This Sunday is the feast day of St. Michael and All Angels. It is not often that we in the Lutheran church acknowledge such festival days and as it is on a Sunday this year, we will be giving it some play in Sunday Worship. But how in the world do we deal with angels. I certainly do not want to do it in the way it is handled in "Touched by an Angel." Nor do I want to play with the images from the comic series "Family Circle" in which the grandfather, who is dead, is now an angel swooping down to oversee the lives of his grandkids. The images of angels in scripture are not numerous. In Hebrews, the "Son" is said to be superior to the angels and we are the ones who are inherit the life of the Son...and angels are "sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation." We do not become angels! We are inheritors of the reign of God and followers of the One who defeats the power of evil completely. Now...back to angels. One commentator notes that the whole encounter with Michael, the angel in the book of Daniel, takes place in the midst of daily events. Does that mean angels pull us from the pathway of cars or literally guide the hand of a doctor in surgery? I hope not. If that was the case, do some people have lazy angels who don't stop tragic events in our lives? What a horrible thought. Instead, it would do us well to think of angels (if you choose to do that at all) as something more powerful. Carol Dempsey makes this kind of comment about the part angels play in our lives. "Thus divine revelation becomes part of the fabric of ordinary life, helping to inform it and direct its present and future course." Divine revelation takes place each and every time the Good News from scripture and/or the Good News from those in the community of Christ, causes us to turn our heads to the way of the Messiah throughout the ordinary times of life. Is it magical? No. It is inspiring...like the wind that takes our breath away only to give it back to us within an urgent gasp for more air...more wind...more spirit.
Connection: Breathe. The vision of the reign of God whips around us attempting to pull us into its gracious life that has no end and includes all God's beloved. You may not see anything whipping about. It may be the simple Word of love passed on from the most basic story of God's claim on us. It may appear to fly around...just out of reach...and yet...it is here...on our lips...in our hearts...where two or three gather. Breathe.
Lord of all Hopefulness, you bless us with your constant presence in ways we do not yet understand or see fully. Teach us to pray...to be diligent in the ways of your love so that your love will be visible among us.
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