November 2015
The Pastor’s Ponderings Pastor David’s cell phone—348-330-4170 and email address—fleeneda@gmail.com Quick! What do the four candles mean on the Advent wreath? Depending on the church you grew up in, the meaning could be different: Hope, Preparation, Joy, and Love; Prophet, Bethlehem, Shepherd, and Angel; or if you grew up in a church like I did, simply 1st Sunday in Advent, 2nd Sunday in Advent, and so on. When Sarah and I attended an Advent Planning workshop in Indianapolis on October 24th, and heard Dr. Hank Langknecht, a professor at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, speak on these symbols, we realized how much we have tended to take them for granted. We church people consider ourselves “in the know”. We think we have them figured out. But the symbols of Advent (and the Christian faith in general) are much bigger than we think they are. What if we simply allowed the symbols and words of Advent speak on their own? What if we allowed
ourselves to encounter the season on its own terms, rather than using our own meanings to explain the symbols away? Perhaps we might come to a fuller appreciation of the depth of our faith. Candles, for about two thousand years, were one of the few sources of artificial light. When Christians worshiped, they used candles to lighten the darkness. Over time, candles acquired additional meaning. Candles lighten the darkness, and Jesus is the light of the world; therefore, candles became associated with the light of Jesus Christ. (As an example, I was told in my confirmation class that the two altar candles represented the twin natures of Christ – his full humanity and full Godhood.) Today, one candle – the Paschal candle – especially represents the light of Christ. But if we came to a church as outsiders, in a time before electrici-
ty, we might sense a deeper, primal, iconic meaning in the lighting of additional candles during Advent. As the days grow shorter and shorter, more and more candles are lit against the growing darkness, until we get to Christmas Eve, when the whole sanctuary is illuminated by candlelight to celebrate the birth of the world’s light. As Christians, we believe that the world has an order to it that is not readily apparent. That’s why we need symbols. We need them to point the way to another order, to the ultimate order, in a world that does not make sense. We need their power to fill us, to point us to Christ who brings order from chaos and life from death. May the Spirit fill you with a deeper appreciation of the signs and symbols of the faith as we approach the holy seasons of Advent and Christmas. Love to you all, Pr. David
Zion’s 2015 Council Members Elder & President ............................................ Chris Coy Elder & Vice-President ............................... Jody Stanley Secretary......................................................... Anita Reid Deacons ....................................................... Cindy Knote Scott Clamme Drew Walker
Trustees .................................................. John Hendricks Chris Stroble Tom Armstrong Treasurer....................................................Max Langdon Financial Secretaries .............................. Sandy Langdon Madeline Lennon