This Little Light of Mine -- Candles in the Church
"You ever wonder how candles became such an important part of the church?"
At the start of every worship service, the ushers come forward and light the two altar candles. Why? Because it adds a nice flare to the service? No. Rather, the flames are a symbol of God's Light, the presence of Jesus Christ. One candle stands for his humanity, the other for his divinity.
During the Season of Advent, candles play an important role. 4 candles are lit over the course of as many weeks, each symblizing a different virtue of Jesus: Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace. On Christmas Eve, we light the center candle, the Christ candle, which represents Jesus, the Light of the world.
Another tradition of the Wildwood UMC is the candlelight portion of the Christmas Eve service. At the end of the service, the sanctuary lights are dimmed, and each member holds a candle. One-by-one, neighbor-to-neighbor, each candle is lit by sharing the flame, or, "spreading the light of Christ", until all candles are lit and held high.