A Word From Joel - December 17, 2025

“Mary's Yes”
by Lisle Gwynn Garrity
Inspired by Luke 1:26-39

“‘For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’” Luke 2:37-38

People often ask pastors, “When did you receive your call to ministry?” I’ve always been uneasy with that question. God never appeared to me as God did to Mary with a booming directive. More importantly, calling isn’t something reserved for pastors. No one asks accountants or plumbers when they were “called,” yet their work can be just as holy. All work—paid or unpaid—can be a calling when it uses our gifts for the good of others. All of life is spiritual. While I have my reservations about it, I do believe in calling—mine and yours. Scripture tells us, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” To be created by God is to be called by God. That calling is not always comforting. Often it is frightening. But even in fear, we are called forward.
Christmas tells this story beautifully. God enters history not through power or privilege, but through vulnerability. God’s vision—what Jewish tradition calls tikkun olam, the healing of the world—is freedom, peace, and love for all. As the hymn “O Holy Night” proclaims, chains are broken and oppression ceases. To bring this about, God does not choose the powerful or well-connected. God chooses Mary—a poor, young, unwed woman from Galilee, a place dismissed by elites. She is “favored,” not because of status, but because God delights in those the world overlooks.
When the angel speaks to her, Mary is not merely startled; she is shaken to the core. Yet she is told, “Do not be afraid.” Not because the road ahead is safe—it isn’t—but because God will be faithful. Mary asks questions. She claims agency. Only after hearing God’s promise does she consent: “Let it be with me according to your word.” Courage does not mean fearlessness. It means moving forward despite fear.
I see that courage in everyday lives—in my own family’s story of grief, risk, and love. Calling is not reserved for saints and prophets. God calls each of us to birth hope into a wounded world, to trust the power of love is stronger than the love of power. Love may look fragile, but it endures. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, “Love never fails.” When you are afraid, remember this: God’s Spirit still comes upon us. We are not alone. And even in fear, we are called forward.

Rev. Joel Esala