Advent Devotion: December 3, 2024
The Place of Angels
~Alison Sink
Scripture – Luke 1:8-12 (NRSVue) Once when he was serving as priest before God during his section’s turn of duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to offer incense. Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified, and fear overwhelmed him.
Reflection
It is kind of hard to imagine going to work one day, minding your own business when suddenly an angel of the Lord appears before you. It’s no wonder that Zechariah was terrified! If I walked into my office and suddenly had an angel standing in front of my desk, I would probably be pretty terrified too! Yet, is it possible that this happens to us without us even knowing? Are there angels among us? People sent by God that will alter our path of life even if we don’t know it yet? Perhaps they do not appear out of nowhere and startle us at work, but I’d like to think that there are people we encounter in our daily lives that might just have the voice of God speaking through them, bringing us a message that we need to hear.
If you take a walk through your day and think about the amount of people you encounter, it’s kind of hard to imagine the possibility of not seeing God in at least someone. Could it be in the preschooler walking by my office door, offering a smile and a wave? Showing God’s love in that small, simple act of kindness? Could it be the person in the car in front of me on my way to work, rolling down their window to offer a granola bar and a little bit of cash to the person standing on the corner? Their sign says that they’re hungry and in need, that small act of kindness was surely God moving, right? As scary as it is to think of God appearing in the form of an angel at our desk, presumably with a message of some sort that God wants us to receive, I’d like to think that we encounter God every day of our lives. In the people and in the places we inhabit during our daily routines. It is through these people, through these places and these small acts of kindness, that we see the work of God moving through us. Zechariah was scared of this thing that was out of his norm, this thing that felt monumental and overwhelming.
While we might have those moments too, we also have countless glimpses of God moving through our daily lives, offering a smile, a bite to eat, a wave hello. I encourage you as we move into and through this Advent season to look for the angels among us. You might find them in surprising places!
The Place of Angels
~Alison Sink
Scripture – Luke 1:8-12 (NRSVue) Once when he was serving as priest before God during his section’s turn of duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to offer incense. Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified, and fear overwhelmed him.
Reflection
It is kind of hard to imagine going to work one day, minding your own business when suddenly an angel of the Lord appears before you. It’s no wonder that Zechariah was terrified! If I walked into my office and suddenly had an angel standing in front of my desk, I would probably be pretty terrified too! Yet, is it possible that this happens to us without us even knowing? Are there angels among us? People sent by God that will alter our path of life even if we don’t know it yet? Perhaps they do not appear out of nowhere and startle us at work, but I’d like to think that there are people we encounter in our daily lives that might just have the voice of God speaking through them, bringing us a message that we need to hear.
If you take a walk through your day and think about the amount of people you encounter, it’s kind of hard to imagine the possibility of not seeing God in at least someone. Could it be in the preschooler walking by my office door, offering a smile and a wave? Showing God’s love in that small, simple act of kindness? Could it be the person in the car in front of me on my way to work, rolling down their window to offer a granola bar and a little bit of cash to the person standing on the corner? Their sign says that they’re hungry and in need, that small act of kindness was surely God moving, right? As scary as it is to think of God appearing in the form of an angel at our desk, presumably with a message of some sort that God wants us to receive, I’d like to think that we encounter God every day of our lives. In the people and in the places we inhabit during our daily routines. It is through these people, through these places and these small acts of kindness, that we see the work of God moving through us. Zechariah was scared of this thing that was out of his norm, this thing that felt monumental and overwhelming.
While we might have those moments too, we also have countless glimpses of God moving through our daily lives, offering a smile, a bite to eat, a wave hello. I encourage you as we move into and through this Advent season to look for the angels among us. You might find them in surprising places!
