Wednesday, September 26, 2018

When Wax and Wick Meet Fire

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.  You know when I sit down or stand up.  You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.  You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.  You know everything I do.  You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.  You go before me and follow me.  You place your hand of blessing on my head.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!  Psalm 139:1-6(NLT)

So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.  That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.  For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.  1 Corinthians 11:27-29(NLT)

Sometimes my worship gets lost in the details.  Usually when I receive the Lord’s Supper I am also serving it.  Personal reflection gets lost in a flurry of details about the next step in the liturgy.  When attempting to provide a meaningful offering of the table for others, those who serve must come to that table having already self-examined, or they run the risk of coming away from the table empty.
A group of preachers, all of whom I call friend, meets every month for the strength one derives from accountability, fellowship, devotion, and worship.  We share the Lord’s Table together.  The times I do not serve are particularly meaningful, and this month was no exception.  During the liturgy I focus my attention on the elements of the table.  They are simple; one loaf, representing one Lord, and one cup, representing the blood shed for all.  There is a single candle, the wick and wax meeting the flame, reminders of God’s Spirit, present and alive in this sacrament. 
As the liturgy progresses in Great Thanksgiving there are remembered parts to speak, and those flow from my lips with little loss of focus on the table and the cost of that blessed meal to our Lord. 
This time my eyes could not leave the wick and flame; I was captured by the aura of light and the wax of the candle, once hard and cold, now warm and flowing, melting away, constantly changing to a new form.
Pictures captivate me, and this meeting of wax and wick with flame took on metaphorical significance for my life with Christ.  As I watched the wick yield itself to the flame, I reflected on how the heat causes the waxen host to also yield, and this allows the flame to continue, offering heat and light to everything around it.  But in the process, there is a change.  The flame does flicker, but remains; the wax and wick, however become less, and changed.
The metaphor is, of course, our bodies.  The apostle Paul told the Roman church to present their bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2).  Jesus said becoming His disciples would be nothing less than denying ourselves and following Him[2] (much like the wax and wick submit themselves to the flame).
Ultimately the meaning of this can be taken to extremes, and I’m not suggesting that.  However, it is a good reminder that, just like the candles get used up, these mortal bodies of ours will not last long.  What remains is the light and heat we share in relationship with others while we are here. 
A candle (wax and wick) is hard and cold by itself.  We also will not bring light or warmth to anyone if we remain an unlit candle without the flame of God’s Spirit.  But, my what a difference when we submit to the flame!  He will shine through us, warm others around us, and we will be changed in the process.
For You Today
It’s important to remember that living the surrendered life of a disciple means being on the lookout for the Adversary; like any enemy, this fireman from Hell is just waiting to turn a hose on your fire…so keep surrendering the wax and wick of your life to the Spirit; let Him keep the candle burning!
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

Go to VIDEO


[1] Title Image: Photo Courtesy of Pixabay.com
[2] Mark 8:34

No comments:

Post a Comment