Lights in the darkness

Once a month the three church communities within the village (Anglican, Baptist and Catholic) put on a joint event called Oasis Tea. We avoid putting ages on our publicity ('for the over 55s' etc) but Oasis generally (but not exclusively) attracts the more senior members of our community.

Each month one of the churches is 'in charge' and responsible for the refreshments as well as leading a short 'service'. This includes a short prayer, a couple of traditional hymns, a Bible reading and a short talk. The themes for our talks are put together at the beginning of the year and sometimes link in the with the church calendar. Several times I have had to put my talk together with 'Wikipedia' and 'Google' working overtime as I have no idea about dates in the Anglican or Catholic calendar!

My last Oasis of the year was back in September and coincided with Michaelmas Day. Anything I can tell you about Michaelmas will come straight from Wikipedia so if you want to know more you know where to look!

One of the themes though, which is a familiar picture throughout the Bible is the battle between 'light' and 'dark'. Some of the traditions around this day are to do with seeking God's protection over the winter months with the long, dark nights. In the New Testament Jesus is described as the 'Light of the World' which is a theme that we will pick up again at Christmas.

One of the things that I like to do at Oasis is a simple take-home craft. Expanding the idea that often our newspapers often seem full of bad news, and that as Christians we have the capacity to punch holes in the darkness, we made small pyramid-shaped lamps.

If you wanted to make one for yourself transfer the pattern below onto the paper you want to use.

I used A4 paper with newsprint photocopied on to it just to give it a bit of extra strength.

Cut it out, fold and stick the triangle sections together - but do not put any glue on the tabs around the square base.

Place a battery powered tea-light on the square base and bring the pyramid over the top - sliding the long tab under the base to stop the top popping open again. There is no need to use glue on this part - otherwise you won't be able to open the lid and turn your tea-light off!

Please don't try this with a real tea-light and a naked flame! It won't end well.

Happy Candlemas Day

Happy Candlemas Day.

Depending on your church tradition you may or may not know what Candlemas is. I'd certainly never heard of it until last week when I was asked to take a school assembly tomorrow - on the theme of Candlemas. It was a case of asking Google, consulting Wikipedia and messaging some of my Anglican friends via Facebook. How did we survive before the internet?

Candlemas is the celebration of the baby Jesus being presented in the temple - a story that we read about in Luke 2:22-38. I'd always linked this account with the previous verse - Jesus' circumcision that took place when Jesus was eight days old. But a proper reading of this text and a knowledge of the purification regulations - which, if you're following the Read Scripture plan you would have read this morning, from Leviticus 12 - show that these events take place 40 days after Jesus' birth. Once the church began celebrating Jesus' birth on 25 December, the events of Luke 2 are then celebrated on 2 February.

This is a story that reminds us of God's faithfulness - Simeon had been waiting for the fulfilment of God's promise to him, and now that God has fulfilled his promise Simeon is ready to die in peace.

Simeon also declares that Jesus is the 'light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel'.

This theme of Jesus as the light is one that runs throughout Scripture - and this will probably be the focus of my assembly tomorrow. Torches show us the way in the dark; night lights provide comfort and assurance in the dark; birthday candles provide joy at a time of celebration; warning lights highlight danger ahead. All of these reveal different aspects of who Jesus is. He is the one who shows us the way. At those times of sadness and darkness in our lives he provides comfort. He is the one who can give us deep joy. But he is also the one who warns us of what is to come.

I guess the candles come in with this theme of light - and Candlemas was the service where all the candles that were going to be used in the church throughout the coming year would be brought into the church and blessed.

There are also some more interesting superstitions that built up around Candlemas.

Given that the sky is blue and the sun is shining outside the office I guess that means that we're in for another cold snap sometime soon! There are also other links between Candlemas and signs of the coming spring - Candlemas day is supposed to be the day that bears come out of hibernation. It is also groundhog day!

So why is it that I've never heard of Candlemas? I don't know but I'm assuming that it's another one of the those cases where babies got thrown out with the bath water. With it's links to the purification of the virgin Mary, the blessing and parading of candles, the association with pagan superstitions regarding the seasons and the weather, and the celebrating of Jesus' birth on 25 December, the emerging non-conformist churches distanced themselves and in the process lost the opportunity, during the dark days of winter, to celebrate Jesus - the light of the world.

So if you get a chance later, why not light a candle, and give thanks for Jesus - light of the world.

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it...the true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. John 1:5 & 9.

Don't slip up - walk on a Christian

In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus describes his disciples as salt and light.

Salt provides flavour to food; it was used as a preservative in the days before fridges; it can be used to clean wounds; it melts ice to keep pavements safe. Therefore disciples are those who add flavour to society making it 'taste' better. They stop the rot. They bring healing. They will stop you slipping over if you walk on them in the snow.

It is possible that Jesus had the first three of these images in mind in Matthew 5 - it is unlikely that the final image occurred to any of his listeners, but I might be wrong.

Light allows us to see, so that when we walk we don't bump into things or fall over. It allows us to find things that may otherwise be hidden. It is attractive - when you are lost in the mountains you will walk towards a light. So disciples are those who show the way and are attractive to others.

We can't know for sure whether Jesus had one or more of these images in his mind as he spoke about salt and light. But taken as a whole these are positive images. A disciple should have a positive impact on the society in which she or he lives. A disciple will make a difference.

What difference will we make today?