January 21, 2015 Book Discussion: Lifted by Angels

January 21, 2015 Orthodox Book Discussion (7:00 P.M.) Lifted by Angels by Joel Miller. Begin the new year by exploring “the relationship between people and angels, through the eyes of the early church.” From the bookseller: Heaven is closer than we realize. Its boundaries overlap our own, and angels move in and out of our porous present, this moment that seems to us so solid and concrete. If that reality seems dim to us now, it beamed for the early Christians. Through their writings, sermons, songs, and art, the ancient faithful confessed a powerful and vivid belief that angels help carry us on our journey to God. Rooted in the Scripture and following this ancient understanding, Lifted by Angels reveals: • the role that angels play in the lives of people and in God’s plan of salvation • the different ranks and functions of angels • how Satan and his demons fell from grace and plagued humans • the functions of guardian angels and how God assigns them to fit our personal needs • how guardian angels help us resist evil, temptation, and the devil • the way angels join with us in our prayers, even adding their own to ours • the service angels provide in worship Featuring examples of angels in ancient icons and frescoes and supported by extensive research on the early church and its pastors, poets, theologians, and artists, Lifted by Angels answers universal curiosity about angels and the unseen world, leaving readers inspired and hopeful about the nearness of God. “Joel J. Miller presents us with a vision of angels firmly grounded in salvation history: active at the creation of the world, involved in its fall, ministers in its salvation, servants to the Lord Jesus, harbingers of the age to come. He succeeds brilliantly in rescuing angels from the distorting effects of popular culture and revealing them to be ‘more exciting, more humbling, more inspiring, and ultimately more real’ than we ever imagined.” Metropolitan Savas (Zembillas) of Pittsburgh. Lifted by Angels is available in the church bookstore and library.