Chapter 7: Angels
Angel means messenger of God (ang = messenger; el = God). (Evangelist = messenger sharing message from God approximately)
Angels in the Hebrew scriptures refers to messengers or agents from God including the ones walking by on their way to Sodom and Gomorrah whom Abram invited in to share a meal and the one who stopped Abraham from killing Isaac. There are numerous angels in the Hebrew scriptures. Luke names Gabriel as the angel who appeared to Mary. Matthew has a nameless angel speak to Joseph in a dream. Matthew, Mark, and Luke have angels taking care of Jesus after his encounter with temptation or Satan.
Milton built on a mix of beliefs and stories about angels and a battle between Satan and his followers with God with Satan being described as the greatest angel. There is very little that is scriptural in Milton’s works but, mixed with Dante’s work, interacted with evolving Christian theology and doctrine.
In folklore, angels partially replaced the myriad of spirits inherited from previous generations in many cultures.
Historically, there are different understandings about angels. Today beliefs about angels range from they are pure superstition through people helping other people (such as snow angels) and connections to our spiritual selves to beings that are active in some way in some, many, most, or all of our lives.
Whatever we believe about angels, there is little solid evidence to validate those beliefs.
Beliefs in them provide many people with comfort and confidence that helps them face challenges in their lives.
For me, the concept of angels as spiritual connectors is helpful. I participated in a weekend workshop with Walter Wink about the use of art in Bible study. It included a couple of sessions on angel journaling, a practice I use at times, mostly at other workshops or courses. The foundational concept is the attachment of a spiritual presence to every individual and organization he called an angel.
The health of this angel depended in part on the practices of the individual or organization so the angel could be robust and loving or crippled or deviant.
As individuals, we can communicate with our angel by deliberately writing to our angel. Write down what we want to say and wait for our hands to write something without thinking about what we want to have written. This spontaneous writing is viewed as a response by the angel. Walter Wink called this angel journaling.
In practice this can help work through many kinds of issues, create affirmation, provide challenges or honest reflection, and so on. It is something I probably should use more.
My interpretation of the attached angels is that they are extensions or connections to the Holy Mystery.
For me, it is also helpful to think of angels as the people who provide help when it is needed.
This would include the people who gave me rides on the highway when my truck was broken down, the people who say important things to me, and those who do the right thing at the right time. For example, when I was about 12, one of the girls in our neighbour group said to me, “James, you are so snobbish.” 62 years later I still remember her comment as a reminder to consider how I am relating to the people around me.
Believe what you want about angels. Before I took that course, I discounted ideas about angels as superstition and of little concern to me. And I still see most of what was or is said about angels as fantasy. But who knows for sure?
Angel means messenger of God (ang = messenger; el = God). (Evangelist = messenger sharing message from God approximately)
Angels in the Hebrew scriptures refers to messengers or agents from God including the ones walking by on their way to Sodom and Gomorrah whom Abram invited in to share a meal and the one who stopped Abraham from killing Isaac. There are numerous angels in the Hebrew scriptures. Luke names Gabriel as the angel who appeared to Mary. Matthew has a nameless angel speak to Joseph in a dream. Matthew, Mark, and Luke have angels taking care of Jesus after his encounter with temptation or Satan.
Milton built on a mix of beliefs and stories about angels and a battle between Satan and his followers with God with Satan being described as the greatest angel. There is very little that is scriptural in Milton’s works but, mixed with Dante’s work, interacted with evolving Christian theology and doctrine.
In folklore, angels partially replaced the myriad of spirits inherited from previous generations in many cultures.
Historically, there are different understandings about angels. Today beliefs about angels range from they are pure superstition through people helping other people (such as snow angels) and connections to our spiritual selves to beings that are active in some way in some, many, most, or all of our lives.
Whatever we believe about angels, there is little solid evidence to validate those beliefs.
Beliefs in them provide many people with comfort and confidence that helps them face challenges in their lives.
For me, the concept of angels as spiritual connectors is helpful. I participated in a weekend workshop with Walter Wink about the use of art in Bible study. It included a couple of sessions on angel journaling, a practice I use at times, mostly at other workshops or courses. The foundational concept is the attachment of a spiritual presence to every individual and organization he called an angel.
The health of this angel depended in part on the practices of the individual or organization so the angel could be robust and loving or crippled or deviant.
As individuals, we can communicate with our angel by deliberately writing to our angel. Write down what we want to say and wait for our hands to write something without thinking about what we want to have written. This spontaneous writing is viewed as a response by the angel. Walter Wink called this angel journaling.
In practice this can help work through many kinds of issues, create affirmation, provide challenges or honest reflection, and so on. It is something I probably should use more.
My interpretation of the attached angels is that they are extensions or connections to the Holy Mystery.
For me, it is also helpful to think of angels as the people who provide help when it is needed.
This would include the people who gave me rides on the highway when my truck was broken down, the people who say important things to me, and those who do the right thing at the right time. For example, when I was about 12, one of the girls in our neighbour group said to me, “James, you are so snobbish.” 62 years later I still remember her comment as a reminder to consider how I am relating to the people around me.
Believe what you want about angels. Before I took that course, I discounted ideas about angels as superstition and of little concern to me. And I still see most of what was or is said about angels as fantasy. But who knows for sure?
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