DeanRobin :: Angels and fear

This is Robin Walker's blog. I am the Dean of the Diocese of Brandon & Rector of St. Matthew's Anglican Cathedral, in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. I have been in this ministry since January of 2003. My big interest is "preaching among exiles," to borrow a term from Walter Brueggemann. This blog is mainly devoted to my sermons, and the sometimes circuitous process by which I get to them, as well as current issues in church life as I experience them. I welcome constructive comment on the content of my personal posts. Comments on linked articles should be directed to the appropriate authors. Note that this is a moderated blog. I will not accept comments dealing with local and/or personal issues. The main page normally contains only material from the current week. Past articles are found in other categories.

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Angels and fear

by Robin Walker on Tue 19 Dec 2006 09:46 AM CST | Permanent Link | Cosmos

It's the last week of Advent, when our Gospel lessons lead us through the first chapter of Luke, preparing us to hear the nativity story at Christmas. We begin with John the Baptist, whose birth is foretold in Luke 1:5-25.

The story features the appearance of "an angel of the Lord" to Zechariah, John's father, This is the first of three such appearances in Luke's birth narrative. The other two are to Mary and to the shepherds. In all three cases, the angel's appearance is the cause for fear, and the angel's response is to allay that fear.

Our Christmas tree has many angel ornaments on it. They are pretty little things, hardly the image of a being whose appearance strikes fear into human hearts. We have tamed God's angels, made them cute and cuddly, when the reality seems to be something altogether different.

Can we bear to come into the presence of the living God?
God knows it is hard for us, and that we are afraid.
So God came into our presence, in the child of Bethlehem.

God's messenger said to Zechariah "Do not be afraid."
And God says to us "Do not be afraid."

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Advent 2006