Psalm 100:3 says “Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” 1 Corinthians 12:12 says “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.”
We are the Body of which the Lord is Head, He wills us to be a family, diverse yet truly one. Let us give our gifts to God, so his work on earth will be done.[1]
Each ember loses fire yet joined in one the flame burns on to give warmth and light.[1]
The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple, the church is not a resting place, the church is a people.[2]
So is it here in the Washington DC metropolitan region and around the world. Let us join together and discover the gifts and resources each of us, our congregations and our non-profit ministries have to share with others.
Does a candle burn less brightly after lighting another candle?
Ref 1: “We Are God’s People” by Bryan Jeffery Leech, 1976
Ref 2: “We Are the Church” by Richard K. Avery and Donald S. Marsh, 1972
David Robert Lambert 
2011/03/04 at 22:55 |
During the US Civil War it was common for the Yanks to come upon a deserted Johnny Reb camp…they would carefully count the gobs of wax and string (candles) that they found scattered about and then do the math…every two gobs of wax and string (candles) represented two candle holders…two candle holders meant one squad…early in the war the Yanks often lost the battle. It wasn’t until the mid 1860s after prisoner of war camps began to spring up that the Yanks figured out Johnny Reb had used these gobs of wax and string (candles) not as lights but to make bow strings so they could hunt deer and find food.
When you place wax and string next to each other you might have the makings of a candle…you might also have the makings of a strong bow string. When we look at a candle we just assume it was created to caste light because we are standing in the dark.
A candle’s greatest purpose is not to create light…it’s simply to be a glob of wax and a string. We only see its utility as a candle yet the glob of wax and string clearly have other purposes…all great.
You are known as the webmaster. You are also a chef, a husband, a dad, a lay evangelist, and a friend. Your purpose is to be a man.
Sadly when we gather we look around the room and a “leader” picks various gobs of wax and strings and makes a candle(s)…simply because he invited people to come make a candle. Not everyone that was invited was a gob of wax or a string…some were holders, some were matches, some were fragrance, but they got left out. Oh don’t worry, another gathering will be held …they’ll get a turn because its assumed that a match can only light the candle or its assumed that a holder can only hold a candle, or its assumed that fragrance could only make a candle smell good. After awhile those who can’t help the candle or the “leader” simply stop coming. In such gatherings the “leader” asks “what” and the result is a problem gets solved and the group’s ability is determined by how often the group can continue to come up with balls of wax, string, matches, and holders.
When we gather in mutual respect, hospitality, and generosity, there is no need for a “leader”…all present gather because of possibility not because of a specified task. We don’t gather to make a candle …it doesn’t matter if one is a ball of wax, a string, a holder, a match, or a tire…all have value and a role in making a possibility become reality. The “leader” asks “how” and the group’s ability is determined by who they invite. Inviting more and more people only results in the need for a larger room, unless of course we carefully invite those who will share and create capacity.
Don’t assume a candle’s purpose is to be lit and don’t assume what you need determines a person’s purpose.
2011/03/04 at 16:53 |
You present a very interesting thought that some candles may not want to be lit. It sits on the shelf looking pretty, unaware that it can shine light on others. It is unaware that it has a greater purpose if lit or if it is aware, it chooses not to be a benefit to others even though it has a wick and was designed to be lit.
2011/03/04 at 15:33 |
Super questions … I’ve been reflecting on your visual of what happens to two candles when one lit candle shares his flame with an unlit candle.
When my wife and I were married we had large purple and white candles on each table — they were unlit simply because the fire marshal informed us at the last moment that as a safety precaution, we had to place a nonflammable plate under each candle. We never had any intent to light our candles — we were outside, the wind would have blown most of them out. We left the candles in place yet their color, size, smell etc. helped create the atmosphere we desired. If we only had enough plates for half of those candles, half would have been either lit or unlit and we would have created a different atmosphere. If we had enough plates for each candle, each would have been lit and again a new atmosphere would have been created.
When we pass a flame we are simply being charitable — we assume the unlit candle wants or needs to be lit so we try to fix it. When we view first build on relationship/dialogue from a position of hospitality, generosity, and mutual respect, both determine how a flame and an unlit candle can/will create a new circumstance.