A Message From Bob Henderson 
Dec. 18, 2015
Dear friends:
 
Scientists tell us there is an amazing, and thus-far inexplicable, phenomenon called "quantum entanglement." If two particles of energy are kept in close proximity to each other for a long time, they form a relationship, a kind of bond that defies the imagination. The connection between these two particles is so strong that what you do to one particle immediately influences the other. Einstein called it "spooky." It also defied his theory that nothing can travel faster than light. Somehow, however, once particles form this kind of bond, it cannot be severed.
 
Our scripture passage for this weekend contains an equally spooky story, only this is about the bond between at least two people. Mary and Elizabeth were cousins but with the difference in age and hometown you get the feeling that they had never been all that close. But something remarkable -- something filled with holy mystery -- happened to both of these women. Despite their geographic and chronological distance they formed a bond across that distance -- a bond that would last the rest of their lives.
 
It's a strange story, made stranger by the fact Mary keeps getting called "favored one" and "blessed," first by the angel Gabriel and then by Elizabeth. Yet, very little about Mary's life is what most of us would call favored and blessed. This weekend we'll explore the biblical notions of 'blessing' and 'favor' to see what they might mean for us today. As you read this passage (Luke 1:39-45), let me offer a spoiler alert: it has a lot to do with connection.
 
Finally, I'll send a weekend update on the morning of Christmas Eve that will double as our last advent devotional of the season. 
 
See you Sunday,

Bob Henderson's Signature

Bob Henderson, senior minister

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