New Wine Talk 2011

A link to the talk I gave on angels at New Wine in August 2011, to around 1000 people. A nerve wracking, but exhilarating experience!

https://www.essentialchristian.com/jonathan-macy/teaching/angels-biblically-practically-pastorally

Christianity Magazine (Dec 2011)

 

 By Martyn Casserly & Jonathan Macy

Angels, it seems, have a PR problem. Not in the ‘News of the World forced to shut down after a public outcry’ sort of way, but rather that they find themselves strangely misrepresented. Enter ‘angels’ into the search bar on Amazon and of the top fifty books that appear only a couple explore the subject from a biblical standpoint. There’s a few novels that have Angels in their title, but the list is dominated by self-help, spiritual-discovery missives with names such as ‘An Angel Held My Hand’, ‘Angel Therapy Oracle Cards’, and ‘Angels in My Hair’. Seriously. How ironic that God’s chosen messengers should suffer from problems of communication.

One of the most popular writers on the list is the wonderfully named Doreen Virtue, who has authored such classics as ‘Messages From Your Angels’, ‘Signs From Above: Angelic Messages to Guide Your Life Choices’, and ‘Magical Messages From The Fairies’. Most of her books receive four or five star reviews from grateful readers and you can be sure that her publishers also view her as something of a blessing.

In ‘Messages From Your Angels’ she depicts a pastoral and kindly vision of the spiritual beings, who are loving and have a close, personal, tangible relationship with their charge. God is hardly mentioned and when He is it’s never with much focus. He is seen as distant whereas the angels are close and can be asked for answers to a range of problems we might have. These include ‘How can I discover my life’s purpose?’, ‘How can I know if my current lover partner is my soul mate?’, and our personal favourite ‘Dolphins seem to be unearthly, and I wonder what their origin is and if they have a special purpose on Earth?’. Yep, from love lives to porpoise history angels are there and will give you beautifully crafted answers which affirm you from head to toe, inside and out. Glory be.

So why is it that when an angel appears in the bible the first thing they often say is ‘Don’t Be Afraid’? Why would their witnesses fear them? Surely the only thing they’d be in danger of was discovering whether sharks drive cars on their home planet, or a practical solution to bed-hair? Yet both Zechariah and Mary are reassured by Gabriel before he delivers the news that will change their lives forever. Maybe there’s more to these celestial beings than Ms Virtue would have us believe?

Mary and Zechariah, as good God-fearing Jews, would have known the Old Testament reputation of angels, and so had every right to be afraid. Today, thanks to a few thousand years of art, film, and books which have portrayed the angelic as harp wielding, clothes eschewing, floating babies, or languid looking, androgynous beings usually found near beams of sunlight, it can be hard to understand their terror. But the Old Testament showed them as less than benign. More importantly they were less than tame, less than predictable – beings to truly fear.

As Gabriel appeared before them he would have radiated the Father’s holiness and glory – in a similar fashion to Moses after his return from Sinai – due to having stood in God’s presence. His trembling audience would also have known that often angels came when the creator was unhappy and needed something sorted out. They’d have heard about the Cherubim that blocked the way back to Eden, and the angel of the Lord that led the Israelites around the desert for decades until all but two of the original party had died.

Then there were the really scary stories. The 70,000 Israelites killed by an angel-administered plague in response to David putting his faith in the size of his army rather than the power of his God (2 Samuel 24:15-16). How Jerusalem only survived a similar fate due to David’s repentance and God’s mercy. Not to mention the 185,000 Assyrians slain by one, solitary angel over the course of a night (Isaiah 37:36). Whatever went through their minds you can pretty much guarantee that the eternal purposes of dolphins didn’t feature highly.

Perhaps one of the most disorienting elements to angelic visitations is that things rarely turn out how you might expect. 2 Kings 6:8–23 is a good example of this. Israel was being attacked by the Syrians, and the Syrian king knew that his only chance for success was to get rid of Elisha. So, as is often the case with kings, he sent his army. Elisha’s servant saw the massed forces approaching and did what most normal people would…he panicked. The odds were insurmountable! Surely they’d be killed! Elisha, however, was very relaxed. Why? He could see the angelic army of the Lord that were positioned around the city to protect them. Then God, in his mercy, opened the eyes of Elisha’s servant to share the vision.

At this point you can imagine the now confident servant mentally pulling up a deck chair, making popcorn, and preparing to watch the slaughter from the safety of the city ramparts. But as the Syrian army attacked, Elisha prayed not for a bloodbath to ensue, but for blindness to fall on the army. This may have prompted a slight adjustment in the servant’s plans, along the lines of ‘Ok – this will make them easy pickings for the heavenly host. Pass the nachos’. No. Instead Elisha took the visually impaired aggressors to their intended victim’s stronghold for a spot of tea. From then on the Syrians did not raid Israel and good relations were restored between the nations. The land was returned to both peace and safety, yet the angels did not have to destroy the enemy army to accomplish this.

Instead of acting up to their image of ones who simply judge, here, under God’s direction, they kept their swords sheathed and acted as a reminder of His power and mercy rather than his wrath. God struck the enemy blind and under divine direction Elisha did the rest.

Another prominent case of angels refraining from convenient smiting is that of the early days of Jesus himself. It’s perfectly reasonable to ask why the angel who came to Joseph warning him to take his family and flee to Egypt didn’t simply kill Herod’s soldiers and be done with it? Easy and effective. Except in this instance it appears that the role of the angels was to get Jesus safely to adulthood so he could start his ministry, be crucified, raised, ascended, and then send the Holy Spirit to bless His Church. An angelic slaughter of soldiers would merely have brought attention to Mary, Joseph and Jesus too early.

As the perfect father God knew the advantages of a child being raised in a peaceful context, rather than one where you are always looking over your shoulder. The constant distraction of watching out for either one of Herod’s thugs or an annoying angel-watcher wanting to grab a glimpse of some mighty act of God, isn’t an ideal environment in which to nurture an infant. Egypt would provide that safety, allowing people to return to normal life, and the horrible events of the nativity fade into memory.

As we follow the life of Jesus we see that angels are often involved in the key moments. During his trials in the wilderness Satan tempts him to throw himself off the temple for the angels to catch him, Jesus of course resists and once the devil leaves, defeated, angels come and tend to their lord. In Gethsemane, at Jesus’ lowest moment, an angel is sent to strengthen him, not in a ‘Yay, Jesus, you’re the best! We believe in you! You can do it! type way, but rather in an actual physical sense. The Greek word in the bible is Eniskuon, which is usually used to indicate the strength one receives from eating. The angel didn’t get him out of trouble but did help prepare him for the path ahead.

After his death it’s an angel who rolls away the stone of the tomb and tells the terrified women that Jesus has risen. Then once Jesus ascends into heaven it’s a couple of angels who tell the disciples that he’ll return again, a return that will be accompanied by the trumpet blast from, you guessed it, an angel. If Jesus is the perfect example of how to live, and he is, then it would seem arguable that the angelic should feature in any who seek to emulate him.

The answers-on-demand nature of the angels described by the likes of Ms Virtue is, of course, appealing. Whereas the rather random behaviour of the biblical examples is a little perplexing. Are they just being awkward? Do angels have some kind of behavioural disorder? Or is something wider going on?

One thing that characterised the later ministry of Jesus was it’s non-conformity and unpredictability. For example he never healed a blind man the same way twice, and if you’re looking for something non-conformist then the saviour of the world wiping gob and mud in someone’s eyes to make them see again is a pretty good shout. In fact there was no model of ministry or prayer which he employed and stuck slavishly to. Why? Because Jesus did only what he saw the father doing, and the father is inventive in his approach to creation. Christ worshiped and emulated a creative creator…and so do the angels. They too see the face of the Father (Matt 18:10), and it’s no surprise that when they serve Him and do His will their ministry exhibits a similar sense of unpredictability and discomfort for those around them.

As we see in the life of Jesus, God uses angels as a part of his loving pastoral care toward his creation. How He employs them though can be a bit confusing. He can use them visibly or invisibly, and even if he uses them visibly, we are told that sometimes we don’t see or even realise it is an angel! Hardly seems fair, but it’s certainly a useful motivation for treating strangers in a more Godly fashion.

If we return to Zechariah and Mary, both nervously about to receive similar messages – the impending birth of a very important son – we see that the outcomes are different and surprising. Poor old Zechariah is struck dumb for asking Gabriel a question, resulting in a rather comical game of Give Us A Clue taking place outside the temple as bemused passersby try to understand the clearly enthusiastic old man. While Mary is told that she, a young virgin preparing to be married, is now pregnant with the son of God, and is then left to explain this to her future husband. That would have been a tricky conversation if there ever was one. Gabriel does finally visit Joseph but only after Mary has faced the shame of being doubted and nearly jilted by her distraught fiancee.

Gather together the greatest marketing minds in business and ask them for ideas on how to announce the coming of world-changing events and I’ll guarantee you that using a mime-artist or a knocked up teenager will not make the list. Thankfully God isn’t interested in trends, focus groups, or market positioning. He knows what needs to happen, to whom he can entrust the task, and has devoted servants who will deliver the news in whichever fashion will work best in the end.

In truth you might never see an angel throughout your whole life, and you would lack nothing in your walk with God because of this. However, knowing more of how they move and minister opens our eyes to catch a glimpse of the splendour of heaven. The depths of God’s creation are exposed and the creativity in how he works is revealed to us. Modern writers may tell you that their version of angels can bring you riches, but if God allows us to see the real angelic realm, with all its mystery, power, majesty, and dedication to Him then we will indeed be richer in a way that really matters.

Commendations

I've just realised that the actual commendations of the book, which are on its very cover, aren't on this blog, so here they are.

Book Description

Historically, angels have been viewed as either disconnected objects of speculative investigation, or as mystifying beings mysteriously influencing our lives. However, this is not how the Bible describes them. Scripture, in sober and straightforward terms, simply describes what angels do. It is a practical depiction, a pastoral presentation. We see messages of encouragement, revelation, and guidance; we see judgment and correction; we see strengthening; we see journeying; we see prayer and worship. The biblical focus concerning angels is on ministry to the people of God. Angels are one way that God intervenes in human affairs in response to pastoral concerns or problems. Created to minister, angels are best understood, not using speculative or detached theology, but through applied and pastoral lenses. Using only Scripture and a classic model of pastoral theology as the framework, this book shows practically how angels are employed by God to bless His church and people as His servant ministers who glorify Him alone.

 

Reviews

"Angels are frequently overlooked in Protestant Christianity, despite their significant place in the Scriptures. Jonathan Macy addresses that oversight with clarity and conviction in this important book. He does so by stressing the pastoral importance of angels as 'ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation' (Heb 1:14). This is theology in service of the Church that pushes back against secular pressure to minimize the heavenly realm, and opens eyes more widely to God's saving activity in the world he loves so much. I hope it will be widely read not only by Christians who are concerned to form a robustly biblical worldview, but also by others who wonder if the material world is all there is." -

Justyn Terry Dean and President Trinity School for Ministry, Ambridge, Pennsylvania

"We live at a time when not since the medieval period has there been such a keen interest in the existence and activity of angels. Much that is written, taught, and believed about angels is gnostic nonsense with disastrous consequences. Dr. Macy's significant study on angels is compellingly written, biblically grounded, pastoral theology of the highest order. It is a thrilling read and will take its place as a standard reference work on the subject."

-Simon Ponsonby Pastor of Theology St. Aldates, Oxford

"When modern theologians can be dismissive of the idea of angels and orthodox evangelicals be uninterested in them, outside the Church there is much post-modern fascination with them, Jonathan Macy helpfully explores the biblical material and the Church's attitude to angels through the centuries with scholarly care. He also offers his own interpretation of that material, providing a stimulus to others to reassess their beliefs in the ministry of angels."

-Michael Perham Bishop of Gloucester

"This book will awaken both your biblical academic knowledge and your deeper spiritual awareness to the role of angels in our lives today. Many books have been written about demons and the deliverance ministry but at last here is an in-depth study of angels and their gift to man. Enjoy!"

-Rachel Hickson Director of HEARTCRY FOR CHANGE

British Church Newspaper (Nov 2011)

When first sent to review this book my immediate reaction was one of deep suspicion and caution. Firstly, the nature of the subject – that of angels, especially given the weird and wonderful excess that have appeared in print of recent years. And secondly, the author coming from the Anglican tradition. Given its present position of a watered down theology, to the outright denial of Biblical truth and morals, makes one most suspicious of anything coming from within its fold.

However, it soon becomes evident that this work on angels is in a league of its own. The author writes from a Biblical evangelical position. I use the word evangelical in its proper sense and context and not in the wacky way it is sometimes portrayed today. We are given a brief overview of how the great theologians of the past have viewed angels and their work. We are then treated to a masterly treatment of how the Bible portrays these rather mysterious and wonderful creatures. Issues such as angels – in the life of Jesus, in healing, sustaining, guiding and reconciliation are covered. Throughout the book the author is very much concerned to demonstrate the role of angels within a pastoral context. The issue of Guardian Angels is one such example. And although somewhat vague is Scripture on that issue, the author presents a clear case for the possibility of their being.

With the ever increasing rise of the ancient heresy of Gnosticism, resulting in a totally unbiblical view of angels, this book comes with remarkable freshness and Biblical clarity. The author clearly knows the subject well and presents it convincingly from scripture. This book will not tickle the ears of those who are after a cheap thrill, one who is after being entertained with fanciful stories of angelic visitations. Such supposed visitations one fears are more from the demonic realm than the heavenly. One needs a clear understanding of their working. Yet if you are interested in what the Bible says on the subject of angels and their role, then this book is an absolute must. If you never read a book on angels, read this one! Although a little pricy for a paperback, it will be worth every penny spent. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Go out and buy!

Rev Stephen Holland (Westhoughton)

Suite 101 (March 2011)

 A new book fills the gap between fanciful philosophy and dry theology by taking a practical, Biblical look at angels.

Angels are mentioned in the Bible over 270 times (600 if you include references to God's “host”), yet Protestant theology and ministry make little reference to them. Into this void have stepped various speculative angel-promoters from New Age, philosophical and paranormal backgrounds, who feed the cravings of anyone eager to personally and autonomously relate the unseen to the material world.

Dr Jonathan Macy, a priest in the Church of England, recognises that angelology has become “a subject of discomfort and ridicule” but has chosen nevertheless to wrestle with it. His methods are very effective: to remind us that “we are not so different from our angelic brethren” and have much to learn from them about persevering, listening, counselling, worshipping, encouraging, and relating, in our daily lives, to individuals and to our community.

Angels are in the Shadow of God's Wings

“Angels are relational beings who, under God, serve God's people.” This emphasis on angels (with humans) coming under the shadow of God's wings -- rather than having any separate authority, as has been more recently implied in spiritual thinking -- is given prominence in the introduction and throughout the book.

Macy first gives an overview of angelic ministry throughout the Bible and spends some time examining the Greek text of the verse in Hebrews that states: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?”

The subsequent chapter considers the history of angelology from Biblical times until today, including Aquinas' study of the nature and knowledge of angels and the Catholic emphasis on angelic ministrations before the Reformation. The author is fair but incisive about Calvin's theological extension of Luther's rejection of angels as intercessors, which has remained the evangelical Protestant standpoint ever since.

Angels Hold Pastoral Roles with Humans

Macy justifies his pastoral approach to understanding angels by pointing out that the Biblical texts show they carry out all four widely accepted human pastoral roles: healing, sustaining, guiding, and reconciling.

His practical approach to how heavenly beings interact with us continues in the fourth chapter when he takes a thorough look at angels in the life of Jesus. “We see no discussions about their creation, nature, fall or organisation, amongst other traditional categories – even though Jesus would know all the answers to these questions. Jesus has no interest in scholastic categories, and never wonders how many angels can dance on the head of a pin!” he notes.

He devotes subsequent chapters to a revealing study of each of the four pastoral roles and how angels carry them out. Macy's style is theologically precise yet touchingly human, no doubt the result of the time he mentions that he has spent working with the elderly, mentally ill and the disabled.

Angels are Our Close Neighbours

Where other Christian writers give an outsider's description, as through binoculars, Macy takes the reader into the presence of angels, introduces us to them and invites the reader to do as they do. Protestants might wonder how they have been neighbours for so long but have barely noticed how important angels are to living the Christian life.

Calvin's single-minded effort to pare the unhealthy excesses of the Catholic church of his time back to the primary means of salvation is at the root of this neglect, Macy argues: ”As a tactic for the period, one can understand it. However, it has never been properly corrected, and continues to be the glasses through which angels are viewed by many.” The author may finally have put this omission right.

Helen Hunter

Read more at Suite101: Angels, Their Pastoral Ministry: A Book Review | Suite101.com 

Paideia Centre For Public Theology (August 2011)

In the Shadow of His Wings: The Pastoral Ministry of Angels - Yesterday, Today and For Heaven

By:  Steve Bishop

Date:  Saturday, August 27th, 2011

Macy, Jonathan. In the Shadow of His Wings: The Pastoral Ministry of Angels - Yesterday, Today and For Heaven. Lutterworth Press 2011. Paperback. Pages xi + 174. ISBN 978-0-7188-68028-5.

How are we to think about angels? There are over 600 references to angels/ hosts in the Scriptures so, as Barth maintains, 'a shrug of the shoulders' is not enough. Macy does more than shrug his shoulders. His 2003 PhD was on 'Angels in the Anglican tradition (1547-1662)' and his 2009 MTh was on 'How does the liturgy of the Church of England present a pastoral theology of the angels?' and now this semi-popular book.

This book is more than an accessible summary of his theses. He focuses on - as the subtitle hints -  the pastoral ministry of angels. For pastoral he takes as his cue the fourfold distinction of Clebsch and Jaekle's Pastoral Care in Historical Perspective of healing, sustaining, guiding and reconciling. These categories provide the framework for chapters 5-8. The first part of the book takes an overview of angelic ministry in the Scriptures, a look at a history of angelogy and a justification for a pastoral theology of angels.

He is careful not to stray from the scriptures. He takes a brief look at the Apocrypha and some Pseudepigraphal material but this is to provide a historical view rather than develop any theology. He is also rightly circumspect as to any sweeping conclusions regarding fallen angels, guardian angels and the identity of the angel of the Lord.

Macy provides an excellent antidote to new age angel worship and some angelic excesses in some Christian traditions. This is a sane and level headed book. There are 4 pages of bibliography, a scripture and name index.

http://www.paideiacentre.ca/story/shadow-his-wings-pastoral-ministry-angels-yesterday-today-and-heaven

Church Times (July 2011)

Mysterious Ministers


AS AN undergraduate, I was involved in a dangerous accident on my bicycle. I was unhurt, unlike the two people to whom the author refers in his introduction. I attributed this escape from injury to a providential interposition by an angel. Thus I read this book with particular interest.

Written in an easy, accessible style, and a fruit of the author’s own spiritual and intellectual journey, it falls roughly into two halves. The first treats the biblical material and other considerations concerning the ministry of angels, the second its application in pastoral terms. The overviews of angelic ministry in the Bible bring the reader’s attention to many of the passages on which the author later draws. Indeed, one of the values of this study is that it makes the reader aware of the richness and variety of the biblical material concerning angels. The chapter tracing the vicissitudes of angels in Christian tradition is, as the author puts it, “a whistle-stop tour of church history”, but there are particularly interesting comments on the views of Luther, Calvin, and Karl Barth. The second half of the book, with its focus on the continuing pastoral ministry of angels, will certainly inform and enrich the devotional life and pastoral ministry of its readers.

There are, however, features of the book which cause hesitation. It seems to assume that the biblical material is uniform, and can be fitted in to a pattern, or “jigsaw”, a term which the author himself uses. There is little or no mention of the fact that biblical material has its roots in a wide variety of cultural back ground; it employs different literary genres; and it contains much that is (or may be) evocative, figurative, and allusive. The author admits that a few references to angels in the OT indicate theophanies; but he does not consider the possibility that angels are not independent beings, but manifestations of God’s presence and activity, sometimes visible only to the eye of faith.

The enduring value of this study, in addition to its help in the practice of pastoral ministry, will be its insistence on the transcendent mystery of him with whom we have to do, and also its opposition to two modern fashions: on the one hand a neglect of angels and, on the other, extravagant speculation about them.

The Rt Revd Alec Graham is a former Bishop of Newcastle.