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Sermon for
the Eve of Candlemas
Haggai
2. 1-9
John 2. 18 - 22
Tomorrow - 2 Feb is the Feast of Candlemas - The Presentation
of Christ in the Temple. This is the moment that we celebrate
and remember at every evensong and at most funerals too when
we remember the song of Simeon - known to us better as the Nunc
Dimitis "Now let us depart". We sing it as a sign of
hope that deep in the darkness, there is always a glimmer of
light.
In pre-christian times this
day was known as the Feast of Lights - celebrating that, from
about now, the Sun - which has been steadily declining in strength
and warmth through the season of winter, now begins to strengthen
and - whatever the weather outside - we know that a corner has
been turned and spring is on the way. We have the evidence of
the snowdrops outside this church and in the vicarage garden
-( and no doubt in some of your gardens too) - to reassure us
of this fact. Sometimes these flowers are called Candlemas Bells
- a very pretty name for a delightful and most welcome little
plant
Later it also became the day
when the year's supply of candles (which folk had been busily
making from the rendered fat of pigs etc., or - for the more
wealthy - from beeswax ) were brought into church to be blessed.
Candles were important in those
days, not only because there was no electric light to switch
on in a flick. They were also thought to provide some protection
against plague, illness and famine. So no wonder people wanted
them blessed!
For Christians, they were - and still are - a reminder of another
and greater truth. Before Jesus was born, it was as though people
were in darkness - lost, lonely and afraid, without anyone to
help them. Then came Jesus with his message of light and love,
and that he is always with those who believe in him - ready to
comfort and help. That is a message of hope and comfort that
will be especially difficult to make heard at the funeral of
little Harper Rollings this coming week - and yet it is the only
message that I can possibly bring to her family as they mourn
the second stillbirth that they have had to suffer.
But Christ is there as a guiding
light to us in the darkness - which is why we light them in Church
services, to remind ourselves of this fact.
The prophet Haggai remembered
a time of darkness when the Temple of the Israelites was in ruins
and desolation. But through Zerrubbabel, Joshua and even the
Persian king - Darius, God was working to restore his place of
worship in Jerusalem. And what is held out is a vision of splendour
and light - and while the candles are not mentioned specifically,
we can think of a glorious building adorned with silver and gold
- that would gleam and sparkle in the light of candles and oil
lamps as the priests once again offered sacrificial worship to
their God.
Jesus too speaks of a temple
that is destroyed, only to be built up again. This was one of
the most contentious things that Jesus could possibly say - that
he was capable of raising God's temple in just three days - no
wonder that some who heard him thought he must be mad and dangerous
as well. They had been hard at work for nearly fifty years and
the Temple was still not finished - how could he possibly rebuild
it from scratch in just three days? With the benefit of hindsight,
we - the Easter people - can interpret this passage quite differently.
We know that even though the light is temporarily extinguished
- that Jesus is put to death on the cross - in three days God
will raise him up again and - because of that fact that we begin
from today to think of more and more as we turn towards Easter
and away from Christmas, because of that resurrection, we are
no longer in darkness. We have the eternal light of Jesus Christ
to guide and comfort us. So we meet today, not in a Temple, but
in a Church - for Christ himself is our Temple he is the person
in whom we identify the presence of God and he is always available
to us - whether we are in a special place of prayer, at home,
at work, at school, or in the wide world that is just as much
God's Creation.
At the heart of the snowdrop
- candlemas bell - is a secret, green place - reminding us of
the coming of spring, symbol of God's renewing love. From tomorrow
the church will be dressed in green - leaving the white of snow
and the Christmas Season behind. As we remember the promise
of spring, so let us also remember the promise of hope that so
delighted the old man, Simeon, so many years ago.... and help
us to believe and to share that hope with others as we journey
through the week ahead.
Promise of Spring
Pale winter sun,
flooding the earth,
with your light,
gilding the bare trees
with your touch.
Your eyes have seen
the glory of the Lord.
Low white candles of hope
palely gleaming in the dark earth,
your advent heralds
the promise of spring;
your green hearts
speak of God's renewing love.
Son of God,
show us the way.
Light our path.
Lead us through the coming Lenten desert
to Easter with you
beyond the pain of loss and fear.
Lead us in new ways
of trusting service
Amen.
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