I was initially sceptical that anyone would turn up to the Easter Sunday dawn service at 6am at North Sands. (I even questioned if I would make it!) Yet my doubts were overturned by the good weather and the attendance of over forty others. We began in the dark with the lighting of a fire and the blessing of our paschal candles. As the morning sunlight bled over the glassy North Sands waters we praised God and recalled the Easter mystery – Christ is risen; the light of world has conquered.
The symbolism of fire and light doesn’t stop with Easter. At Pentecost we recall after Jesus’ ascension the disciples were all in one room in Jerusalem. There they waited until the Holy Spirit broke in and descended. The Acts of the Apostles described the event. ‘Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.’ (Acts 2.2)
The point about this account lay in the fact that until then experiences of God’s spirit were limited to the few. Now the Holy Spirit can make us all prophets, priests and kings in Jesus’ revolution. The Easter fire now spreads out to the corners of the world. Jesus words ring true, ‘I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! (Luke 12.44-45)
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Pentecost has been interpreted as the birthday of the worldwide Church. Some congregations have started taking this to heart and celebrating with a big birthday cake and lighted twelve candles. Birthdays remind us of our origins and keep us rooted.
With every good wish
Daniel
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