Candles and Flames

What is it about candles and flames? In this now un-magical world, candles and flames still seem to have magical and spiritual powers. I remember a time, maybe 5th or 6th grade, when I would write my wishes on pieces of paper and burn them in my garage. I thought that committing them to the flame would, through some unknown process, make them come true. People in many traditions light candles as a vigil, as a prayer, as a way to steady the breath and the heart.


We light candles, two big candles, at the beginning of every worship service. It is the ritual that moves us from ordinary time into exalted time. Words are said at that moment, words that invoke a holy spirit.

In a ritual, meaning is shown in two ways, whenever a candle is lit. One is how it is lit. The other is what it lights.

What does it mean that the candles in the front of the sanctuary are lit, first by me as the minister, and the other by a congregant? What does that suggest? To me, it suggests that we move from the "ordinary" into the "sacred" through ordinary means.

These are not two entirely separate realms of life. What if we had a sacred fire, one we kept burning through the week and never allowed it to go out. What if we lit our sanctuary candles from an eternal flame? That would mean something different, wouldn't it?

Consider, on the other hand, how we light candles from our large candles and then, pass that light hand to hand through the congregation on Christmas Eve? One flame shared, multiplying and spreading, lighting up each other's faces. The motion is "from the one to the many."

On Sunday morning, at 10:05, a member of the Lay Leadership Council will light a flaming chalice, on a table by the door from the Bancroft Room into the sanctuary. This will mark the start of the Time For Community portion of the morning. They will say a few chalice lighting words.

On that table, there will be many small candles or tea-lights. Worshippers are invited to light a tea-light from the chalice and leave it burning on that table.

• Light a candle for someone who is sick, or grieving.

• Light a candle as a family to celebrate a birthday, or a new pet.

• Light a candle to pray for a good outcome on a test.

• Light a candle with your children; let them practice with making a prayer or a wish with ritual.

• Light a candle in memory.

Worshippers can light these candles up through the musical prelude before the service.

There will also be cards on that table, on which you can write down your personal concern. When the service starts, I will collect those cards and may refer to them as we pray together as a congregation in the service. You may identify yourself on the card, or remain anonymous.

I think of that flaming chalice as somehow being all of us, the gathered spirits of our congregation and our tradition. You can light a candle from that strong flame to be a sign of your hope or need. And all those gathered candles are all of us coming together to worship. There is both a motion of the one to the many, and the motion of the many gathered together as one. You do not weaken it all by making a bit of it yours for a moment. We are here to offer you a source of strength and hope and companionship for life's journey. Let these flames be a reminder of that.

I am looking forward to seeing you in church this week.