Post #281
December 22, 2019
Lynda writes “spare poems & thoughtful essays.” NLS (BARD)
The Angel Candle
Hallelujah, I Believe
Listen to this song now – Click here!
The Angel Candle
by Lynda McKinney Lambert
GEdited
Light the Angel Candle with anticipation
that something miraculous will happen.
Angels are celestial messengers,
Some FACTS about Angels:
Angels are God’s creations.
They are not human.
They were never human.
A human can never turn into an angel.
Angels are distinctly different than humans –
Often Angels are much larger, not male or female.
Angels have supernatural powers.
Angels don’t die.
They are on assignment from God.
Angels appear throughout the records of human history. Numerous encounters between humans and angels are recorded over centuries of time and in all cultures.
What do angels look like?
Angels are not the little baby-like chubby creatures flying through the air and even doing mischievous acts. Those are actually puti (or puto, if there are more than one of them). They date back to pagan antiquity, and mythology. The little frolicking creatures are associated with the Greek god, Dionysius, who is typically shown as in a drunken stupor, often with goats.
Angels are also not the cheerful-looking smiling, chubby faces with wings, often depicted on Christmas wrapping paper and cards. We can find splendid carvings of disembodied smiling faces with wings on each side, even in churches. I’ve seen such carved images in many churches in my travels. Such creatures are actually cherubs.
Christmas celebrations of past years linger in little snippets, layered and overlapped like Christmas melodies playing one by one. Our celebrations change over the years as we mature.
One thing that endures is our love
for Christmas music.
Music lifts our spirit and brings to mind what this season is really about – the birth of Jesus. I’ve included a recording of a special ?Christmas song at the beginning of this article, and at the end of it. I hope you will enjoy the music as you read. Relax and pause to think about what all of this really means to all humanity.
The seasonal music evokes memories
of our walk with Jesus over our lifetime.
As Christians ight the Angel candle this year,
they may read this scripture from Matthew 11:28-29 (New American Standard Bible (NASB)
28 “Come to Me, all [a]who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Our own stories of loneliness and isolation come to mind.
In December 1991, my husband and I were living in a new place, far away from family and friends. Two months before Christmas, we moved across the country where we began new jobs.
Everything in our world changed. We were familiar with changing seasons and I love winters that sparkle with ice and falling snow for Christmas.
This new place was hot and sunny. Walking in the sunshine felt strange. I thought. No snow for Christmas? Something is missing.
We felt lonely and homesick. I decided to make a Christmas card and write a Christmas Letter to friends and family.
I looked outside our bedroom window one night and saw the full moon shining from behind the evergreen tree. It was so breathtaking that I did a quick sketch of what I saw that night. I made a series of woodcut prints of this scene, and that was the Christmas card I sent to everyone in 1991.
I also wrote a special poem and included it with the card. I thought about the heavenly gift of angels and wrote about what they meant to me.
I found comfort in knowing that God sent angels to make the announcements for the birth of Jesus.
I knew Angels were with me during the most challenging Christmas of my life. I wrote that we can find peace and comfort when we consider the role of angels in our own life. My handmade card and my poem were our message to those we loved.
In the historical accounts of angels interacting with humans, we always find that the angels always have to say, “Fear not,” for an angel must be a sight that is beyond our imagination to encounter.
Some examples from Biblical sources:
Luke 2:10-11 (KJV)
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Fear Not!
Let’s take a look at the entire scene that night. Not only did the Angel appear, but it was accompanied by an entire group of others.
“Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.
When a celestial messenger appears, as they did in every Biblical recording of the birth of Jesus, something miraculous was about to happen. The angel comes to bring the news and prepare the humans for the discovery of a miraculous event, or to save someone from disaster.
Christians use Advent wreaths in their homes and in the churches. That candle lighting ceremony is a celebration of the events leading up to the birth of Jesus. It is a symbolic way of remembering the past and connections the stories have to our present time.
Eventually, I discovered my own calling in my writing and art life.
I am a keeper of memories – one who brings memories to life through images, stories and poems. The themes of my creative work bring back memories. From the time my first book was published in 2002, I began to understand my own personal pilgrimage. In each remembrance, I look for the BEAUTY that is there to be discovered. My body of work is a celebration of Creation and recognition of my own encounters with God across a lifetime.
Please enjoy a Christmas song that describes the encounter with Angels in a field near Bethlehem one dark night. I have given you the link below so you can listen.
“Angels, from the Realms of Glory ,” with David Archuleta and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
What’s next?
One final white candle remains inside the center of the Advent wreath. The Jesus Candle will be lit on Christmas day.
When you become aware of the presence of Angels in your own life, you will see that they continue to guard or rescue us during challenging periods of our life journey.
We can continue to expect the miraculous and eternal gifts of hope, peace, joy and love through the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Fear not! I love this quote by Jesus as it was written by one of Jesus’ disciples, Matthew.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” ~ Matthew 11:28 (NASB)
We have nothing to fear because there are angelic beings that surround us and intervene on our behalf. I had a personal encounter one night with an Angel and I will tell that story next year – so be sure to come back after the beginning of 2020 for more.
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If you missed any of the Advent articles you can visit the links below.
#1: The Candle of Hope , Part 1: Read Part 1 Here!
The Candle of Hope, Part 2: Read Part 2 Here!
#2: The Candle of Preparation: Read it here!
@3: The Shepherds Candle: Read it here!
#4: The Angel Candle: Read it here!
#5: The Jesus Candle:
Author’s Note:
An earlier version of this article is in my book, Walking by Inner Vision: Stories & Poems, DLD Books, 2017. Take me to it!
Revised: December 21, 2019.
Copyright, 2019. Lynda McKinney Lambert.
All rights reserved. You may share my stories, poems and photos but honor my Copyright, please.
I Love You for That!
For the Authors Page for Lynda McKinney Lambert, go to: http://www.dldbooks.com/lyndalambert
“Lynda McKinney Lambert writes spare poems & thoughtful personal essays.” NLS (BARD)
You can READ my book, Walking by Inner Vision: Stories & Essays, on BARD.
It is listed as: DB11608
