Scripture Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said, “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”
Meditation
When I was still very young, I learned this prayer.
Angel of God, my guardian dear,
to whom God’s love commits me here,
ever this day be at my side,
to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
I was introduced to angels in the gentles of ways. This prayer first instructed me that there were angels whose sole purpose was to accompany and watch over us. A little book showed me a picture of an angel who was a child, like me. Later I learned that guardian angels are mentioned in scripture, by Jesus, in reference to little children. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says,
“Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.” ~Matt. 18:10.
Later the theologians of the early church agreed. Fourth century scripture scholar Hieronymous, also known as Jerome, wrote,
“High dignity of souls, that each from its birth has an Angel set in charge over it!”
Guardian Angels—friendly, protective, even, possibly, very much like those they guard—were my introduction to the whole concept of angels. Little did I know the many variety of angels named in scripture and tradition. According to Pseudo-Dionysus the Areopagite, who lived in the 5th to 6th centuries, there were nine orders or ranks of angelic choirs, each with different roles or functions. The highest orders were given the honor of remaining in God’s presence at all times: Seraphim (angels who announced God’s glory, burning with love for God); Cherubim (who are characterized by their knowledge and wisdom); and thrones (who never sleep, but guard the throne of God). The middle ranks consist of dominions (who govern the movement of stars planets, and other celestial objects); Virtues (who control the elements of natures); and Powers (who keep evil spirits in check, as well as overseeing the power accorded to human rulers). The lowest three ranks consist of Archangels (such as Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael, who are warrior-messengers and protectors of human beings); Guardian Angels (whom I’ve discussed above); and Angels (who are simple messengers). The top four ranks remain in God’s presence at all times and have little to do with human beings. The bottom five ranks are involved in the natural world and more likely to be experienced by the likes of us.
In the story of Isaiah’s call to his prophetic ministry, a transition in leadership in the kingdom of Judah is the background for a vision Isaiah has. He is in the temple. God is in the temple too, but is so enormous in stature and so high and lofty upon a throne, that only the hem of God’s robe is visible. Seraphs are in attendance, and they are doing exactly what they are supposed to do: they are an order of angels whose purpose is to praise God.
The description of seraphs is striking. Their name means “burning ones.” They have six wings, two to cover their faces, two to cover the lower parts of their bodies, and two for flying. They are also described elsewhere as having their wings covered with eyes, as is the seraph on your bulletin covers and on the screen. They are flying and calling out to one another—singing to one another?
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory. ~Isaiah 6:3
The sound they make is thunderous; it is shaking the temple to its foundations. Smoke is rising.
This is one of those moments in scripture when we might begin to have a glimmer of what the “fear of the Lord” might mean. The scene sounds majestic, overwhelming, and unnerving. Isaiah’s response is absolute fear.
“Woe is me!” he cries. Like Peter in the boat two Sundays ago, he cries out his unworthiness, “I am a man of unclean lips, from a people of unclean lips.” A Seraph takes care of that by bringing a glowing hot coal and applying it to Isaiah’s lips as a cleansing.
Whom shall I send? asks God. Here I am, send me, Isaiah replies.
What shall we say about angels? Do any of us have direct experience of them? Isaiah had a vision in which Seraphim, which don’t normally interact with humans, were key to giving Isaiah what he needed in order to answer God’s call. This morning mynyoga teacher mentioned that she had left something behind in her house, when she was getting ready to leave, and had to get out of her car and go back for it. After she got on the highway, she encountered an accident that had just occurred.
As I walked back to my car after yoga class, I wondered: Was her guardian angel responsible for keeping her from leaving her house and thus avoiding being directly involved in the accident?
What difference does the idea of having a guardian angel in our lives make to us? Do they keep us from accidents, get us parking spaces, or ensure that the operation goes well? (And if so, what about the guardian angels who let their people get into accidents? Is that how it works?)