Week 1 October 2026 – REFLECTION ON LESSON LEARNED FROM ANGELS

And they were calling to one another, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’”  Isaiah 6:3

As a reader of Charles H. Spurgeon’s daily devotions for many years, I finally switched to those of Alistair Begg and Timothy Keller.  The latter was the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City.  He was the author of more than thirty books that sold over six million copies and had been translated into more than twenty-nine languages.  After a three-year battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, Keller died in May 2023 at the age of 72.  Married to his wife Kathy for 48 years, they had three children.  As Timothy lay dying, he said to his oldest son, “There is no downside for me leaving, not the slightest.”  In his book on death, he encouraged his readers to grief deeply, but added, “Sorrow does not have to be wasted, when looking to Jesus, suffering can produce patience, spiritual depth, and joy.”

For years a friend had sent me his sermon tapes, but when Zondervan in 2024 published a compilation of Keller’s teachings, “Go Forward in Love,” I jumped at the chance to buy it. As expected, I now daily profit from his observations on a variety of topics, the most recent on “Encounters with Jesus,” and Prayer.  In mid August I read, “Praying with One Another,” and was struck immediately by his reminder that the Lord’s Prayer was given to us “in plural form.”   Prayer therefore is not strictly a private matter, he concluded, and encouraged Christians to pray together with others in both formal and informal settings.  “By praying with friends, you will be able to hear and see facets of Jesus that you have not yet perceived.”

It blew me away when Keller quoted from Isaiah that angels are crying, “Holy, Holy, Holy...TO ONE ANOTHER!  Each angel is communicating to all the rest the part of the glory it sees.  Knowing the Lord is communal and cumulative, we must pray and praise together.  That way the more we share the Heavenly Bread between us, the more we shall all have.”

Before Covid wreaked havoc with communal settings, three amazing women responded to my invitation to meet weekly at my home on Saturdays at two o’clock for prayer.  And what Keller said came exactly true for us.  The meeting started with a portion of Scripture the Lord graciously provided, in order not to pray from circumstances or personal agendas.  We drank water, but had no snacks that would lead to chatting.  The fellowship enabled by the Holy Spirit was refreshing and glorious, to say it in God-speak.  Shortly after we had to pause, one woman died and one moved out of state with her husband.

I don’t read minds and have no idea if this sparks any kind of interest.  Advanced age and moving from the hare into the turtle stage prevent me from doing this again.  But I yearn with all my heart that many would join me in marveling that angels were calling to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”