Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:5-10 or Luke 1:46b-55; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11
Cooper unpacks “expectation,” giving particular attention to the stories and witnesses of Mary and Elizabeth. “Mary and Elizabeth move from anxiety and doubt to a faith that makes God’s hope come alive,” says Cooper. “God’s good news could not come into being without their full participation. When Mary and Elizabeth say ‘yes’ to God, a new world is born.”
Rev. Erica Cooper is pastor of Baptist Church of the Covenant in Birmingham, Alabama. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a master of divinity from McAfee School of Theology.