Readings:
Proverbs 9: 1-6;
Psalm 34: 9-14;
Ephesians 5: 15-20;
John 6: 51-58

Collect:
God of glory,
the end of our searching,
help us to lay aside
all that prevents us from seeking your kingdom,
and to give all that we have
to gain the pearl of great price,
through our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Reflection 

How wonderfully apt that the Lead Minister for St Mary’s should be writing the reflection for this week – the feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The 15^th August is usually a big deal in many southern European countries, with fireworks, parties and celebration masses in honour of Mary creating a festival atmosphere. Those of us in more Protestant leaning countries tend to have a more ambivalent attitude towards that sort of thing – especially when it comes to Mary – and that’s probably traceable right back to the days of Henry VIII.  

But whilst the ‘reformed’ bit of my Anglican roots would agree that it’s utterly inappropriate to worship anyone except God, the ‘catholic’  bit of the same tradition recognises how unique and special Mary was (is). Babies and bathwater come to mind.

The Orthodox Church calls Mary ‘theotokos’ or ‘God-bearer’. To my mind that title goes much deeper than simply acknowledging the fact of Jesus’ life coming from his mother’s womb. For me it describes Mary as the first Christian evangelist, who presented the person of Jesus to the world; and the first Christian priest, who fed Jesus with her body, in a fore-echoing of him feeding the world with his.  

For those who do prefer their tradition more on the reformed side, Mary is the ultimate example of allowing God to work in us and through us, giving herself up to God’s purposes for the good of the world. 

But I don’t think she was a shrinking violet, and the tedious depictions of her as a submissive, silent and powerless white woman are misleading. Think about the Magnificat – powerful words to a divided world, every bit as relevant today as then. And let’s face it, somebody close to Jesus encouraged him to develop those radical views of his…..

So Mary is a model for today. She encourages us to be brave, to be outspoken, to care deeply about justice, to notice and value the ministry of women of all races and nationalities, to reject the hierarchy of power, to give ourselves up for the world’s good, to bear Christ in a divided world so desperately in need of his nourishment. Plenty of reasons to celebrate her I think – and then to follow her  example. 

St Mary’s Shenley is having its own Annual Festival of Mary on Sunday 5^th September (the Sunday nearest Mary’s supposed birthday on 8^th September). This year we are welcoming as our guest preacher Professor Nicola Slee. She is Director of Research at the Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education, Birmingham, and Professor of Feminist Practical Theology at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam.  She is a lay Anglican and honorary vice-president of WATCH (Women and the Church).  Among her many publications, The Book of Mary (SPCK, 2007) explores something of what Mary might mean for us today.  

Keep an eye out for details on how to book to attend the service – it will be open to all!

Sharon Grenham-Thompson