Angels play an important role in the Bible. They are often messengers from God, bringing important news. There is nothing fluffy about angels as they are described in the Bible. In fact, the people who see them are often described as being terrified. The appearance of an angel is after all, a breakthrough from another world. Anything which is not familiar is bound to be alarming, even if it also brings great joy at the same time.
The Bible also tells us that angels worship around the throne of God and sing: “Holy, holy, holy!”
“Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." Rev 4:8
“Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” Isaiah 6: 2 – 3
“Holy, holy, holy” is embroidered on the cloth on the Communion table in the Chaplaincy. The person who did this must have wanted us to remember that when we gather around the Lord’s table, we are gathering around the throne of God himself.
Recently I was struck by the importance of the name of the angel who is known as the “chief” or “captain” of all the angels: Michael. Michael’s name means “There is no one like God”. Michael doesn’t describe or explain God, he simply bears witness to him, because ultimately God cannot be described.
“There is no-one like God”. You might be thinking: “Well, that’s obvious. Of course there’s no-one like God. If there was anyone like God, God wouldn’t be God.” This is quite right. God is indeed above and beyond anything or anyone we can think about or imagine. There is really no-one or no-thing like him. The theological word for talking about God in this way is to say that he is “transcendent”. God transcends, or is above and beyond any conceptual image we may have of Him.
People have got into all kinds of trouble since time began, or even possibly before time, by not being clear about this. Tradition tells us Michael cast Satan out of heaven[1], when he, Satan, rebelled against God. Christian tradition says that Satan was originally an archangel too, but he got mesmerised by the power and glory that he received by being so close to God, and started to think that he was actually like God. So, Michael’s name expresses something very important about his character. He took a stand against Satan, by defending the truth – the truth that “There is no one like God”.
Michael was victorious in this battle, but it’s a battle that carries on until the end of the world. For all of us without exception, there will always be temptations to lose sight of the transcendence of God, and to make images of Him and to worship them instead of God Himself.
To come back to the embroidery on the Communion Table in our chaplaincy – in worship we join the angels in their hymn of “Holy, holy, holy!” This is a gift, a challenge and an inspiration – that we live and pray alongside the hosts of heaven.
Mother Sarah
[1] cp Revelation 12:7 - 10
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