This morning people were invited to colour in tea-light holders shaped like angels (or at least as the way angels are often imagined).  For our prayers, we used tealights (albeit the fake LED ones as some people are anxious about flames) some of which were popped inside the angels.  Overall it seemed to go okay,

We are now a third of the way through Advent... it certainly whizzes by.

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!

The name cherub in the Bible refers to the winged creatures in this reading from the book of Exodus…

Exodus 25: 10 – 22

God said to Moses: “Make a Box out of acacia wood, 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high. Cover it with pure gold inside and out and put a gold border all around it. Make four carrying rings of gold for it and attach them to its four legs, with two rings on each side. Make carrying poles of acacia wood and cover them with gold and put them through the rings on each side of the Box.  The poles are to be left in the rings and must not be taken out. Then put in the Box the two stone tablets that I will give you, on which the commandments are written.

“Make a lid of pure gold, 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. Make two winged creatures of hammered gold, one for each end of the lid. Make them so that they form one piece with the lid. The winged creatures are to face each other across the lid, and their outspread wings are to cover it. Put the two stone tablets inside the Box and put the lid on top of it. I will meet you there, and from above the lid between the two winged creatures I will give you all my laws for the people of Israel.

Picture

Today’s image is a model of the ark of covenant made using the description in the Bible.

Prayer

In the scriptures, Cherubim, or cherubs, are mysterious winged creatures whose role is to guard the way into God’s presence, because God is so incredibly holy.

Holy God, we are glad that we can approach you without fear because you are our loving and gentle parent.  Help us to hold together the twin truths that you are close at hand and far away; that you are so holy no-one can glimpse you and so ordinary that you walked among us in Jesus whose birth was anticipate.  May we discover a healthy reverence and awe for this incredible mystery of who you are.  Amen.

Revelation 12: 7 – 10

War broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, who fought back with his angels; but the dragon was defeated, and he and his angels were not allowed to stay in heaven any longer. The huge dragon was thrown out - that ancient serpent, named the Devil, or Satan, that deceived the whole world. He was thrown down to earth, and all his angels with him.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “Now God's salvation has come! Now God has shown his power as King! Now his Messiah has shown his authority!

Picture

Today’s photo is the sculpture of St Michael of St Michael defeating the devil, by Jacob Epstein, which is on the wall of Coventry Cathedral, and symbolises the victory of good over evil.

Prayer

The name Michael asks as question ‘who is like God’ and so we come to you, God beyond words and names, all too aware that we are in the realm of mystery, of things beyond out understanding or imagining.  Yet, at the same time, we recall how in scripture you are described as being like a mother or a father, a parent who loves and cares for every one of your precious children.

As we continue our Advent journey this year, help us, like little children, to embrace the wonder and delight of the mystery of your coming among us, and to find new or renewed energy for our daily lives.  Amen.

According to some ancient traditions, the angel in this story is Raphael, one of three archangels, along with Gabriel and Michael…

John 5: 1 - 9

After this, Jesus went to Jerusalem for a religious festival. Near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there is a pool with five porches; in Hebrew it is called Bethzatha. A large crowd of sick people were lying on the porches—the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed.  A man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. Jesus saw him lying there, and he knew that the man had been sick for such a long time; so he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

The sick man answered, “Sir, I don't have anyone here to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am trying to get in, somebody else gets there first.”

Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk.” ⁹ Immediately the man got well; he picked up his mat and started walking.

Picture

Todays’ picture is called The Wounded Angel, painted by the Finnish artist Hugo Simberg.

Two healthy boys are carrying the injured girl towards the Blind Girls' School and the Home for Cripples. She clutches a bunch of snowdrops, a symbol of healing and rebirth.

Prayer

Raphael means ‘God is the healer’, so we come to you the God who brings wholeness and healing to all creation.  In a world where there is so much suffering it can feel as if you have forgotten this truth, or have grown weary of caring for your creation – yet we dare to hold onto the promises that your desire is for all creation to be made whole once more, and we share your vision of a day when tears are wiped away and death is no more.

In these dark wintry days, we pray for all who suffer, in body, mind or spirit, and pray that they may experience your gentle touch, soothing their hurts and restoring their hope.  Amen.