Luke 1:39-45 (NLT)

"A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

What a wild scene! Just a few days after Mary is visited by the angel Gabriel and told that she would give birth to the longed for Messiah she goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth. And Elizabeth’s son (John the Baptist) leaps in the womb! I didn’t know such a thing was possible. It was a jump for joy at simply being in the presence of the Messiah. An Advent devotion called it “womb worship” which will probably stick with me for the rest of my life. You see there is tremendous power in the presence of God. Let us not forget that this Christmas season. Not only that, but we, like Mary did with Jesus, carry the power and presence of God within each of us in the form of the Holy Spirit.

Let me close with a challenge from that Advent devotion: “Just like Mary did during her pregnancy, we carry the presence of God within us everywhere we go, enabling us to share the light, love, and peace of Jesus with everyone we come into contact with. We carry the glorious gift of God inside of us, a gift we’ve been called to share with the world! So, what are you doing with it? What is it like when you walk into a room? How do people react when they encounter you or hear your voice? Is the tangible presence of the Lord within you evident to them?”

Nik Spasovski, on Behalf of the Elder and Minister Team