Information (and
misinformation) about angels can be found in abundance as they remain popular with
all sorts of people, religious, spiritual, and otherwise (I’m thinking of that
store at the mall, but that’s a different kind of angel!). There are questions about
the categories of angels (e.g. archangel, seraphim), whether everyone has a guardian
angel, and the medieval classic, “How many angels can dance upon the head of pin?” (You
were wondering about that, right?)
The Feast of Saint Michael
and All Angels, also known as Michaelmas, falls annually on September 29. Angels
appear throughout the pages of Holy Scripture. Sometimes, as in the case of
Michael, they are named in obscure passages (Daniel 10:12:1, Thessalonians 4:16).
In other cases, angels are referred to in a general sense (Job 38:7, Revelation
14:6). In other places, angels act as God’s messengers, such as when the angel Gabriel appeared
to Mary (Luke 1:26-38).
Michael’s importance is
tied to Revelation 12:7-9: “And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels
fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they
were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The great
dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and
Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his
angels were thrown down with him.”
It is for this reason that
Saint Michael is portrayed in Christian art and iconography as a warrior. Our
English word for angel comes from the Greek word “angelos” meaning messenger. For
thousands of years, across cultures, human beings have reported angelic
encounters. Within the Christian faith and the Western artistic tradition, angels
have often been depicted as beautiful human like creature with wings and halos.
These are symbolic portrayals. In Christian understanding angels are genderless;
they are spiritual beings, not physical ones.
Angels aren't chubby babies
with wings (I know they are so cute!) but are super-human intelligences that serve
God; usually, behind the curtain of ordinary human perception. But, are they
real? Traditional Christian belief and experience suggests, yes! With all that the natural
sciences are revealing to us today about the “seen and unseen” it shouldn’t
surprise us that there is more to this world that meets the naked eye. But what
do you think about angels? Are they a mysterious reality or a medieval supersition? Please
share in the comment sections below.
The Good News:
Our current period of flux,
decline, and instability of Christian institutions may be the exact kind of
spiritual soil needed to birth powerful movements of the Spirit. You don’t have
to be a church historian to notice that many of Christianity’s greatest
movements were birthed during times of cultural conflict, societal instability
and/or spiritual decline.
For example, the early Church’s explosive
growth, the rise of the Franciscans and
Dominicans in the 13th century (see how I humble I am listing the Franciscans
first…), the Great Awakenings in the 18th and 19th centuries,
and the growth of Christianity in the majority world in the last century (Isn’t
it great you get to say, “I was born in the last century”?! Ok. Ok. Touchy
subject. Let’s move on).
We should be praying for
and on the lookout for new movements of the Spirit. This is hopeful news. For
sure, like in times past, there will be tensions between the old movements and the
new movements. There is already a need for discernment in sorting out robust,
fruitful, and faithful expressions of Christian life and community and those
that are less so.
Besides the good news of
new powerful movements of the Spirit, there is also the good news of being
forced back to Christian basics. When popular culture and Christianity merge,
the result has often been a weakening of the zeal and discipleship of the
Church. This means it has been possible for many people to go to church without
really becoming disciples, mature Christians.
But the good news is that as
Christian institutions become more sidelined from mainstream culture, the more
individual Christians will have to seriously embrace their faith. If most
cultural forces are encouraging people NOT to be active in the faith, then to be
active in the faith will require more commitment to basic Christian beliefs and
practices by the average church goer.
But wait, there’s more! (Call
now and…oh never mind) This change will mean churches, if they hope to survive,
will have to get out of their doors to connect with their communities. It will
also mean some new structures for churches, seminaries and denominations. What
other good news is there to our situation in the West? Are you seeing any of
this yet, locally or globally?
The Old News:
Christianity is booming in
the majority world (Africa, South American, and parts of Asia); whereas,
overall, Christianity in the West (North America, Europe, and parts of Oceania)
has been facing a steep decline for decades. This post isn’t about doom and
gloom (I know…I know… you were really hoping for some of that) but this post is about recognizing
our current reality.
In short, Christian faith
and Christian institutions, once at the center of Western culture, are
increasingly less so, and Christian affiliation, which could once be assumed of
most people (at least nominally), now cannot be assumed. There are places and
populations where Christian influence is still stronger, but the trend away
from our cultural dominance is relatively universal.
There are brighter spots,
exceptions, and nuancing of this decline, but my purpose is simply to
acknowledge this is the reality we find ourselves in as followers of Jesus in
the early parts of the 21st century. This is a change from what many of us have
known in past years, and many of you have witnessed this change accelerate over
your lifetimes.
Many, from researchers, to
practitioners, have written about this change (including me). In my travels, the
reality of our situation is apparent to everyone: from the pastor struggling with to lead her church, to the faithful lay leader, who is perplexed why so few people participate
in the church anymore, including his own children and grandchildren.
This is old news. Younger
generations have grown up with this reality. They don’t remember a time when
Christian influence was stronger. This is a hang up for those of us who have a
memory (or a perceived memory?) of when churches thrived and Christian cultural influence was supersized (some say for good; some say for ill; some
say I should be taking a pill).
Does your church talk
about this reality openly? Or is it something people only talk about in the
church parking lot, in between complaints about church meetings not being long
enough? (That was a joke in case you were wondering) Is this old news in your
church circles? Is this something your leaders, whether local or regional, are actively
seeking to address? Do you want them to?
