Seven Swans A-Swimming

I make my way down the pew, stopping halfway, because there is a couple sitting at the right end. I look over my left shoulder; two of my friends are sitting with me. In my hands, a candle in what appears to be a green, plastic cup lies limply. It has been a while since I have been to a candlelight service. Where do I put the candle until it is time to light it? This is as sticky a situation as communion. I awkwardly set the candle by my purse, then rearrange my purse so it is level to the pew.

Soon the lights dim, and the worship leader makes her way to the front of the church. I crane my neck to see what she is doing, and happen to see two people stop at our pew and sneak quietly in. I pull my purse closer to me to make more room for them. They have barely made it in time. The next minute, the worship leader has begun to light the candles. She stops at the end of each pew, and lights a candle, trusting that each churchgoer would light his neighbor's candle. I am close to the back of the church, so I have enough time to watch what happens in the front, before the light gets to me.

Eventually, the light shines at the end of the bench, and it slowly ignites its way ever closer to me. Finally, my wick touches another, and new light springs forth. I cannot keep it to myself; I pass it on to my friend. He, in turn, lights the last candle on our row. By this time, the worship band is up on the stage. They begin singing Silent Night. It is a difficult song to sing, and I find I am not the only one having trouble. There is a sense of unity in common failings. We sing the many stanzas with all the heart we can muster. Then, we have a moment of silence to thank God for sending his Son to light our way.

The candles are being blown out, and so I extinguish mine and place it in one of the holes normally reserved for communion cups. The lyrics for "Joy To the World" appear magically on the screens, and we start singing it at a pace that is more my style. I feel every word and my soul seeks to escape and dance on its own. For now it settles for dancing in my toes and lungs. It is over all too quickly, and I sit somewhat sadly back down in my seat. Still, the echoes of the singing reverberate inside my ears, and satisfy my spirit.


On the seventh day of Christmas my True Love gave to me seven souls a-singing, six
sweet surprises, five Christmas treats, four different books, three great dames, two hands two thumbs and a volunteer named Mary.