| In 1986 a group of American Christians were visiting
Russia. After a service which they attended in a Russian Orthodox
Church, an elderly woman in the congregation placed three roubles into
the hands of the minister leading the party, Doctor Blair Monie, and
asked him to buy a candle and light it at services in his church as a
symbol of peace. When he returned home, Dr Monie duly purchased a
candle in a glass holder and placed it on the communion table in his
church, the First Presbyterian Church, York, Pennsylvania, and this is
lit at every service of worship. Later that year the church decided to buy a supply of candles and holders, and invited members of the congregation to send them to other churches with which they had contact. Two members of the York congregation sent a Peace Candle |
to their former church, Wylde Green URC Sutton Coldfield who decided to
do likewise. In 1988 Boulevard United Reformed Church in Weston-super-Mare received a candle from a visitor and they also arranged for members to send candles. A Peace Candle was taken to Sion URC in Jersey and a member there who subsequently trained for the ministry presented a candle to each of his fellow ordinands to mark the occasion of their ordination. One of the ordinands came to the Sandford benefice as Curate and gave a Peace Candle to All Saints, and when a partnership was formed with Sandford Methodist Church a Peace Candle was given to them. Since then Sandford gave a Peace Candle to Cheddar Methodist Church, and we now give a candle to you to present to your Church in the name of peace. |
| space We are privileged to be part space of this chain of peace and so may space that Russian woman's hope for space peace be spread far and wide space as churches in many parts of the space |
 |
space world receive these symbolic space reminders of the vital task of space continuing to work and pray space for peace. Peace in our hearts space and peace in our world. space |
| LIGHTING THE CANDLE OF PEACE (John Johansen-Berg) |
|
| We light this candle for peace, Lord. May its light scatter the darkness may its flame be a symbol of hope; may its burning be a sign of faith joining with many other lights for peace. |
We light ths candle for peace. May our lives be an expression of peacemaking may we seek to be its light in a dark world, pointing to you, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, and following you in the way of peace. |
| Let the candle burn, as a sign for peace. offered to you. | |