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The church is on fire! There have been at
least two occasions when we have experienced a
smoke-filled church caused by small, easily
extinguished fires, but those are not the
subject of these notes. As we approach the
Day of Pentecost, we naturally think of the
symbolism of flames and fire in our worship.
Light is prominent in Christian theology, for
Christ is the Light of the World. It is
natural, therefore, that candles and torches
serve as symbolic interpretation in worship.
Pentecost, with its representations of the
fire of the Spirit, enriched by the fervent
red of courage and martyrdom, is not the only
time fire is an emblem of our faith. Consider
these customary and seasonal uses.
An “eternal light” sanctuary lamp hangs in the
chancel, its flame representing God’s presence
with us in his house. Torches stand on either
side of the processional cross, and are
lighted to signal the beginning and end of
communal worship. In many places, moveable
torches are carried in the entrance procession
and to the midst of the assembly for the
reading of the Gospel. Candles are important
indicators of sacramental observation. Two
candles on the altar are lit when the
Sacrament of the Altar is celebrated, and the
importance of our union with Christ at Baptism
is signified by the Paschal Candle burning
beside the font, with individual baptismal
candles presented to the baptized. Sometimes,
lighted candles are held by those renewing
their baptismal vows at the Vigil of Easter,
All Saints or Pentecost, and during the Rite
of Confirmation.
During Advent, the worship space includes the
ever-increasing light of the Advent wreath as
well as the eventual lighting of the Christmas
tree. Evening services begin with the
Service of Light, and candles glow in the
winter darkened windows. At Christmas, the
Christ Candle represents the Incarnation of
Christ, born among us and one of us. On
Christmas Eve, we each hold a small part of
that light, acknowledging that the Light of
the World is ours to carry and to share.
During Epiphany, some religious communities
also carry individual lights in celebration of
Jesus’ Presentation in the Temple, on February
2, also known as Candlemas.
The dark days of Lent are represented by a
drab candle burned during midweek worship. We
remove the worship lights from the sanctuary
at the end of the Maundy Thursday service in
preparation for the impending darkness of the
Order of Tenebrae on Good Friday. At the end
of that solemn sequence, all light has been
removed as we meditate on our lonely
helplessness without Christ. The return of
the Christ Candle symbolizes hope as we wait
for the dawn of Easter. The first liturgical
act of Easter is the “striking of the new
fire” during the Easter Vigil, followed
immediately with the lighting of the Paschal
Candle. This large candle bears symbols of
Christ’s crucifixion, the letters Alpha
and Omega, meaning Christ is the
beginning and end of all things, and the
numerals of the current anno Domini,
year of Our Lord. It burns until the reading
of the Ascension Gospel, and represents the
presence of the risen Christ among his
disciples. As the flame is extinguished, the
rising smoke is a visual reminder of the
Ascension, and the cloud that hid Jesus from
the disciples’ sight. Soon we come again to
Pentecost, when the flame of the indwelling
Spirit emboldens the Church.
As we worship together, keep your senses tuned
to the visual and verbal references to light
and fire. The liturgy is filled with
scriptural, symbolic and literal flames. May
they brighten all our days and enlighten our
spirits.
Bev Wick, Worship Committee
Light most blessed, shine with grace
In our heart’s most secret place,
Fill your faithful through and through. . .
Nothing thrives apart from you!
Twelfth Century Sequence
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