Marc Chagall, Jacob’s Dream, 1966, Nice, Musée National Message Biblique Marc Chagall |
A sermon preached at the
Choral Eucharist at St Stephen Walbrook on Thursday 29th September 2022 at 12.45pm.
The Feast of Michael and All Angels.
Sermon in a nutshell
The idea of angels – with wings and halos can be a bit of a turn off for some.
Others recount personal experience of coming face to face with angelic beings. Wherever
we stand, angels – heralds or ‘instruments’ of God – are a fact of life; rooted
in our scripture and tradition and our belief in ‘all that is, seen and unseen’.
Our conception of angels has changed over time. It is at times of transition when
we seem most willing to entertain the concept of universal forces affecting our
lives. In the sacrament of the Eucharist we come as close as we can in this
life to the ultimate transition - the boundary between heaven and earth. In the
Eucharistic prayer we repeat the very words of the heavenly host – Holy, holy
holy, Lord God of hosts. Perhaps at this moment we are most receptive to these
instruments of God, as we join in their heavenly song of praise?