The Bible features numerous encounters with angels who show up on an array of missions, from wielding a sword (Genesis 3:24), to rescuing a child (Genesis 22:11-12), to a mass choir singing, “Glory to God in the highest” (Luke 2:14).
Angels are not a major focus of holy Scripture, nor are they ever mentioned in our Christian creeds. Yet they show up with frequently and at pivotal moments in both Old and New Testaments. Church Reformer Martin Luther is quoted as saying, “If you picture the Bible to be a mighty tree and every word a little branch, I have shaken every one of these branches because I wanted to know what it was and what it meant.”
In Winter 2021, the Rev. Christa von Zychlin will present the four-part study “Journeys with angels” in which we will shake those biblical branches, watch for angels and listen for God’s calls to action.
Session topics:
January: Looking up—New beginnings, awe-full, awesome angels
February: Repentance and route-changing angels
March: Loneliness, abandonment and holy comfort
April: Feasting angels
The Rev. Christa von Zychlin has served Lutheran churches around the world through ELCA Global partnerships. She co-pastors St. Luke Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she also loves exploring the spirituality of mountains and deserts.