2 Sam 7, 1-11;
Romans 16, 25 -27;
Luke 1, 26-38.

"Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus ..."

This ancient prayer comes from this passage in St Luke's Gospel which tells of the angel Gabriel's visit to Mary. I suppose I have said it every day of my life as long as I can remember; but how seldom have I been stopped in my tracks to really think about it, as I would like us all to do today to see if we can feel a little of the shock which Mary experienced that day - that jolt into another reality - into the presence and power of God which can take our minds and prayers out of the familiar treadmill of Christmas preparations, whether at work or at home, in the shops or in church. We must not take this familiar account by Luke of God's initiative and intervention into human life for granted as a cosy prelude to Christmas.

Let us aim to be as ready and open as Mary was to God's plan for her - unafraid, practical and questioning too - but open to the spirit and decisive, "let it be to me according to thy word" - whether or not we have an angel Gabriel to confront us.

This church made me particularly aware of how beauty, skill and artistic vision can be taken for granted, though they are surely accomplishing their work still, for those of us used to them, by providing here an atmosphere of peace, of prayer and worship.

I realise that I have seldom used the beautiful objects here to illuminate and enable the prayer and meditation which the Gospel should evoke in us.

They are not essential for prayer; that can happen in a hermit's cell, on a mountain top, or on a bus, or in a busy kitchen; but how blessed we are to have the gift here to help us in our search for God's presence and to keep us alert for his word, open to the voice of an angel in whatever guise his messenger comes to each one of us.

I think that the interest shown over the last few years by students and enthusiasts for the Arts and Craft period, when this church was built a hundred years or so ago, has made me begin to realise the impact of the beautiful works of art and the wonderful detail present all around us, which can bring to life the stories of Christ's life and our salvation but which we can easily take for granted. So, I would like you to look around with me now as far as is possible from where you are sitting, but certainly later when you have time and peace to do so.

Let us look at some of the features, which can help us at this time as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ.

1. At the back of the church behind the font we can see that brilliant window, almost always glowing with colours of John the Baptist, Prophet and preacher and forerunner of Jesus whose imminent birth to Elizabeth is foretold in this gospel passage by the angel to reassure Mary that "with God nothing will be impossible" John is a powerful player in the story of our salvation.

2. Above the alter we can see the great east window which tells the story of the and annunciation and birth of Jesus. On the left side we have a calm, mature Mary kneeling at a "pie dieux" in an elegant high ceilinged room - her lily is in the pot beside her and she is listening to a tall imposing angel. Look closer though and there is a lovely harbour scene in the distance and a very solid Dove descending from Heaven.

In the right hand window Mary is in a thatched stable with bales of straw beside her as she sits receiving a visitor bowing before the baby she holds up on her knee with the bright star up above - a beautiful and stately scene but little sign of the startled girl of young mother.

3. Then we have a statue of Mother and Child carved in 1942 by Hugh Lorimer who lived and worked at Kellie Castle near here. I am told that he said that he modelled this Mary's face on that of his wife who was also an artist. One of his most famous sculptures is "the Madonna of the isles", a tall regal figure placed to look out over the western isles with the child Jesus held firmly upon her shoulder. But this Mary was built into the pillar to commemorate Mrs Younger who did so much to build, furnish and endow this church. The caretaker at the time, Doddie Gourlay told me what a dreadful mess and dust was caused by taking out the original stone to make way for her. This Mary is tall, calm and focussed with the child, arms outstretched and holding back her veil. Here we have a wise young woman who had said her "yes" to God and holds up her child to bless us.

4. In the north wall, behind the pulpit we have the window with the crowded scene of "All the Saints". The holy innocents sitting in the foreground are playing "cats cradle" flanked by the great Scottish Saints kneeling before Mary, crowned and enthroned with the Christ Child seated on her knee, his arms again opened to the world.

5. As we move to look up towards the altar we see Mary again on the great rood, standing beside the cross watching her son dying; the grieving mother here at the earthly end of the life started by the "yes" to God. Jesus' arms are again outstretched to include all the world in his last hours of agony as they are in all those works of art put here to inspire and enlighten us and lead us to meditation, prayer and worship.

We have these varied views of Mary around us; the Mary of Luke's Gospel overawed and obedient, the grieving mother at the cross, the calm strong accepting mother of the statue, the Queen of Glory assumed into heaven, but still the loving mother with the Christ child on her knee.

Perhaps we need all these versions of Mary and more to express and fill the need we and most Christians have felt through the ages for help to try to reach and realise something of the humanity of Jesus through the woman who gave birth to him, raised and taught him and stayed by him to the end - his mother. People's deepest hopes and needs have meant that so many different, even conflicting Marys have been depicted and still are. Perhaps at Christmas we can find more understanding of Mary and the vital part her "yes" to God plays in the story of our salvation.

Sermon by: Marie Louise Moffat

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