When I was in Grade 9, I worked after school for my mother’s daycare centre. Since her centre was not that far from my school, I used to walk to from school to the centre along a busy street. During my walk I could think about the day that had past, about my homework and about life in general.
One day, as I was walking, I heard a faint voice calling out, “Richard! Richard!” I looked around but could see no one. The voice called out a second time, this time a little louder, “Richard! Richard!” Once again I looked around but could see no one. I even looked up into the sky and wondered whether some celestial being was calling to me, but the sky was empty. I kept walking. The day had heated up a little and walking was not as pleasant as it might have been.
Suddenly the voice shouted right next to me, “Richard! Are you deaf or are you ignoring me?” And there, at the side of the road, was Jim, a friend from school, leaning out of the open window of his mother’s car. “I’ve been calling you for the last five minutes,” Jim said, “Do you want a ride or not?” I decided to take the divine hint and got in the car.
Sometimes we forget that God’s messengers come to us in unexpectedly. The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews reminds his readers of Abraham and Sarah to whom three angels appeared in the guise of travellers: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13.2 NRSVue) They are unexpected because they do not appear to us in flames of fire and with wings of light. They come to us in the persons of family and friends, co-workers and even strangers on the street who speak a word to us that we needed to hear.
When I was in seminary, one of my professors, Jim Griffiss, used to call on me in class by saying, “Dr Leggett, do you have something to add?” I was afraid that he was making fun of me, so I asked him once why he did so. He answered, “Because you are called to be a teacher and I expect you will eventually earn your doctorate.” At the time my goal was to be a parish priest, but Jim was right. He spoke a word to me even before my own heart and mind had turned to consider such a future.
We miss these angels who come to us unknown, because we have forgotten that the word ‘angel’ simply means ‘messenger’. To be sure, most of the angels we encounter in the Scriptures are awe-inspiring, even frightening beings who are sent from God to warn, to encourage and to judge. But angels are also those persons who speak the truth to us when we are not ready to hear it. They are the voices that sometimes speak words of hope to us when we are struggling to see a way forward in our lives.
We had two such angels come to the Church of the Epiphany on Tuesday evening. Their names are Annelise and Sydney and they are members of Purpose Driven Developments, our diocesan real estate consultants. I say that Annelise and Sydney are angels because they are messengers of hope after the disappointment of the last couple of years.
Much of what they shared with us on Tuesday I cannot yet share with you. We still have many questions to ask, options to explore and paths forward to discern, so it would not be helpful to lay those out before you now. But what I can say is this: We are beginning to see a path forward for us that offers a way for us to serve this neighbourhood and to strengthen the many years of ministry our Parish has undertaken here. It is a sustainable path that will honour our past, increase our vitality and make the best use of our strategic location in Guildford.
Over the coming months we hope to be able to share more with all of you. But, as the prophet Habakkuk says, “For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2.3 NRSVue) Our task, as we await for this vision to be realized, is to remain faithful in the work God has given us to do in this time and place. We will continue to pave the way for our new Rector by taking care of our neighbourhood, by caring for our families and children, by proclaiming the good news of God in Christ through Word and Sacrament.
In the meantime, let’s keep our eyes and our ears and our hearts open. There will be other angels, perhaps even ones who will help us, like they did for Jacob, to see that we are on holy ground where God brings help, hope and home. For surely, my friends, this is a house for God, a place where God’s glory shines.
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