Pastor Erina continues our "WILD BIRTH" Advent series by looking at the Annunciation and examining Mary's response to the angel Gabriel. While the force of patriarchy has often painted Mary as an empty vessel lauded for submission and obedience, how might we re-read Mary's interactions with Gabriel to see the ways she takes up space and claims her own agency before God? How does Mary's understanding of her own worth and favor allow her to say "yes," with full consent?
