Mary, Did You Know?

It’s an old standby, but maybe these images of a modern taken at Mary would freshen that song up. There are so many versions of this song. Take your pick.
lyrics/chords
listen to an mp3 (scroll down until you see the player)

Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song)

I remember this being sung by Amy Grant. It’s a beautiful song lyrically that tells the story of Mary’s anxieties and her faith. It’s interesting musically because of its melodic nature and meter changes.
lyrics/chords
listen to Breath of Heaven

Labor of Love

This a relatively new Christmas song about Jesus’ birth. It paints the scene of that night in vivid detail. It’s from Andrew Petersen’s Behoold the Lamb of God Album (which I talk about here) album that tells the story of Christmas by starting with Passover. I couldn’t find the chords online, but you can purchase the music book and a performance track directly from artist.
listen to an mp3

Mary’s Boy Child

This is sometimes done in a calypso style. Doing so can be really fun or really disastrous. For the former result, I suggest doing this with children.
lyrics/chords
listen to an mp3 (scroll down a little. It’s on Disc 1)

Ave Maria

This is an obvious one if you’re not squeamish about doing something considered “Catholic.” By all accounts it’s a beautiful song, but isn’t it unbiblical? Isn’t it heretical because it’s that Roman Catholic prayer, Hail Mary, which is heretical? You’ll want to do your own research, but here’s reading a translation of it is a good place to start. Maybe I’ll write a little more on this later.
listen to an mp3 of Chris Cornell with Eleven

Some Ideas for These Mary Photos

I know you already have some ideas already for how to use these pictures of Mary. If not, here are a few to get you started. Remember, you don’t have to use the text St. Stephen’s did. Go to his Flickr set of Mary photos to find one or two that would work for you and add your own words.

Christmas Outreach Postcards

It’s a little late this year, but you do what Ben Bell’s church did and send them out as Christmas cards to let your community about your Christmas services.

Screen Projection

Put her up on your screens when you sing or speak about Jesus’ mother. Here are some songs about Mary that might go well with this.

You could also string all of the different photos together, maybe add some additional text, and make a slideshow.

Bulletin Insert or Cover Art

Print a special bulletin cover or insert. Use it to advertise your Christmas programs

What else could you do with this? What other text would you write to go along with these photos?

Thoughts About the Image

Since we’re so used to seeing Mary with her head covered under a flowing cloth, I love seeing this modern Mary in a hoodie. It calls to mind the iconic image while showing her to be a youth. The card uses the words shunned and rejected, but I wondered how much teen moms are shunned today. Isn’t pre-marital sex, even among teens, pretty much accepted? Then I read that Bell has heard of a a teen mom spat on for being a teen mom. Now that I think about it, there is shame attached to being a teen mom. Besides the rejection came from being pregnant before marriage. For young women that stigma is still true.

Another possible breakdown in the analogy between the real Mary and this modern Mary is difference culture. It wasn’t uncommon for women in that place and that time to be married and have children. But I’m not sure how much it matters what your culture is like; there is a world of difference between a fifteen year old and 25 year old.