Light, when concentrated in one area, is effective and helpful to those caught in its brilliance.  They are bathed in its rays and the things that were dark or hidden are now illuminated and made clear.  In the light, there is a sense of safety, comfort, and contentment.  These are things that only light brings. 

Often, we think of the church of Jesus Christ as light.  A brilliance that illuminates and brings clarity.  Jesus said, “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness.”  In His light, we find safety, comfort, and contentment.  When we come into Christ’s Church, we sense that we have encountered something that can only be experienced there.

When I contemplate the purpose of North Valleys Church of the Nazarene, seeking to answer the question of why we are here or why we exist, I see a similar picture.  I see people, one at a time, taking their light into the darkness to illuminate the path for someone else, to bring to them the same light that has brought safety, comfort, and contentment to us. 

When we gather together for worship, we are responding to what the Holy Spirit is doing in us.  We engage in deep and meaningful study of God’s Word to “trim our lanterns” so to speak or to make our lights shine with the vibrancy that only comes from a deep and meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ that prepares us, in humility, to leave the brilliance of the concentrated light, taking with us our little portion of that light, to go into our corner of the world and share with others what has been shared with us.

One of my favorite visuals is the one that happens every year during the Christmas Eve service.  At some point in the service, the lights go out.  We sit in total darkness except the one candle at the front of the room.  It is the Jesus candle from the advent wreath and from it, we begin to light every other candle in the room until the light completely overtakes the darkness.  The symbolism is breathtaking because of its simplicity and its accuracy.