Candles in the Sanctuary

Last month I wrote an article about the stoles and alb Pastor Chad and I wear during worship. This month I looked into the meaning of each of the candles in the sanctuary.  St. Mark has an eternal flame, a paschal candle, and two altar candles.   

The eternal flame or sanctuary lamp is usually suspended by chains from the ceiling near the altar.  Some churches have the eternal flame mounted on the wall either behind or on either side of the altar.  The eternal flame is traditionally near the tabernacle (Roman Catholic tradition) or the aumbry (Episcopal and some Lutheran traditions).  Both the tabernacle and aumbry are a box to hold the reserved sacraments.  St. Mark does not have a tabernacle or aumbry, this is true of many ELCA churches. In the ELCA, the eternal flame serves as a visible reminder of God’s abiding presence. The eternal flame at St. Mark is located on the east side of the sanctuary near the baptismal font.

For the past several years at St. Mark, a new paschal candle has been lit from the new fire during the Easter Vigil and is blessed at the opening of the vigil.  The paschal candle burns mainly during the seasons of Easter and Christmas, with a few other Sundays scattered throughout the church year. It burns the longest during worship services from Easter to Pentecost, totaling 50 days. We also light the paschal candle when there is a baptism or a funeral. When the paschal candle burns at a baptism it reminds that when we are baptized we are connected to Christ’s death and resurrection and set free from the power of sin and death.  During funerals, the burning light of the paschal candle visually proclaims the message from Romans 6: “In our baptism we have already died and been raised with Christ.”   

The paschal candle typically has a cross, the Alpha and Omega (the beginning and the end), and the year carved into or placed on the candle.  Sometimes there are five nails on the paschal candle symbolizing the five wounds of Christ. The current candle at St. Mark has the cross, the year, and the Alpha and Omega.  The candle is made out of beeswax. In the past, St. Mark has used an oil candle for the paschal candle. Churches are welcome to use either an oil candle or a candle made from wax or beeswax.  When a beeswax candle is used this provides the opportunity to light a new candle each year at the Easter Vigil and the design on the candle can be new each year as well.  

The two candles on either side of the altar serve as aesthetic and symbolic of Christ as the “Light of the World” and the real presence of God in worship.  Some of the older congregations in Rockford have candelabras on either side of the altar, this is the tradition that I grew up with.  I wondered if St. Mark had ever used a candelabra so I dug through old pictures and past directories and I could not find a picture where there were more than two candles by the altar. It doesn’t matter if a church uses two candles or candelabras with seven candles.  

Just like with the stoles, there is history and meaning behind the candles used in the sanctuary.  If you think back to before electricity, many churches relied on natural light and candles to see.  Now the candle may be more aesthetic, but they each carry a deeper meaning.  One of my favorite moments in worship where candles are involved is at a baptism when the newly baptized receives a candle and hears the words, “Let your light shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”  This is a reminder for all of us to let our light shine. 

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Katrina Steingraeber