Light a Candle
Candlemas is on Friday 2 February 2024
by Claire Law
Suitable for Key Stage 2
Aims
To reflect upon the Christian festival of Candlemas.
Preparation and materials
- You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (Light a Candle) and the means to display them.
- Optional: you may wish to light a candle for the ‘Time for reflection’ part of the assembly, in which case you will also need the means to do so.
Assembly
- Show Slide 1.
Ask the children, ‘Who would like to play a game?’
Explain that there is a picture hidden behind the brick wall, and you want the children to guess where in the world they would find it.
Tell the children that when they choose a number, that brick will disappear, revealing a glimpse of the picture beneath. - Ask the children to choose a number.
When you click the corresponding brick, it will disappear, revealing part of the image.
Encourage the children to guess where the item in the picture is located. After a few bricks have been revealed, they will probably give the incorrect guess of Egypt. After several incorrect guesses, you can provide the correct answer: Las Vegas. - Show Slide 2.
Explain that this is the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas in the USA. The hotel is styled on an Ancient Egyptian theme, hence the pyramid. However, there’s a modern addition that indicates that we’re not in Ancient Egypt: the light beam shining from the top of the pyramid.
This light beam is called the Luxor Sky Beam, and it’s the most powerful human-made light in the world. It gives off the same amount of light as 42.3 billion candles! It shines 11 kilometres into the night sky and can be seen from 275 miles away. - So, why are we talking about the Luxor Sky Beam today?
Every year on 2 February, there is a Christian holiday called Candlemas that is celebrated around the world. The lighting of candles is often a key part of the celebration. - Candlemas celebrates the day when baby Jesus was presented at the Temple. In the Bible, Luke’s Gospel describes how Jesus’ family took him to the Temple 40 days after his birth, according to the tradition at the time. When they arrived, a Jewish man named Simeon took baby Jesus in his arms and declared that Jesus would be ‘a light to reveal God’ to people.
- Show Slide 3.
Simeon felt that in meeting Jesus, he was seeing hope and salvation. - Recognizing Jesus as the Light of the World is central to Candlemas. To reflect Simeon’s words that Jesus is a light to people, some Christians take candles to church at Candlemas for them to be blessed.
- Show Slide 4.
Some churches hold candlelit processions at Candlemas too. The candles are a reminder to Christians that Jesus helps to light their path through life, revealing what God’s love for us is like. In the darkness of February, the candlelit processions are a significant symbol of Jesus as a light to guide us.
Time for reflection
The Luxor Sky Beam lights up the night sky in Las Vegas. People all around see its light and know where the hotel is. The light helps to guide people to the hotel.
Christians use the metaphor of Jesus being a Light to the World. They believe that he can show them the best path through life.
In this month when Christians around the world celebrate Candlemas, let us light our own candle.
Optional: you may wish to light a candle.
Ask the children, ‘Who helps us to find direction and brings a light to our lives?’
Listen to a range of responses, and then pause to allow time for thought.
Encourage the children to say thank you or show that they are grateful for the people who light up their lives and help to guide them.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for people who guide us in our lives.
Thank you for those who care for us and love us.
Please help us to be lights to those around us, bringing hope and peace.
Amen.
Song/music
‘Shine, Jesus, shine’ by Graham Kendrick, available at: https://youtu.be/3beqUs3dPVo (3.50 minutes long)
