St. Michael & All Angels
Dear family of God,
Last Sunday, September 22, was the first official day of autumn. Its official name is the 'autumnal equinox.' It's one of only two days a year when the sun is directly over the equator, equally dividing 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. (The next one will be March 20, also known as the 'vernal equinox' or the first day of spring.) That means that for the past week the days are getting shorter, the nights are growing longer. Perhaps you've noticed this.
Ancient Christians noticed this, too. As the darkness grew, they were reminded of St. Paul's words: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12). The physical darkness reminds us of the more terrifying spiritual darkness that is always lurking around us. The devil and his evil angels fill the world and have their sights set on the children of God. More than any other physical evil, they are our greatest struggle in this world.
To remember how God promises to combat those dark spiritual forces in the world, for more than nine centuries, near the end of September, Christians have celebrated The Festival of St. Michael and All Angels, which we will do this Sunday. Michael is one of only two angels the Bible names for us. The other is the great messenger of God’s grace, Gabriel. Gabriel’s job was to announce the remarkable works of God’s salvation to the waiting world (see Luke 1-2). Michael’s job, on the other hand, is very different. Michael is called the archangel, that is, the leader of the angels. The Bible says that he is in charge of the great army of angels that God uses to protect and care for His people by fighting against the devil and his angels. Though we have these demonic enemies, enemies which we cannot see, attacking us day after day, God sends out His own angelic army to fight for us. Though the darkness increases, it will never overcome the light. No matter how dark this world becomes, the sun will always rise until the risen and ascended Christ returns to claim us as His own forever.
We don't celebrate this historic festival because we worship angels, that would be idolatry. Rather, we celebrate it as an opportunity to give thanks to our God for His gracious gift in commanding His angels to guard and protect us (see Psalm 91). How awesome is our God!
One of the historic emphases of this festival is to focus on the comfort God specifically provides for our children. While we know that God's angels are created and commanded to preserve all Christians, Jesus highlights the intimate connection God creates between angels and children when He says: "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven"(Matthew 18:10). Our children have their own angels (so do you)! Remember to add that to the extremely long list of how God shows love to our kids: He assigns them their very own guardian angels! I love this passage and I would encourage you read it, share it with your children, and remember it often.
This is so much more comforting than the cliché "Grandma is watching over you" line we often say. Just let grandma enjoy being in heaven and don't insist on putting her to work! Instead, God assigns angelic warriors, armed with swords and arrows, equipped with booming voices that make building foundations and mountains shake. Angels, who every time they appear to people in Scripture, must say, "Don't be afraid!" because their appearance and presence is terrifying. God assigns those kinds of creatures to watch over you and your kids every single second of every single day.
One way we highlight and reinforce God's love for our children each Sunday is when we invite parents, grandparents, godparents and guardians to bring their little ones up front for a blessing during Holy Communion. I know sometimes they can be a little erratic and maybe even distracting. But Jesus has important words He wants to share with them. These blessings that are spoken to them are not trite. They are not empty platitudes used to quiet noisy kids. These are the blessings of baptism. These are the promises of their God. These are the daily assignments given to their angels to guard and keep and comfort and protect the greatest in the kingdom of God.
Our children are really God's children, adopted by water and the Word and made heirs of eternal life. One of the many ways God fights to keep them His children is through the blessing of His angels. It's a wonderful opportunity to rejoice in these angelic gifts and comfort one another as we continue to live out our lives in the midst of such darkness. The sun will rise tomorrow friends, just as surely as the Son is risen from the dead.
We will also conclude the service on Sunday by praying Martin Luther's Morning Prayer which concludes with this great line: "let your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen." I think this is something we probably don't pray for very often: "God, send your angels to fight with me and for me against Satan and his temptations." But this is what God promises to do and so it's something we should absolutely pray for regularly.
Angels are one of God’s great answers to our fears. God wants to give us the proper perspective as we go through this life. No matter what unsettling sounds we hear, or dangerous dilemmas we face, or paralyzing tragedies we endure, God’s message for us is this: Don’t be afraid, because you are not alone: "He will command His angels, concerning you, to guard you in all your ways" (Psalm 91:11).
It's one of my favorite festival services each year and I hope to celebrate it with you and your family on Sunday. May God richly bless the rest of your week and I look forward to seeing you this weekend.!
In Christ,
Pastor Bater