Isaiah 6: 1 - 8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was sitting on his throne, high and exalted, and his robe filled the whole Temple. Around him flaming creatures were standing, each of which had six wings. Each creature covered its face with two wings, and its body with two, and used the other two for flying. They were calling out to each other:

“Holy, holy, holy!
The Lord Almighty is holy!
His glory fills the world.”

The sound of their voices made the foundation of the Temple shake, and the Temple itself became filled with smoke.

I said, “There is no hope for me! I am doomed because every word that passes my lips is sinful, and I live among a people whose every word is sinful. And yet, with my own eyes I have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

Then one of the creatures flew down to me, carrying a burning coal that he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with the burning coal and said, “This has touched your lips, and now your guilt is gone, and your sins are forgiven.”

Then I heard the Lord say, “Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?”

I answered, “I will go! Send me!”

Picture

The photo today is of the Christmas lights in George Square, Glasgow taken in 2020 – the angels brought hope and joy in the darkness of winter and amidst the restrictions of the pandemic.

Prayer

Seraphim are the winged creatures that perhaps we most often imagine when we think of angels.  Their main role is the worship of God, so as our prayer tonight, we borrow words from the scriptures which may well be theirs:

Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests

Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honour
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!