Two Michaelmas sermons; obviously there are some recurring themes, but I still hope you will appreciate them.
Michaelmas 2015
[Dan. 6:16-22; Rev. 12:7-12; Lk. 10:17-20]
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Angels...
They seem everywhere: tv series and films, books, so-called oracles, angel cards, pictures, jewellery, the weeping angels in Dr Who, and so on, and soon they'll be back in many Christmas decorations too.
Even in a society where religion, Church and God are still often regarded with suspicion or at least from an aloof distance, angels however seem very popular, or at the very least they seem fantastical and science fiction enough to be entertaining and/or usable.
The word 'angel' actually denotes a function rather than a being or state.
The Greek word 'angelos' literally means 'messenger', so a job or task rather than a character so to speak.
So whether we think of angels as fierce winged warriors or cute chubby babies in Baroque art, as a special person in our lives or the person sitting next to us this morning, as the stranger on the bus or the unexpected act of kindness, as a bringer of a good message, of Good News (with capital letters); however we think of them, angels have occupied the minds and imaginations of the faithful and others throughout the ages.
The Scriptures give us some information about angels:
- There seem to be different 'sorts' of angels: seraphim, cherubim, archangels, angels, etc... Some of these are even named: Michael and Gabriel being the most famous.
- They remain in the presence of God, worshipping Him constantly. Like eg. the seraphim in the presence of God singing "Holy Holy Holy."
- They proclaim important news to mankind. Like eg. Gabriel did at the Annunciation.
- They are with the faithful, at our passing, at our prayer, at the Day of Judgement.
- They are said to rejoice at the sinner's conversion.
- They are not to be worshipped! As the angel in Revelation told John the Evangelist. They too are creatures and they too are fallible. Like eg. the fallen angels.
- Some are believed to be special guardian angels.
While this gives us an idea, in the Middle Ages some Christian writers and thinkers developed an entire theory on the order of angels and their functions. It involves a whole lot of speculation; suffice to say, that in these organised orders there are different angels and lots of them.
So what does all of this mean?
Well, as Jesus suggests, let's look at the positive rather than the negative, let's return to our word 'angelos', 'messenger'. Rather than focus on the form, let's go back to the content, to what angels represent.
The Bible doesn't tell us many things about these go-betweens and tradition only offers some calculated guesswork.
But it does tell us quite a lot about Him who created the angels and sends them to His other creatures.
Because being a messenger involves several things and tells us a lot about the Sender: care and interest, presence and initiative, communication and relationship.
It's God who is the Sender.
It's God who in His grace sends His angels, whether or not we interpret this as pure supernatural beings or actual people of flesh and blood.
It's God who takes the initiative, an initiative we should be taking but never do, so God does. Why? Because God cares for us, loves us and is interested in us, and there is nothing that could ever erase that care, that love and that interest!
It's a message about the kind of God we have, a God of love and a God who is love!
Angels represent this.
If you care for someone and are interested in them, you want to be near them, don't you?
Angels represent this presence.
At the beginning; in life and creation; in this chapel this morning, at worship; in times of great joy (like when the sinner mends their ways or when healing occurs, as in our Gospel narrative); in times of great danger and anguish, against the powers that be, seemingly impossible (like Daniel in the lions den, when the king literally sealed his fate); at the end, when our tomb -like Christ's- will be covered, when -like Christ- new life will begin at the resurrection, like angels were there that first morning and when Christ ascended to the Father, as we too will go to Him one day).
It's a message about a God that will never let go, whatever happens and whatever we're up against; in the end -as we read in Revelation today- God will put things aright.
God is present and calls us to be present.
Angels represent this.
And God is a God of His creating and life-giving word, Christ is the Word incarnate.
God is in constant communication with His creatures, in constant relationship.
It's a relationship not only between God and ourselves, but also between ourselves and within ourselves.
It's a relationship that tells us about the Creator and His creation, where the spiritual matters just as much as the physical; it's not just about the soul but also about the body, it's not just about the earthly but also about the heavenly.
It's about the message, the Good News, that in Christ all these broken relationships are restored, reconnected, time and time again.
It's about a God that makes this effort, speaks this Good News through messengers -spiritual and physical- every single day. Continuous forgiveness.
Angels represent this.
Perhaps you feel that angels surround you all the time, perhaps you believe that you have encountered them, perhaps you see them merely as a metaphor or symbol, perhaps you have trouble getting your head around it all.
Whatever the interpretation, God invites us today to think about this connection between heaven and earth, things visible and invisible as the Creed puts it, and rejoice -with the angels- that our names are written in heaven.
And the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Michaelmas 2016
[Dan. 10:15-19; Rev. 12:7-12; Mt. 18:10-14]
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Even in our modern secular and undoubtedly cynical society there's great interest in the paranormal; in fact the paranormal is big business! Not so much God and the Church, not so much organised religion, but rather anything on the fringe so to speak, notably angels and fallen angels.
Walk into any bookshop and the offers on books about spirituality and spiritism, angel oracles, angel tarot cards, how to communicate with angels and the like usually exceed what's on offer on religion in general and Christianity in particular.
Successful films like The Prophecy and Legion, and tv-series like Dominion, Touched By An Angel and more recently Lucifer prove that the interest in what seems to be occurring between heaven and earth hasn't waned.
Perhaps that's why a lot of the mainline churches, Lutheran ones too, are often hesitant to broach the subject, or if they do often it's approached in a metaphorical and symbolic way.
So what about these winged creatures, these messengers from God -because that's what the original Greek angelos literally means- be they baby-sized or fully fledged adults?
Angels are most definitely a Biblical phenomenon; stories including angels can be found in many parts of the Scriptures, both in the Old and the New Testament, and in the Apocrypha as well. The Christmas story is probably their most famous moment, and the book of Revelation even seems to be crowded with them.
Now Revelation isn't any easy book, often it seems absolutely confusing and even terrifying, but when we look deeper it's actually a very optimistic book, where good ultimately triumphs over evil. Our heavenly Father loves Creation so much and so intensely that He's prepared -like most parents would- to fight for it! And angels play their part in that narrative, just as they played their part at the Incarnation and Nativity of our Lord Jesus, when God set into motion the salvation of all.
Angels are also a creedal phenomenon; after all, in the Nicene Creed, which we will be professing together later on, we actually do affirm 'all things seen and unseen' or 'all things visible and invisible.'
And of course angels are still part of the day-to-day religious experience of many if not most Christians. Luther himself, being the devout medieval Catholic he still was, certainly and unequivocally believed in angels and fallen angels for that matter; both his morning and evening prayer end with the phrase: 'Let your holy angel be with me that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.'
So, angels are Scriptural, Creedal ánd Confessional...just the way Lutherans like it!
But what does this mean for us?
First of all, it's God who's the Sender.
It's God who in His grace sends His angels, God who takes the initiative, an initiative we should be taking but never do, so God does. Why? Because God cares for us, loves us and is interested in us, is engaged with His Creation. Angels are a reminder of the kind of God we have, a God of love and a God who is love! A God who seeks out His lost sheep.
They remind us of a God that will never let go, and that God's in constant communication with His creatures, in constant relationship; the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.
It's a relationship that tells us about the Creator and His creation, where the physical matters just as much as the spiritual; it's not just about the heavenly but also about the earthly, not just about the beyond and hereafter but also about the here and now.
It's a reminder, time and time again, that in Christ all broken relationships are restored, reconnected.
It's about a God that makes this effort, speaks this Good News through messengers -spiritual ánd physical- every single day.
Continuous forgiveness, as the prophet Daniel was told with such deep compassion: 'Do not fear, greatly beloved, you are safe.' (10:19a)
Secondly, it tells us not only about the constant relationship between heaven and earth, but also about the interaction -emphasis on action!- between both.
We're all called to be co-workers with God in and for Creation, that's our prime vocation and responsibility as human beings. In this scenario, angels could very well be seen as highly valuable colleagues, all be it with a bit more seniority and a bit more experience (though not infallible!).
It's a reminder that our vocation is to good, to progress, growth and kindness, hope and love.
Our Church of England full communion partners have a beautiful prayer of preparation in their Eucharist for Michaelmas which illustrates this interaction wonderfully and very aptly: 'God of glory, as you appointed angels to minister in your presence, so may our worship bring you worthy praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.' (Common Worship)
So, maybe you feel that angels surround you, maybe you believe that you have encountered them, maybe you see them merely as a metaphor or symbol, maybe you have trouble believing in their existence at all.
Whatever the interpretation, God invites us today to think about this ongoing connection and care, about God's own initiative to grant us angels as points of reference if you will that underscore His unwavering engagement and care for His beloved Creation.
And the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.