Monday Morning Musing: Singing with Angels

I came across a lovely quote from Howard Thurman today, which I will share below. It made me think about angelic encounters and how many of them I experienced today. This isn't a deep theological, Gabriel or Michael the Archangels sort of angelic musing. It's something else entirely. Of course, this season has arrived with Gabriel's announcement/invitation some months ago.

In both services today we were so lucky to have the children's choirs sing. Two different choirs, to different pieces of music, but angelic voices. Earnest faces. Brave faces. Uncertain faces. I wonder if the angels are similarly diverse?

In the Isaiah 40 lectionary reading, God is having a conversation with the Divine Council, or the Heavenly Host, while Isaiah listens in the wings. I love reading this passage in a voiced way.

Our grandgirl and her parents were in worship today. When I was preaching, Kaia thought she should also proclaim the word. It was wondrous. I love that she knows my voice. I hope that whatever faith I pass along to her is sustaining and roomy.

The angels in the Advent wreath heralded the second Sunday of Advent. This season is slipping by quickly. I am trying to inhabit it lightly. Too much trying turns to striving, which is never light.

Here's the Howard Thurman quote I promised. May you be blessed by angel's song in this almost winter season.

“There must be always remaining in every one’s life some place for the singing of angels, some place for that which in itself is breathlessly beautiful and, by an inherent prerogative, throws all the rest of life into a new and creative relatedness, something that gathers up in itself all the freshers of experience from drab to commonplace areas of living and glows in one bright white light of penetrating beauty and meaning —then passes.” Howard Thurman