December 17: Mary's Hymn of Rejoicing
♫ Music:
Tuesday, December 17
Title: MARY’S HYMN OF REJOICING
Scripture: Luke 1: 46-55
My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name. And His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him. He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble. He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed. He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.
Poetry:
Advent
By Mary Jo Salter
Wind whistling, as it does
in winter, and I think
nothing of it until
it snaps a shutter off
her bedroom window, spins
it over the roof and down
to crash on the deck in back,
like something out of Oz.
We look up, stunned—then glad
to be safe and have a story,
characters in a fable
we only half-believe.
Look, in my surprise
I somehow split a wall,
the last one in the house
we’re making of gingerbread.
We’ll have to improvise:
prop the two halves forward
like an open double door
and with a tube of icing
cement them to the floor.
Five days until Christmas,
and the house cannot be closed.
When she peers into the cold
interior we’ve exposed,
she half-expects to find
three magi in the manger,
a mother and her child.
She half-expects to read
on tablets of gingerbread
a line or two of Scripture,
as she has every morning
inside a dated shutter
on her Advent calendar.
She takes it from the mantel
and coaxes one fingertip
under the perforation,
as if her future hinges
on not tearing off the flap
under which a thumbnail picture
by Raphael or Giorgione,
Hans Memling or David
of apses, niches, archways,
cradles a smaller scene
of a mother and her child,
of the lidded jewel-box
of Mary’s downcast eyes.
Flee into Egypt, cries
the angel of the Lord
to Joseph in a dream,
for Herod will seek the young
child to destroy him. While
she works to tile the roof
with shingled peppermints,
I wash my sugared hands
and step out to the deck
to lug the shutter in,
a page torn from a book
still blank for the two of us,
a mother and her child.
CHRISTMAS CELLOS; OR PREPARING THE WAY OF THE LORD
Friends and I chatted about whether or not we had taught our children to believe in Santa, and then speculated about our culture’s felt need to enchant reality through such stories. And there is something absolutely enchanting (and not merely fabricated) about Christmas. The soaring violins from Arneson’s piece, the yellows and oranges nearly sparkling in Kruse’s panels, and the filling of the hungry and justifying of the downtrodden in Mary’s exultation—this is the stuff of miracle, a witness to the joy and powerful reversals at the heart of Advent.
But Arneson begins not with violins; cellos are summoned for the task at hand, for it seems their unique gift to force tears of joy, or laughter in pain. Likewise, Kruse’s lights begin in a jumble of Marian blue, mixed with black and red—a joy that emerges from pain, conflict and loss. Behind the enchantment stands an emptiness: “He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed.” God’s remembrance of His mercy is likewise the remembrance of his judgment, of scatter the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
For the salvation we have in Christ is no mere matter of escaping this world—this is the advent of a God who is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who made and keeps promises about land, temples, Sabbaths… who is concerned the small things, with bond slaves and their gingerbread houses—and therefore not merely with wiping out or doing away with reality as we know it, but by enchanting it, becoming part of it and making it right. And this means bringing joy in the midst of conflict, light in the midst of darkness, honor in the midst of the powers and principalities.
Christmas should be a time of joy, peace, and celebration—but the kind of joy where the violin is accompanied by the cello, and whether celebrating God’s mercy is not devoid of both celebrating and fearing His justice. For Mary rejoiced not merely in blessing, but in the scattering, bringing down and sending away. Advent is as much a threat as it is a blessing, because it is the holy God of Israel coming into our midst, and our business is not so much to enchant the world around us with lights and colors, but prepare the way of the Lord, who soon will come again.
Prayer:
Father, everything about Christmas as our culture knows it is about abundance, gifts, warmth, and celebration. And this is not wrong. But the first advent, as with the second one to come, is about more than that. It is about a reversal, about a judgment, a mighty turning of tables. Prepare our hearts for this turning, Lord, and come soon.
Amen
Adam Johnson
Associate Professor of Theology
Torrey Honors Institute
Biola University
For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab.
About the Artwork:
Magnificat Series
Kelly Kruse
2017
Panel #1
To look inward and see him there
My soul magnifies the Lord.... Luke 1:46b
Acrylic ink, texture paste, and gold foil on watercolor paper
30” x 45”
Panel #2
The Spirit descends
…..and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior... Luke 1:47
Acrylic ink, texture paste, and gold foil on watercolor paper
30” x 45”
Panel #3
Formed from the dust
....for he has looked upon the humble estate of his servant…. Luke 1:48a
Acrylic ink, texture paste, and gold foil on watercolor paper
30” x 45”
Magnificat Series
Exhibited at St. Paul's Monastery
St. Paul, Minnesota
Exhibited at the Basilica of St. Mary's
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Private Collections
The Magnificat (Latin for "[My soul] magnifies [the Lord]") is sung by Mary upon the occasion of her visitation to her cousin Elizabeth. In the narrative, after Mary greets Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist, Elizabeth praises Mary for her faith and Mary responds with what is now known as the Magnificat. Mary's spirit-filled canticle overflows with images of a Messiah who will bring God's Mighty Kingdom to earth and save His people.
Artist Kelly Kruse drew inspiration from the ancient art of Scripture illuminations to create a visual response to the Magnificat. Instead of making this eighteen-line song one of several texts illuminated, Kruse chose to illuminate each line to create a visual experience that draws us more deeply into Mary's reality, Jesus' Kingdom, and the people that God came to save. Theologian Kathryn Heidelberger collaborated with Kruse on the project and responded to each line through the medium of prayer. Through the processes of visio and lectio divina, and in a process marked by prayer, contemplation, and conversation, Kathryn and Kelly created a prayerful visual experience that can more deeply reveal aspects of the character of God through Mary's beautiful song. When the artwork has been exhibited, Heidelberger's prayers are presented alongside the paintings. Please be sure to look through the posted images to view how the work would have been presented in an exhibition setting.
About the Artist:
Kelly Kruse (b. 1985, Iowa) uses her work to explore the painful, beautiful experience of human transience, longing, and suffering. She developed a visual devotional practice as a response to her battle with depression, through which she wrestles with beauty, history, and theology. Kruse describes her work as contemporary illumination. Like the medieval monks who perfected the art of illuminated manuscripts, she seeks to awaken in the viewer a sense of spiritual contemplation. Her first exposure to the idea of illumination came when she studied Medieval and Renaissance music in Italy. Her background in classical music and opera puts her in a unique position to explore the intersections between scripture, poetry, musical works, and the visual arts. She has exhibited her work at galleries and institutions across the country and her work is featured in collections around the world. She lives and works in Kansas City, Missouri. In addition to her painting practice, Kelly is an active classical musician and maintains a private studio as a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.
Artist website: www.kellykrusecreative.com/
About the Prayers Accompanying the Artwork:
Theologian Kathryn Heidelberger collaborated with Kelly Kruse on the Magnificat project by responding to each line of Mary’s song through the medium of prayer. Heidelberger is a PhD student in Comparative Theology and Ethics at Boston University, with an emphasis in Christianity and Islam. Her research focuses on the Virgin Mary in both traditions, exploring how Mary as a shared figure might inspire mutual understanding, friendship, and movements for justice. On Kathryn's collaboration with Kelly on the Magnificat project, Heidelberger says: "If artists use clay, paint, ink, or paste, then what do theologians use to hone their trade of writing and speaking about God? For me the first and only answer is prayer. Ultimately, theology is an outworking of prayer. Writing the prayers was a tricky process. As prayer, I knew I had to release control of what I was writing, even though what I wrote was going to be displayed next to a beautiful piece of visual art. So the form of prayer kept me accountable to allow what I wrote to remain as raw and untouched as possible, which didn’t work out perfectly. Sometimes the prayers I wrote on paper look different than the ones I typed, that are now on display at the exhibit. It’s almost like the drafts are there own prayers—and that’s ok. Prayers change over time.”
About the Music:
“MAGNIFICAT: I. Magnificat anima mea” from the album MAGNIFICAT
Lyrics:
Magnificat anima mea Dominum.
Et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo.
Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae.
Translation:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant.
About the Composer:
Kim André Arnesen (b. 1980) is a Norwegian composer who is mostly known for his choral compositions, both a cappella, accompanied by piano or organ, or large-scale works for chorus and orchestra. His first album, Magnificat, was nominated for GRAMMY Awards in 2016 in the category for Best Surround Sound Album. He has received wide notice with his choral works, which have been performed by choirs all over the world. His "Cradle Hymn" was a part of the regional Emmy Prize winning show "Christmas in Norway.” Arnesen is an elected member of the Norwegian Society of Composers.
https://www.kimarnesen.com/
About the Performers:
Nidarosdomens Jentekor, TrondheimSolistene and Anita Brevik
Nidaros Cathedral’s Girls’ Choir was established in 1992 and is an important part of the musical life of Trondheim, Norway. In addition to performing concerts, participating in competitions, festivals, and touring, the Choir also participates in worship services and other engagements at the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. The choir is characterized by a high artistic level, as well as great musical variety, and has often given the debut performance of works by several Norwegian composers. The choir has 85 members divided between the Girl Group (ages 10-15) and the Youth Group (ages 15-21). Since 1992, the conductor and artistic director of Nidarosdom's choir has been Anita Brevik. The choir regularly collaborates with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and the Trondheim Soloists. Nidaros Cathedral’s Girls’ Choir has participated in seven CD productions. The latest, Magnificat, was in October 2014.
https://www.jentekor.no/english
TrondheimSolistene (Trondheim Soloists) from Norway are one of the most exciting young ensembles performing today on the international stage. They have gained both critical acclaim and popular success with recordings and concerts that offer imaginative programming and a distinctive instrumental sound. The group was founded in 1988 as an apprentice ensemble for string players at the Music Conservatory of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. The players quickly developed a rapport and, after an inaugural tour where they were greeted with rapturous applause, they decided to transform the ensemble into a professional enterprise. TrondheimSolistene issued their first album, a set of works by Edvard Grieg, in 1992. They made their Carnegie Hall debut two years later. In 2002, cellist Oyvind Gimse was appointed artistic director and a new direction in the group's evolution began.
https://trondheimsolistene.no/
Anita Brevik (b. 1964) has been the artistic director and conductor of Nidaros Cathedral’s Girls’ Choir since its start in 1992. She received her education as a singer and vocal educator from the Music Conservatory in Trondheim, Norway. Many years of systematic work with the girls' voices have created an even harmonic choir-sound. This is one of the choir's trademarks. Brevik wants to increase the girls' musical understanding and give them good vocal and musical examples through different collaborators, genres, and forms of expression. Since 2011, Brevik has been Europe's representative on the artistic committee for the 10th World Symposium on Choral Music, held in Seoul, South Korea.
https://www.jentekor.no/english
About the Poet:
Mary Jo Salter (b. 1954) is an American editor, essayist, playwright, lyricist, poet, and a professor in the Writing Seminars Program at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. The poetry editor at the New Republic, and the co-editor of the fourth and fifth editions of the Norton Anthology of Poetry, Salter is the author of many books of poetry, including A Kiss in Space (1999), Open Shutters (2003), A Phone Call to the Future (2008), Nothing by Design (2013), and The Surveyors (2017). Salter has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation and has taught for many years at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Salter’s work shows the influence of English literary history, as well as that of writers like Elizabeth Bishop, who was her teacher at Harvard University.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/mary-jo-salter
About the Devotion Writer:
Adam Johnson
Associate Professor of Theology
Torrey Honors Institute
Biola University
Adam Johnson is a theologian and a professor for the Torrey Honors Institute who focuses on the doctrine of the atonement; exploring the many ways in which the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ affect the reconciliation of all things to God. His most recent book is: The Reconciling Wisdom of God: Reframing the Doctrine of the Atonement. He and his wife, Katrina, have been married for 12 years, and have three sons. Their family loves camping and exploring America's National Parks.