Thoughts From the Pastor, February 2010

By Pastor Randy Koppen

You may not know it, but I serve as your Sunday acolyte. Acolyte is just a fancy-schmancy word for candle-lighter. Oh, the candles on the altar are not mine to awaken with flame. Those I leave for the sound technician of the day. (It is not that I couldn’t but, I would likely forget to extinguish them and our insurance company might have some difficulties with that.) I am the one who lights the two candles in the lobby and usually at least some of the candles in the folding candle partition.
It is a mindless job (you know I can hear you thinking that I am well suited for the task.) I used to go through several matches but now have succumbed to the newer convention of using a long lighter. Even then I have found that the charge of lighting the candles is time consuming. There are 42 candles in all. (I confess that I don’t always light the whole partition-it is just too exhausting….) Once you point the lighter downward the flame gets less oxygen and so it diminishes its ability to set the wick with light.

Wicks are a whole other business. The new candles usually have bent wicks that first have to be positioned upward. This may fascinate you (I know it fascinates me) that those little “tea lights” (another fancy-schmancy term for little-candles –in- aluminum- tins- that -don’t- last- too- long- but- cost- more- than- they- are- worth) have a waxy coating on them which doesn’t allow for them to easily ignite. No, you have to position them upward. Then you also have to take extra time to set them aflame because that waxy stuff has to be melted off first before the candle will begin to begin. (I told you that you would be fascinated.)

The candles that have been previously lit are much more responsive to the light. The wick doesn’t look so appealing (just for fun, take a bunch of old tea lights, shake them in a bag so that pieces of wicks break off and then take those wick pieces and put them atop some furniture or in some drawers of people who think that mice are not cute little creatures.) However if you just hold the flame close to the wick it will usually light right up. Whatever the reason the light was extinguished in the first place- they are much quicker to respond to the light than the new ones.

It got me thinking (I can still hear you) that these candles have quite a bit in common with our mission to reach new people for Christ. Those new candles need more attention and time. Their wicks have to be positioned “upwards.” God will use some event or person (maybe you) to begin the process of repositioning their “wick” to be more receptive to receiving the light. Even after they are in a better arrangement there is still that waxy coating- that translucent mess that prevents them for a time to accept the light. Maybe it is a lack of knowledge, but more likely it is some hurts or disappointments that they associate with the church or even with God. Finally if new candles are only lit for a few moments- it is much harder for them to be re-lighted in the future.

Those candles with old wicks – people who once were connected to God and a community of faith, but are no longer – they are just waiting for someone to come close and bring the light to them. While they might want to converse about how the light went out in the first place, they are usually very receptive to being “on fire” once again with the light. Pay special attention to those with short wicks-because the flame tends to melt more wax than they can initially handle. In other words, be patient and watch that they don’t get smothered by too much churchy-ness. In time their lights can burn just as brightly.

It is my prayer that you will be an acolyte in the places where you live and play and work. Wouldn’t it be hot if we followed God’s calling to lead one person to be ignited in the fire of God’s grace and glory?

You are here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept… Now that God has put you on a hilltop, on a light stand-shine! Keep an open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 The Message

God’s Peace,
Pastor Randy