This Advent season, we prepare our hearts for Christmas with a series guided by Dr. Amy-Jill Levine’s Light of the World: A Beginner’s Guide to Advent.
In Light of the World, Amy-Jill Levine says about this scripture, “From Mary’s visit with Elizabeth, we see not only the importance of solidarity, across generations, between women, but also the importance of the human body, which provides its own signs of new beginnings. We see how revolutionary ideas can be given voice not just in the university or town hall, but in the quiet hill country homes; not just by soldiers with arms or politicians with pens, but by mothers with song.”
I grew up in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and traveled frequently to visit my mother’s family atop beautiful mountains in Western North Carolina. I’ve witnessed firsthand the importance of solidarity between women and heard the wisdom of simple “mountain folk” in hill country homes.
The late country artist Loretta Lynn is an example of a hill country woman with a song to sing, a woman who fostered solidarity between female generations, a woman who gave voice to the importance of the female body and its possibility for new life. On Sunday we will compare Loretta’s songs with the song of Mary and learn to sing in solidarity with the “low status” yet “highly favored” amongst us.
Luke 1:26-38 (CEB)
26 When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee, 27 to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 When the angel came to her, he said, “Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you!”29 She was confused by these words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you.31 Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.32 He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. 33 He will rule over Jacob’s house forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom.”
34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen since I haven’t had sexual relations with a man?”
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come over you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the one who is to be born will be holy. He will be called God’s Son. 36 Look, even in her old age, your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son. This woman who was labeled ‘unable to conceive’ is now six months pregnant. 37 Nothing is impossible for God.”
38 Then Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
Consider these questions:
- What is your favorite Loretta Lynn song, and why? If you don’t know any of her songs, a quick google search will show you her top hits.
- How is Loretta, a “coal miner’s daughter” similar to Mary and Elizabeth? How are they different?
- Look up a song called “Dear Miss Loretta” by Carly Pearce. What does this song say about solidarity between women? What does it teach us about singing along in solidarity with another person?
One Comment
Dr. Ann Davis
My favorite oldie of Loretta Lynn’s that I can relate to is “Happy Birthday” from 1965.
I just heard Carly Pearce sing, “Dear Miss Loretta” on the CMA Country Music Awards where I learned she wrote it. The show was dedicated to Miss Loretta Lynn who passed away this year. Many of her songs were sung and it was a great tribute and awards show.
I thoroughly enjoyed Carly’s song as well as I lived for a brief time in Kentucky when my father was stationed at Fort Knox we stayed in Elisabethtown KY. But I am not a coal miner’s daughter either but Songs from the Heart resonate with women of all ages everywhere that other women sing that relate to their real life stories of trail and tribulation that we all share and experience throughout our lives whatever the circumstances may be.
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