The Magnificat is timeless, faithful to the lyrical, doctrinal, and historical traditions of the people of Israel, fully embedded in the present moment, and looking forward far far into the future. The first movement is a survey of the past. It relates the birth of the Messiah to the Exodus. ‘The design of the gospels was manifestly not to furnish a biography of Jesus the Messiah, but, in organic connection with the Old Testament, to tell the history of the long-promised establishment of the Kingdom of God upon earth.’ Mary’s focus is actually more upon the past and future than it is upon the present. Our memory is thrown back thousands of years and our anticipation is looking ahead into time eternal. She is responding to the present circumstance, but the focus of her praise transcends the present moment. This perspective fits the incarnation and Mary’s musical response into the overall scope of the story of God. It is ancient-future. It is neo-classicism.
But this song is not timeless in that it ignores the arc of history, the trajectory of God’s divine and decisive work in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. It is timeless in that it sings from a perspective above and outside of the present moment. ‘What God has now begun to do, and Mary regards prophetically as having already come to fruition, is described in terms of what God actually did in Old Testament times, as expressed in Israel’s praise in the Old Testament.’ Mary looks back quoting the great composers and performers of antiquity; yet she also looks forward into new lyrical, creative, and procreative territory.
Dan
Just thought I'd let you know I'm now lead pastor at Crossroads. When you guys going to be around this way again?
Posted by: chuck harrison | December 08, 2008 at 03:07 PM