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.

Daniel 9: 1-8; 18-24

Darius the Mede, who was the son of Xerxes, ruled over the kingdom of Babylonia.  In the first year of his reign I, Daniel, was studying the sacred books and thinking about the seventy years that Jerusalem would be in ruins, according to what the Lord had told the prophet Jeremiah.  And I prayed earnestly to the Lord God, pleading with him, fasting, wearing sackcloth, and sitting in ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed the sins of my people.

I said, “Lord God, you are great, and we honour you. You are faithful to your covenant and show constant love to those who love you and do what you command. We have sinned, we have been evil, we have done wrong. We have rejected what you commanded us to do and have turned away from what you showed us was right. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our rulers, our ancestors, and our whole nation. You, Lord, always do what is right, but we have always brought disgrace on ourselves… 

O God, hear my prayer and pleading. Restore your Temple, which has been destroyed; restore it so that everyone will know that you are God. We are praying to you because you are merciful, not because we have done right. Lord, hear us. Lord, forgive us. Lord, listen to us, and act! In order that everyone will know that you are God, do not delay!

I went on praying, confessing my sins and the sins of my people Israel and pleading with the Lord my God to restore his holy Temple. While I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came flying down to where I was. It was the time for the evening sacrifice to be offered. He explained, “Daniel, I have come here to help you understand the prophecy. When you began to plead with God, he answered you. He loves you, and so I have come to tell you the answer. Now pay attention while I explain the vision.

“Seven times seventy years is the length of time God has set for freeing your people and your holy city from sin and evil. Sin will be forgiven and eternal justice established, so that the vision and the prophecy will come true, and the holy Temple will be rededicated.

Picture

Today’s picture is one of the stained-glass windows in the chapel of the former Western Infirmary in Glasgow.  Although the hospital was demolished some years ago, the chapel remains standing.

Prayer

Gabriel means ‘God is my strength’ and we come to you, our strong, dependable God at the end of this day, grateful that, whatever life may bring us, we can be sure that you are always with us, to shelter and protect us amidst the chaos and the storms. 

The message Gabriel brought to your servant Daniel began with the assurance of your love for him – help us to hear these words as spoken to us, and to everyone we know and love: God loves you, God is for you, God is with you always.  Amen.

Tonight our week-night reflections for Advent begin.  This year thinking about angels.  The format is the same each day - simple liturgy, Bible reading, picture, music, prayer... max fifteen minutes.  This is the fifth time I've done this (different themes) and it's always been well received by those who have taken part.  One of the better outcomes of the pandemic, maybe?

It's not that often that the start of Advent in church coincides with the commercial Advent on 1st December, but this year it does.

The Advent wreath at church is very beautiful, and has nice chunky candles that will last all through the four weeks, even with some midweek lighting along the way.

Advent and Christmas always get so hopelessly mixed up together, and this year is no exception with the start of the 'Angel Voices' reflections tomorrow - preceded by an angel craft session with the Rainbows and brownies - a Vicar School Carol Service and Christmas Dinner on Tuesday, and then a crazy run through with two or three things almost every single day until Christmas.

At the moment there is nothing scheduled for 14th December, a Saturday... I am planning to keep it that way if I possibly can.

I do love Advent-Christmas with all its crazy, heretical, frenetic, celebratory, stressy, delightful activity... so here we go again! (And at least it is only 24/25 days this year!)