Church Signs
& Symbols: CANDLES 2 Have
you ever considered all the symbolic meanings there are
for having candles in church? Often
at a Baptism service where there are many non-church
people, the vicar will use the reading where Jesus says
he is the 'Light of the World'. To
explain the value of this, one vicar even built an
obstacle course in church and invited the children to
have a go at it. Then they were made to do it again
blindfolded; with the help of the godparents to hold
their hand and talk them through it. At
the end the vicar asked: 'Which was easier? When
you could see the obstacles or when you were in the
dark?' Needless to say one helpful child loudly
said the answer not wanted! But the point? Having
God in our lives does not make the obstacles go away, but
we can see them better and so deal with them or avoid
them. Candles
can represent the light of life itself; hope, like
a single flame flickering in the darkness. We light
a candle to help us think of someone special; we
keep a light burning to help others guide their way home.
Lights direct people's attention to what we want them to
notice – perhaps to a person speaking or to an item
on display. The
candle can be an illustration of Christ - the wax
symbolizes Jesus' body born of Mary, the wick his soul,
the flame his divinity, thus giving us the Mystery of the
Incarnation; the presence of God, who gives light to us,
who enlightens us by his word. The
flickering candle flame can show the fragility of life,
and the ease with which it can be snuffed out. Or
it can be burning love; consuming love; the easy passing
of love one to another as the flame is easily passed to
another candle; we are not alone. It's
light to lighten our darkness; moving out of darkness
into light, for we make progress in our faith - we do not
stay still. From
as far back as the second century the church has used
lights to represent the spiritual side of our nature and
of Christ's. Tertullian wrote: "We never hold
a service without candles, yet we use them not just to
dispel night's gloom - we also hold our services in
daylight - but in order to represent by this Christ, the
Uncreated Light, without whom we would in broad daylight
wander as if lost in darkness." And
so it goes on. This
month Light
a candle in church or at home and just think and watch it
for a while. Just enjoy being in the light of God's
presence. ACTS
FOR TODAY: 'The Growing Church in the Acts of the
Apostles' No.
2: The Church at Prayer When
you consider your own church, what are the important
things you do together? Prayer was a clearly a priority
for the early church, and we shouldn't be surprised that
it grew significantly!! Also when prayer becomes a
priority for our churches, it will become more important
in the lives of Christians. We
read about the *
it arose naturally from their circumstances (23) We
go on to read 'they were all filled with the Holy Spirit,
and spoke the word of God boldly' (31). Prayer is the
gateway to spiritual power for witness and healing. A
survey several years ago revealed that the average
Christian prayed for one minute a day, while the average
minister for two minutes! Therefore, turning the tide of
apathy and scepticism in our generation will not happen
without fervent prayer. When they prayed, 'the place
where they were meeting was shaken' (31); to what extent
do we need to be shaken out of our complacency today? STATISTIC
OF THE MONTH: Decline in The
number of Mission Workers (as missionaries are now called)
went down 500 from the total of 7,000 in 2003 to 6,500 in
2004. This was partly because a number who had been
serving for a long time overseas retired, but also
because of a shortage in short-term recruits last year. Those
going abroad to help in However,
important as short-termers are, those staying for longer
(who will usually spend time learning the local language)
are very important for building lasting relationships.
They can encourage churches in evangelism, or help
professionally in a wide range of key ways. The average
length of service is now 7.4 years, possibly two terms of
4 years before people come home. By
Dr Peter Brierley Executive Director, Christian Research Cathedrals
count! - New
research reveals economic and social value of Nearly
nine million people visited This
is just one of many compelling findings in a recent
report on the value of The
research, commissioned jointly by English Heritage and
the Association of English Cathedrals, provides the first
comprehensive evidence of the substantial economic and
social contribution made by cathedrals in their local
communities. Cathedrals
are first and foremost places of worship, and well
recognised as places of great spirituality and beauty,
but until now little consideration has been given to the
boost that their presence gives to the local economy and
the range of opportunities they offer for education,
events and volunteering. Simon
Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said:
"Our cathedrals are at the very heart of The
Very Revd Colin Slee, Dean of Southwark and a member of
the Association of English Cathedrals Executive, said:
"We welcome this report... It underlines the key
role played by Highlights
of the research: *
Visitors attracted to an area by the presence of a
cathedral spend £91 million in the local economy per
year. When the amount cathedrals themselves spend on
goods, services and employment is taken into account the
figure rises to £150 million per year. *
The 42 Anglican cathedrals account collectively for the
direct employment of 1,885 full time workers. Through
spending in the local economy they support 5,500 workers
in total. *
Cathedrals provide huge opportunities for volunteers and
benefit significantly from their time and skills. The
survey suggests that the number of cathedral volunteers
is in excess of 12,000. This is equivalent to over 500
full time employees and is more than the total number of
volunteers for the RSPB across the *
The cathedrals spend approximately £25.9 million per
year on wages and salaries. *
Cathedrals spend £11 million per year on repairs and
maintenance, much of it raised from the public. *
Cathedrals are open 365 days a year. They are open to all
and have more contact with non-churchgoers than any other
part of the Church. *
More than 300,000 schoolchildren benefited from organised
educational visits to cathedrals in 2003. *
All but five of the smaller cathedrals have a designated
education officer. *
All cathedrals have, on average, between three and five
special events (concerts, plays, lectures, art
exhibitions etc) per week. More than 50% reported an
increase in the number of events they hold. *
Almost 50% of the cathedrals reported an increasing trend
in congregation size with attendance at its highest on
Sundays. *
An average of 23 regular services takes place at each
cathedral every week and an increasing number of requests
for special services were reported. *
The report concludes that there is a pressing need to
reinforce these findings with more in-depth research.
It suggests that future research should focus on the
characteristics of visitors to cathedrals, such as age
and nationality, for which there is currently a lack of
information. While
many people have intuitively understood the value of
cathedrals, until now their wider social contribution has
been largely overlooked. For the first time, this new
research puts figures on the significant economic and
social contribution made by cathedrals locally and
nationally. It demonstrates the need to treasure and
protect these great buildings, so that they can maintain
their invaluable contribution to the nation's life. Preparing
for emergencies? – now there is an alternative The
Government's 'Preparing for Emergencies' document has
sparked a vivid response from two faith-based
organisations. Premier
Christian Radio and the Christian Publicity Organisation
(CPO) have joined forces to launch their own version:
'Preparing for emergencies - an alternative guide.' This
eight-page booklet, explaining a Christian response to
emergency situations, aims to present hope to readers
facing a crisis. The
booklet is available free from Premier Lifeline on 0845
345 0707. Multiple copies in packs can be ordered from
CPO on 01903 263354 or www.cpo-online.org.uk. |