Day 1: Worshipping Angels
Worshipping Angels
We start our series of readings with some stories of angels
leading the worship of God.
Biblical writers, understandably, often modelled their
description of the realm of God on the earthly courts they saw around them.
Every self-respecting ruler would have had a retinue of servants and courtiers,
both to do the work and also simply to make that court seem as grand and
splendid as possible. It is no surprise, then, that the description of the
heavenly court in the book of Revelation, contains ranks of angels all singing
the praise of God.
What is surprising is that at the centre of the
extravagantly wonderful scene the writer describes, with its bejewelled throne
room and glorious music, is a Lamb, “standing as if it had been slaughtered”
(if you have time, it is worth reading Revelation 4 -5.10 for this description). This is not an image of power but of
vulnerability. The Lamb on the throne is Jesus, wounded on the cross, and
raised to heaven with his wounds still visible. Being part of God’s kingdom is
not about exercising earthly might, but about giving ourselves in service to
others.
The angels in this story affirm and praise the crucified
Christ. His death was not a mistake or a sign of weakness, but a sign of God’s
love and power, which can bring us through death and suffering to new life and
hope.
·
Think about
the tough times in your life. Are you able to find things in them to give
thanks for and to value?
·
What song
might God’s angels sing with you about those times?
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