“God has filled the hungry with good things”
Luke 1:53
With the cost of living rapidly rising in the UK and a lack of support for those who need it most, millions of people are at risk of being pushed into poverty by a difficult winter. Around the world, the twin challenges of climate change and covid recovery mean that many countries already struggling with high levels of poverty are being held back from development.
What is the good news of Christ Jesus’ birth in this context? When Mary, mother of Jesus, sings her praises to God in Luke 1, she declares:
“He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.”
We believe in a God who fills the hungry with good things, even in the darkest of times. How might we share this message as we celebrate the birth of Christ the light this Christmas?
We’ve invited seven contributors from across JPIT’s denominations to respond to God’s promise to ‘fill the hungry with good things’. Drawing from their context, they’ve produced resources to be used in churches this advent to explore our to share Christ’s light in the darkness.
How might you use the resources? These resources could be used in a worship service, small group or bible study, to prompt conversation, exploration and prayer. Each is designed to help you dig deeper into the context of poverty in the UK and around the world this advent.
Could you…
- Share a video in a worship service?
- Gather as a small group to explore Mary’s words this advent?
- Use one of the reflections in a sermon?
Advent in Palestine – Hear from Angleena, Mission Partner in Jerusalem, and Marah, a young Palestinian Christian, about what they hear from this passage for their context today.
A liberationist reading of Luke 1: 53 – Kevin, Programme Officer Global Justice and Partnerships at The URC, shares his liberationist reading of Luke 1:53.
A vision for transformed development – Cameron, Resource Writer at All We Can, explores what it means for our understanding of international development to be transformed by Mary’s vision of God’s kingdom in Luke 1. This video has three parts, with discussion questions throughout.
Wisdom from the food pantry – Eunice, Church at the Margins Office for the Methodist Church in Britain, asked people at her local food pantry what their response to Mary’s words is. Read their wisdom.
Prayers of intercession from the margins – Lemia, a Methodist Deacon in North Norfolk, has produced prayers of intercession from the margins, inspired by Mary’s words. They call us into encounter with the challenges many people living on the margins will experience this winter.
For more inspiration and ideas, you might wish to take a look at previous reflections and poetry from JPIT for Advent 2018, or our advent candle lighting liturgy from Advent 2021.