Does the Reformed Church believe in angels?

Yes, the RCA does. But what that belief entails is not quite so clear.

My first response to this question, this month of angels, is to smile. I am always glad to realize that the existence of angels, or God for that matter, is no way affected by whether we believe in them or not. But after the smile comes a bit of a sigh. For, although I have never heard about a report or paper expressing our belief concerning angels, I want to confess with the man who came to Jesus in order to have his daughter healed, "I believe; help my unbelief."

It is difficult not to believe in angels after you see the generous sprinkling of them throughout Scripture. The Hebrews, who saw the regional rulers of the Middle East maintain all kinds of messengers and agents, couldn't help but believe that the monarch of the universe would also be surrounded by invisible agents and messengers ready to carry out the divine will. Old Testament scenes are filled with seraphim and cherubim, and with mysterious strangers appearing to share surprising news. For the Hebrews, belief in angels was not so much faith in a supernatural world, but belief in a very natural extension of the world around them. Angels served a multitude of purposes., but primarily were seen as worshipers in the heavenly courts or messengers from the cosmic king to the faithful living in the world.

At times, the line between God and angels blurred, however, and angels simply became the expression or extension of the divine. For instance, in the story of Moses and the burning bush, Moses turned toward the bush because "an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire." But once Moses arrived on holy ground, it was God who called to him out of the bush.

The biblical witness concerning angels is quite clear and convincing,. "I believe; help my unbelief." The unbelief steals into the hearts of those of us who have no experience with angels. Indeed, in twenty years of ministry, angels have played a very insignificant role in the faith of those I have served. Folks talk often about God?s presence. People search for God?s will and strive to feel God?s peace, but, quite frankly, seldom talk about angels. It was theologian and scholar Karl Barth who observed concerning angels: We know nothing of their essential being and its particular nature. We know nothing of their mutual relationship and distinction. We know nothing of the way in which they are a totality yet distinct. But we do know that even in the mystery of their being, they exist in and with the kingdom of God coming and revealed to us... They are in the service of God.

Barth's note of caution and faith is an important one for us to hear. It leads me to one puzzling "angelic" concern. I continue to hear on occasion conversations about a person?s "guardian angel." Somewhere, somehow, the idea of everyone having an angel to watch over them has become fairly popular and accepted. I search in vain for such a vision in Scripture. To be sure, angels would occasionally guard and protect, but there is no well-developed concept that says that each of us has an angel watching over him or her.

What we have of course is far more important, and that is a God who never deserts us. We need not settle for an agent, when the monarch is so near. Do I believe in angels? I believe that God is closer to me than my very breath. I believe that God brushes past my soul and sparkles in the warmth of a peaceful moment. I believe that the songs sung on a Palestinian hillside long ago have found their way into the heart of my life, and at the most surprising times I find myself humming along.

The Rev. Dr. Gregg Mast is pastor of First Church in Albany, New York.