I'm really no good at speechmaking. Normally I get so nervous that I faint … or run away or sometimes I even get sick. But you really didn't need to know that. But I'm not so afraid anymore. My father helped me. Earlier this evening, I had every intention of giving up my claim to the throne and my mother helped me by telling me that it was OK and by supporting me like she has for my entire life. But … then I wondered how I'd feel after abdicating my role as Princess of Genovia. Would I feel relieved or would I feel sad? And then I realized how many stupid times a day I use the word "I" In fact, probably all I ever do is think about myself. And how lame is that … when there are billions of other people on the planet – Ahem. Ooh. Sorry. I'm going too fast. But then l thought … if I cared about the other billions out there … instead of just me … that's probably a much better use of my time. See, if I were Princess of Genovia … then my thoughts … and the thoughts of people smarter than me … would be much better heard and just maybe … those thoughts could be turned into actions. So this morning when I woke up … I was Mia Thermopolis. But now … I choose to be forevermore … Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi, Princess of Genovia.

You may recognize that as Mia Thermopolis' speech in accepting her role to be the next in line to rule the tiny country of Genovia in the movie, The Princess Diaries. Listen again to the pivotal moment in her speech: "And then I realized how many stupid times a day I use the word 'I.' In fact, probably all I ever do is think about myself." It's the moment when Mia gets out of the way and sees beyond her self. Now hear the promises in this morning's two scripture readings. The first from Samuel: "Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever." And then from the Gospel: "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." This is the promise we celebrate today – God is here, God is in the house!

Pivotal to that declaration is the story of a young girl … Mary. Mary, in a way much more profound than a movie script, gets herself out of the way and declares: "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." In this day and age it is hard to grasp the weight of Mary's declaration – "may it be." She would know in a way we can not that the odds against her surviving to old age had just gone way down. A young, single, pregnant girl literally had no place in her time … and an honor killing was required to preserve the family name. It is difficult for us to reconcile the culture in which Mary's pregnancy and Jesus' birth took place with the peacefulness of our manger scenes. And after all, which little girl doesn't want to be Mary in the Christmas pageant … many a tear has been shed over the fact there can only be one Mary each year in the annual church pageant. Somehow though, in spite of how far removed we are from Mary's reality, we have to find ways to sense the turmoil and upheaval the angel's visit caused … for it is then we can begin to grasp the profound nature of Mary's acceptance: to set aside self, and to literally take on the role of "God-bearer." Then we can sense in part the true beauty of our manger scenes – that the manger is the picture of Mary's acceptance speech: "let it be with me as you have said."

The first preacher of our Advent series, Barbara Burrus declared to us: "ready or not!" It was to remind us that God was coming into the world whether or not we were prepared. We come full circle this morning to answer that question – are we ready, are we prepared to receive God? To answer that question we place ourselves in the story of Mary. While there is only one Mary in the manger scene, the one person in the world called to be the literal God-bearer … know that we are all uniquely called in some way to bear the presence of God into the world.

It's a tough calling. Mary knows this … we see that in her protest of "how can this be." She knows all too well what accepting her role might mean for her. While perhaps in not such a life or death way, we too know how hard it is to get out of the way and let God work through us. We get to worrying so much about things being to our own tastes and likings instead of worrying whether what we are doing is to God's pleasure. We let our "I" get in the way. Think for a moment of a place in your life where you need to stop saying "I" and instead see the God-picture for that place.

Then there is the fear factor … like Mary we are afraid of what letting God be God will mean. Our world, like Mary's world is a fearful place. We let our fears and doubts blind us to proclaiming God is here to the world. It is one thing to stay in this house … within the walls of our congregation and proclaim that God is here. For here, it is safe … the place is beautiful, the candles glow, the music is lovely, the people are welcoming. But out in the world it is not so beautiful and safe. People die horrible, unfair deaths. Dictators reign. Children walk the streets hungry. Look around in our own community – see a lost group of teenagers and young adults who roam our streets in a haze of darkness and drugs. That is not the world we want to enter the safety of this house! Yet, it is exactly what we are called in the example of Mary to proclaim – that God is here. God is here in this house … not only here in the moment of our being within the walls of this building … but to proclaim that God's house is the world. Where in God's house are you being called to proclaim God's presence?

Finally there is there prayer found on one of the blogs I read … a reminder that we can proclaim God's presence because God is here for us with a hand outstretched, waiting for ours:

"Into the bleakest winters of our souls, Lord, you are tiptoeing on tiny Infant feet to find us and hold our hands. May we drop whatever it is we are so busy about these days to accept this gesture so small that it may get overlooked in our frantic search for something massive and overwhelming. Remind us that it is not you who demands large, lavish celebrations and enormous strobe-lit displays of faith. Rather, you ask only that we have the faith of a mustard seed and the willingness to let a small hand take ours. We are ready. Amen."

– Margaret Anne Huffman (link)