests with the parents, giving them foreknowledge of the name their child should have. This is because a name is linked to the energy within the child and foreshadows their future.  Just like today, names were often handed down through generations.  The people were shocked when Zechariah motioned for a tablet upon which he wrote, “His name is John” just as the Angel had instructed him.  No one in the family had that name and it seemed to them to have come from nowhere.  Yet, this "naming" was a sign that Zechariah trusted God!  Suddenly his voice returns and Zechariah breaks out in song, a song that through the ages has evoked a sense of the people's trust that God keeps the promises that God makes!

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
because he has come to help and has redeemed his people.
For he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago,
that we should be saved from our enemies,
and from the hand of all who hate us.
He has done this to show mercy to our ancestors,
and to remember his holy covenant—
the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham.
This oath grants
that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
may serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him for as long as we live.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High.
For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.
Because of our God’s tender mercy
the dawn will break upon us from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”  © NET BIBLE Luke 1:68-79 

Take the time to close your eyes, envision this adoring Father Zechariah gazing into the eyes of his long desired child, John, and listen again to the Benedictus sung by The Priests.  LINK

You can simply say “Amen” now but if you would like to continue your journey with Zechariah, I invite you to engage in the spiritual practices of Breath Prayer and/or Lectio Divina by reading on …  

Breath Prayer:  Take a deep breath and gently read over Zechariah’s Song with a prayerful heart.  As you craft your breath prayer, on your inbreath: what Name shall call upon God with?  On your outbreath: what is the desire of your heart inspired by Zechariah’s experience?  6-8 syllables is an optimal prayer for breathing your prayers but make the prayer your own in whatever way works for you.  If you desire you may pray this breath prayer, notice it is more than the 8 syllables but it works for me:

IN Breath … Blessed are you, God
OUT Breath … Guide my Feet into Peace

Lectio Divina:  Allow your breath prayer to envelop you in God’s presence as you begin to prayerfully consider the text in four movements.

1) Lectio: reading.
Slowly read the passage and immerse yourself in the beauty of the text. There may be a word, phrase or image that bubbles up into your consciousness, the words may "shimmer," calling your attention.  You may use the ©NET Bible translation above, open your own favorite bible (online or otherwise) to Luke 1:68-79 OR (because Lectio is best done with very short passages, 10 verses or fewer) use these verses (Luke 1:68-69a, 76-69) I’ve pulled out for you: 

Bless the Lord God of Israel
because he has come to help and has delivered his people.
He has raised up a mighty savior for us ...
You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.
You will tell his people how to be saved
through the forgiveness of their sins.
Because of our God’s deep compassion,
the dawn from heaven will break upon us,
to give light to those who are sitting in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide us on the path of peace. 

2) Meditatio: meditation.
Read the passage again, slowly. Allow your word, phrase or image to come alive and deepen in your consciousness. Consider what it means in this passage and how it intersects with your life now or in the past. What is God saying to you through your word, phrase or image? 

3) Oratio: prayer.
When it feels time to move on, read the passage again, slowly. Allow yourself to move toward God who has already moved toward you through your word, phrase or image. How do you respond to God's movements ... in words, in deepen emotion, conviction or another way that may be more creative? 

4) Contemplatio: contemplation.
When your time of encountering the scripture feels finished, it is time to rest. Allow all of the words and images and emotions to fall away until you are immersed in Silence, the God who holds you ... for as long as you can. Make an embodied gesture to close your time of prayerful reading.  Amen.

You may want to listen once more to the Benedictus by The Priests LINK 

How are you receiving this arrangement differently now on your third hearing? 

Spiritual Practice for your Advent "waiting:" 

As you journey through this week, take something with you.  Take time to pause, breath and allow something of God to shimmer up into your consciousness.  It may be your breath prayer or it may be a word or phrase from our passage or it may be the image of the father Zechariah and the grown son, John the Baptist above.  It may simply be an emotion that was evoked.  It may even be something you found somewhere else.   Is there something you have found to take with you on your journey into peace?

Remember:  What you choose or what chooses you is not really as important as who you are ... one who turns toward God with an open heart, often.

Next week in Advent 3, we look at the Song of the Angels found in Luke 2:8-14.  This series is a companion to prepare for the Advent Worship/Sermon Series at Holy Covenant UMC in Katy, TX.  However, this week the Church is celebrating it’s Cantata.  The Sermon on the Canticle of the Angels will be offered on Christmas Eve.  You can live stream it if you like on Christmas Eve via facebook @holycovenantkaty or listen to it on the website:  https://www.hckaty.org/sermon-archive/ where you can even subscribe to our podcast!