Magnificat in D, Johann Sebastian Bach
And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
-Luke 1:46-56
Today's passage is on the special Magnificat. I've known about this song, but have never really made anything out of it. I always regarded it as one of those rituals certain denominations took part in; however, it is scripture. It is the word, and the word is truth.
I have noted early on that the styles of writing of the gospels are different from book to book. Luke seems to focus a lot on Mary and Elizabeth. I find this to be very comforting and special. Many times Mary and Elizabeth are just supporting casts, but Luke shows that there is more to it then just the birth of Jesus and John the Baptist.
Both Mary and Elizabeth are shown to be very humble and to carry a lot of humility. Elizabeth, upon hearing the good news, wonders why God would do such a thing for a lowly woman. She feels blessed and praises the Lord. Similarly, Mary wonders why God has found such favor in her. As a response, she sings this "Magnificat."
Music is very tricky when it comes to worship for me. I cannot draw a line between emotion and true worship. I always struggle to believe whether or not what I'm singing is really "praise" or just being carried away by emotions. I grew up in a Korean church, singing hymns, so when I moved into a young adult English service, I struggled with the way service was done. I didn't know if some of the modern songs were really from the heart or just music carrying our emotions. I also think at times I was just making excuses not to worship. I struggle with this a lot.
Whichever way I think, however, I know for a fact music is an integral part of worship. Throughout scripture many believers show praise with songs. When I look at Mary's song, I believe this is the way worship should be done. Mary is so elated with the Holy Spirit that she lets it out in a wonderful song. I can just picture Mary so jubilant, dancing and singing these great words; showing love to God.
When looking at the song, she starts off by talking about the blessings God has poured down on her. She shows true happiness and is thankful for everything that He has provided. Then starting from verse 50 she talks about how God has done great things for not just her, but the world. God has shown mercy, created this world, and kept his promises. He is a loving God.
What I like about this song is I think it is a great template for how we should be singing to God. Much like the Lord's Prayer being a guide for how we should pray, this song is an example of how we should be worship. The first thing to note is the emotion. Mary isn't just singing this song because it's a custom. She is truly happy. She's so happy that she cannot hold still and worship. She has to let it out in songs. I think this is the approach we should take as well. Whenever we're singing songs, it's not just because it's the normal thing to do. When we're at church, we're truly happy to be there. And to show that happiness, we sing songs.
Mary then talks about why she's singing these songs. She's singing about the blessing God has poured onto her, and then to everyone else. I think the fact that she mentions the blessings that God has poured down on her specifically is very important. Some might think it's somewhat selfish. I really don't think so. I think it's important to tell God that we recognize the blessings and are truly thankful for them. That's why we're singing these songs and that's why we're worshiping. Then finally, we're also singing because He's just great and merciful; a loving God.
When we sing songs for worship, we always talk about "finding the meaning." We try to listen to the words and make them mean something. This really shouldn't be that hard. I really think the moment we try to make them mean something, that's when we start struggling. If we follow the example Mary has shown us, we will know what singing songs to God is like. I hope that in the future, singing songs will come more naturally.
