On this page, you'll find a collection of readings and sermons that were written by previous candle lighters during Luminescence celebrations, expressing their own feelings about the topic of the candle. Feel free to use any combination of these for your congregational celebrations or create your own.
Optional Readings
The Second Candle - Recognition
Written by Brittany Batong
We may not always perceive all the colors making up light, but they are always there. Growing up in Ventura in the 1980's and '90s, I struggled with the lack of true diversity in my community. The standard of beauty was the antithesis of what I saw in the mirror: blond, athletic, tall. I had brown hair, couldn't hit a ball, and had a frame that was wanting for height. True, there was a strong Latino community, and I am half-Mexican. But I didn't fulfill that ideal either. My hair was straight, not curly as was the fashion in that community. It didn't tease in the way that was so stylish. And my skin hinted a sallow shade of yellow, not the rich tan that looked more like my mom. And my nose and unibrow weren't evident in any of those faces, whose noses were small and cute, and whose eyebrows were severely plucked. I avoided looking at my profile. Add to that, most of the Latino population attended the schools on the other side of town. So I could not see all the colors of the prism. And when I looked in the mirror, I didn't recognize the luminescence in my own color. It fell in between the spectrum that I saw represented in my everyday. Little did I know, that I was looking through a narrow glass. And when I found myself in my young adult life surrounded by the fuller spectrum, I began to see the magic in those colors, and from the one staring back from the mirror. It took many years, but now I wouldn't change my five-foot frame and yellow tint for any others. And I do so love to show off my profile.
The Third Candle - Reflection
Written by Rick Kamlet
What Reflection make me think most about is our practice of Mindfulness. There’s a tendency for human beings to slide as many things as possible into the subconscious. That’s a necessary survival mechanism, allowing us to focus most of our concentration on those things that are changing around us. But it also tends to make us lose touch with day-to-day things, with the people around us, and with the process of living. In today’s hectic society, more and more things around us are competing for our attention, and at times, that can be good. But it also sometimes robs us of being able to keep in touch with ourselves or to spend time with our own internal contemplation.
To correct this, we need to deliberately look for ways to take the time to focus on those things we overlook in every-day life. We need time for self-reflection. We need a chance to disconnect from the hustle and bustle around us and spend some time with ourselves. During meditation, we tend to start by focusing on our own breathing. And then we add to that awareness, little by little, until we’ve expanded our mindfulness further.
I believe that centering ourselves, practicing mindfulness, and spending time to increase our self-awareness enriches us. And that self-improvement helps us to make better decisions and better positions us to make a difference in the world.
Confucius is quoted to have said: There are three methods we may learn wisdom. The first is Reflection, which is noblest. The second is imitation, which is easiest. The third is experience, which is the bitterest.
As Unitarian Universalist minister Jude Geiger wrote, “Life is about the attentive pauses. Life is about the moments of gratitude and times of awareness.”
The Fourth Candle - Refocus
written by Rev. Stefanie Etzbach-Dale
It is often said that keeping focus on the past or the future makes it impossible to see what’s right in front of you. That keeping your eyes fixed upon the distance, puts you in danger of tripping over whatever obstacle may be in your immediate path. Or, in danger of falling into whatever chasm may be at your feet.
The reverse can also be true.
Focusing only on the present, whether it be marked by joy or sorrow, can be so all consuming - that it’s hard to see other possibilities. It’s hard to truly honor what was, or to remember that paths can indeed change; that new paths can appear or be carved into the landscapes that lie ahead. It can be hard to take in the fact that you have, and never will, walk alone.
And so, we do the best we can – shifting focus from past to present to future and back again, most often without even being conscious of that fact – except for a vague sense that there’s always more to be seen!
Even so, there are many ways to bring intentionality to the process of focus and refocus. To try to see “the what is” with greater clarity and depth
Meditation is one such way, in which we encourage our eyes, ears or minds to “rest” on an object, a sound, an idea. And notice, without judgment, what that feels like. That’s not nearly as easy as it sounds. It takes a great deal of practice and patience.
Another way to bring intentionality to the process of focus and refocus, is to put words to whatever it is we see – to articulate our memories, our thoughts and feelings, and our visions for the future.
Those words can be written down, they can be sung or spoken. They can be played with, moved around, and replaced, as way to discover nuances of meaning to the “what is”. Sharing them with people we trust, opens up the possibility of even greater vision.
If ever there was a reason for beloved community, it is this: to help one another bring intentionality to the process of focus and refocus, to help one another see with clarity and depth the “what is”, and the landscape of the “what could yet be”.
We do not walk alone.
The Fifth Candle - Renewal
written by Sarita Castaldo
Renewal is closing your eyes and remembering a moment in time, experiencing it again, letting it teach you. It is forgiving ourselves for the mistakes we made and allowing the opportunity for improvement. Accepting who we are, exploring who we want to become and finding how we can be the person we are proud to be. Renewal isn’t letting go of our past, it is letting the destructive emotions fall away, and seeing what triggered them, and how we reacted to them. When we are faced with that same emotion that starts to bubble up to surface, how we behave to them the next time is what really matters. Renewal is critiquing our canvas of life. With each stroke of the paintbrush it is another memory, or emotion. For recommitment, it is not painting over the wound and hiding it, but staring at it and seeing how we can make that mistake a beautiful addition to our canvas. We strive for perfection, but as we grow our perception of perfection changes. Recommitment to anything is like a maze. Every day there is another obstacle that we need to overcome. But there are keys hidden in the walls, and the key to keeping committed to anything is the glory of turning our heads and seeing how far we have come.
Homily - 2011
Written by Rick Kamlet
(As we formed Luminescence, this homily was presented to the congregation to familiarize people with various aspects of the holiday.)
Thank you for being here. I would like to share more about the Luminescence holiday and its meanings.
[Time of Year]
Holding Luminescence in early February, as we are doing this year, places it “close” to the beginning of a new year. Perhaps in future years we will decide to hold it in early December or close to New Year’s. It is winter in our northern hemisphere, when we are experiencing long nights and short days.
We wanted to separate the celebration from the traditional Judeo-Christian holidays of December so that the many of us who also celebrate those holidays can celebrate them distinctly. Yet we also want our celebration of Luminescence to be close enough to that time so that those who want to make this their primary holiday of the winter season can do so.
It’s a great time of year to look back at the year that has just passed and to resolve what to improve for the coming year.
[The Candles]
Our service today encompasses the lighting of candles. Candles have been used throughout the ages to inspire us, to enhance our spirituality, and to accompany deep thought. For eons, humankind has found strength through the light, the heat, and the movement of candles. Our Unitarian Universalist chalice is powered with a flame.
Light is especially important at this time of year. When the daytime is short and the nighttime is long, we feel the need to counterbalance the darkness with our own light.
Candles represent the sun and all those important functions the sun does for us. Light powers our world. It feeds the plants which drive our ecosystems. It allows us to see. Its heat makes it possible for us to live. The sun nurtures us.
[Affirmations of Luminescence]
For Luminescence, the light from candles reminds us that there are three missions each of us need to consider at this time of year. We remember these missions by relating them to three functions that can be done with light, which when combined together form the essence of the light.
The prism, the mirror and the lens use the metaphor of light to remind us that this is the time of year when we need to: recognize, reflect and refocus. This process gives us an opportunity to step back and take an impartial look at ourselves, our community, our hopes and dreams.
[Applying the Metaphor]
The candles stand as reminders of facets of our Unitarian Universalist (UU) journey. The ideas behind the prism, the mirror and lens are concepts that can be applied on a personal level, on a community level, on a world level, or on any scale in between. You can think of it as a process for evaluating all sorts of things, from social issues to personal spirituality. Ritual sustains us. And I hope that this ritual will spark discussion of a wide variety of topics.
Each year that we celebrate Luminescence will be a chance to explore the abundance of various meanings this new holiday awards us.
[Candelabrum]
Let’s move on to talking about the idea of the Candelabra. The Candelabra is the unifying element that brings together all the candles, and all the concepts. We utilize a candle holder that is in itself representative of a number of additional spiritual concepts. When viewed from the top, the candelabra is essentially round, representing the shape of the sun and the shape of the moon. It is simplicity. It represents the circular nature of the seasons, going from winter to spring to summer, to fall and back, to start all over again.
Luminescence will become a holiday with a tradition for us to make candelabras. They can be made of wood, clay, metal, just about any material. Children can make them out of folded paper, with the candles colored in by crayon. You can decorate them any way you want. The 4 sections of the layout can certainly be drawn as to signify the seasons. The candelabra can be simple or it can be ornate. There is no wrong way to make a Luminescence candelabra. All of them will be correct.
We also have Luminescence Lanterns, as you can see decorating the alter.
The mission of this holiday is to provide us with a structure for our spiritual quests. Let us enjoy the energy of these candles for the rest of the service. May each individual candle -- and the totality -- remind us of the light that is inside of us, of the need to appreciate and reflect, and of our desire to live with intention by focusing our light with purpose.
May it be so.
Written by Brittany Batong
We may not always perceive all the colors making up light, but they are always there. Growing up in Ventura in the 1980's and '90s, I struggled with the lack of true diversity in my community. The standard of beauty was the antithesis of what I saw in the mirror: blond, athletic, tall. I had brown hair, couldn't hit a ball, and had a frame that was wanting for height. True, there was a strong Latino community, and I am half-Mexican. But I didn't fulfill that ideal either. My hair was straight, not curly as was the fashion in that community. It didn't tease in the way that was so stylish. And my skin hinted a sallow shade of yellow, not the rich tan that looked more like my mom. And my nose and unibrow weren't evident in any of those faces, whose noses were small and cute, and whose eyebrows were severely plucked. I avoided looking at my profile. Add to that, most of the Latino population attended the schools on the other side of town. So I could not see all the colors of the prism. And when I looked in the mirror, I didn't recognize the luminescence in my own color. It fell in between the spectrum that I saw represented in my everyday. Little did I know, that I was looking through a narrow glass. And when I found myself in my young adult life surrounded by the fuller spectrum, I began to see the magic in those colors, and from the one staring back from the mirror. It took many years, but now I wouldn't change my five-foot frame and yellow tint for any others. And I do so love to show off my profile.
The Third Candle - Reflection
Written by Rick Kamlet
What Reflection make me think most about is our practice of Mindfulness. There’s a tendency for human beings to slide as many things as possible into the subconscious. That’s a necessary survival mechanism, allowing us to focus most of our concentration on those things that are changing around us. But it also tends to make us lose touch with day-to-day things, with the people around us, and with the process of living. In today’s hectic society, more and more things around us are competing for our attention, and at times, that can be good. But it also sometimes robs us of being able to keep in touch with ourselves or to spend time with our own internal contemplation.
To correct this, we need to deliberately look for ways to take the time to focus on those things we overlook in every-day life. We need time for self-reflection. We need a chance to disconnect from the hustle and bustle around us and spend some time with ourselves. During meditation, we tend to start by focusing on our own breathing. And then we add to that awareness, little by little, until we’ve expanded our mindfulness further.
I believe that centering ourselves, practicing mindfulness, and spending time to increase our self-awareness enriches us. And that self-improvement helps us to make better decisions and better positions us to make a difference in the world.
Confucius is quoted to have said: There are three methods we may learn wisdom. The first is Reflection, which is noblest. The second is imitation, which is easiest. The third is experience, which is the bitterest.
As Unitarian Universalist minister Jude Geiger wrote, “Life is about the attentive pauses. Life is about the moments of gratitude and times of awareness.”
The Fourth Candle - Refocus
written by Rev. Stefanie Etzbach-Dale
It is often said that keeping focus on the past or the future makes it impossible to see what’s right in front of you. That keeping your eyes fixed upon the distance, puts you in danger of tripping over whatever obstacle may be in your immediate path. Or, in danger of falling into whatever chasm may be at your feet.
The reverse can also be true.
Focusing only on the present, whether it be marked by joy or sorrow, can be so all consuming - that it’s hard to see other possibilities. It’s hard to truly honor what was, or to remember that paths can indeed change; that new paths can appear or be carved into the landscapes that lie ahead. It can be hard to take in the fact that you have, and never will, walk alone.
And so, we do the best we can – shifting focus from past to present to future and back again, most often without even being conscious of that fact – except for a vague sense that there’s always more to be seen!
Even so, there are many ways to bring intentionality to the process of focus and refocus. To try to see “the what is” with greater clarity and depth
Meditation is one such way, in which we encourage our eyes, ears or minds to “rest” on an object, a sound, an idea. And notice, without judgment, what that feels like. That’s not nearly as easy as it sounds. It takes a great deal of practice and patience.
Another way to bring intentionality to the process of focus and refocus, is to put words to whatever it is we see – to articulate our memories, our thoughts and feelings, and our visions for the future.
Those words can be written down, they can be sung or spoken. They can be played with, moved around, and replaced, as way to discover nuances of meaning to the “what is”. Sharing them with people we trust, opens up the possibility of even greater vision.
If ever there was a reason for beloved community, it is this: to help one another bring intentionality to the process of focus and refocus, to help one another see with clarity and depth the “what is”, and the landscape of the “what could yet be”.
We do not walk alone.
The Fifth Candle - Renewal
written by Sarita Castaldo
Renewal is closing your eyes and remembering a moment in time, experiencing it again, letting it teach you. It is forgiving ourselves for the mistakes we made and allowing the opportunity for improvement. Accepting who we are, exploring who we want to become and finding how we can be the person we are proud to be. Renewal isn’t letting go of our past, it is letting the destructive emotions fall away, and seeing what triggered them, and how we reacted to them. When we are faced with that same emotion that starts to bubble up to surface, how we behave to them the next time is what really matters. Renewal is critiquing our canvas of life. With each stroke of the paintbrush it is another memory, or emotion. For recommitment, it is not painting over the wound and hiding it, but staring at it and seeing how we can make that mistake a beautiful addition to our canvas. We strive for perfection, but as we grow our perception of perfection changes. Recommitment to anything is like a maze. Every day there is another obstacle that we need to overcome. But there are keys hidden in the walls, and the key to keeping committed to anything is the glory of turning our heads and seeing how far we have come.
Homily - 2011
Written by Rick Kamlet
(As we formed Luminescence, this homily was presented to the congregation to familiarize people with various aspects of the holiday.)
Thank you for being here. I would like to share more about the Luminescence holiday and its meanings.
[Time of Year]
Holding Luminescence in early February, as we are doing this year, places it “close” to the beginning of a new year. Perhaps in future years we will decide to hold it in early December or close to New Year’s. It is winter in our northern hemisphere, when we are experiencing long nights and short days.
We wanted to separate the celebration from the traditional Judeo-Christian holidays of December so that the many of us who also celebrate those holidays can celebrate them distinctly. Yet we also want our celebration of Luminescence to be close enough to that time so that those who want to make this their primary holiday of the winter season can do so.
It’s a great time of year to look back at the year that has just passed and to resolve what to improve for the coming year.
[The Candles]
Our service today encompasses the lighting of candles. Candles have been used throughout the ages to inspire us, to enhance our spirituality, and to accompany deep thought. For eons, humankind has found strength through the light, the heat, and the movement of candles. Our Unitarian Universalist chalice is powered with a flame.
Light is especially important at this time of year. When the daytime is short and the nighttime is long, we feel the need to counterbalance the darkness with our own light.
Candles represent the sun and all those important functions the sun does for us. Light powers our world. It feeds the plants which drive our ecosystems. It allows us to see. Its heat makes it possible for us to live. The sun nurtures us.
[Affirmations of Luminescence]
For Luminescence, the light from candles reminds us that there are three missions each of us need to consider at this time of year. We remember these missions by relating them to three functions that can be done with light, which when combined together form the essence of the light.
The prism, the mirror and the lens use the metaphor of light to remind us that this is the time of year when we need to: recognize, reflect and refocus. This process gives us an opportunity to step back and take an impartial look at ourselves, our community, our hopes and dreams.
[Applying the Metaphor]
The candles stand as reminders of facets of our Unitarian Universalist (UU) journey. The ideas behind the prism, the mirror and lens are concepts that can be applied on a personal level, on a community level, on a world level, or on any scale in between. You can think of it as a process for evaluating all sorts of things, from social issues to personal spirituality. Ritual sustains us. And I hope that this ritual will spark discussion of a wide variety of topics.
Each year that we celebrate Luminescence will be a chance to explore the abundance of various meanings this new holiday awards us.
- For example, the candles describe a distinction between the focus in various people’s lives. While we all encompass aspects of all 5 candles in our lives, some people tend to focus their attention and interests fairly evenly in all 5 segments, while others center themselves more in one segment than in others. And either way is OK!
- You might think of yourself as being a first-candle person – concerned with the nature of God and the Divine, of looking at that spark of light that exists within each of us. You might be a person who focuses on the spiritual path of life as represented by the first candle.
- Or, you might be a 2nd and 3rd candle person, which I see as the scholarly candles of learning. You might be someone who wants to focus on acquiring knowledge and understanding the way things are.
- Or you can be a 4th candle person who is concerned most with turning our principles into social action. You may focus your light on making our world a better place through social movements or through individual action.
- Or, you could add topics centered around the fifth candle to your other focuses, making sure we also think about the legacy we plan to leave from our lives.
- We can delve into topics centered on each of these 5 focuses, all of which are important.
- You might think of yourself as being a first-candle person – concerned with the nature of God and the Divine, of looking at that spark of light that exists within each of us. You might be a person who focuses on the spiritual path of life as represented by the first candle.
- Or, you could drill down within one of the focal points:
- For example, with the first candle as our focal point, we can talk about the 7 colors that the prism reveals as representing the 7 principles of UU’ism. Or the 7 colors can bring up discussions about which colors, aspects and facets make up each of our lives.
- Luminescence give us an opportunity to view how our character illuminates the world around us.
- Or, applying the prism on a societal level, we recognize that we are all individuals and that each has value. Through the value of each of the parts, we recognize the inherent worth the dignity of every person, and that’s our first UU principle.
- From the mirror, we realize that we need to study reality before we can decide what needs to be done to improve things. Education is important to learn about the way things are. To shoot an arrow in a particular direction, you get ready, you aim and you fire – in that order. It’s not ready, fire and aim. In other words, you must understand a situation before you can know what to do to improve it. That’s a third candle, or mirror, topic. And then after we know where to aim, we refocus our force to change things for the better, as does a lens.
- One topic that I hope we can incorporate every year is a tradition that revolves around the second candle, which reminds us that every person is multi-faceted. We are all kaleidoscopic, multidimensional. What do we know of each other, but the few glimpses we’ve gotten? As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The soul is light -- where it is, is day. Where it was, is night.” The unfortunate truth is that we just don’t know all that much about even the people we see regularly here at church services. I hope that in future years, one of the missions of Luminescence will be that it will become a time for us to get to know the other members of the congregation better. I hope that a specific process will be developed that will allow us to learn more about each other – the reds, yellows, oranges, greens, blues, indigos, and violets of each others lives.
- Considering that Luminescence is a time for new beginnings, one activity under Reflection might be to re-identify the things that are important to us. This is one of those activities that so often gets swept aside because of the need to focus on “urgent” things – in other words, those things that have deadlines, whether important or not. Sometimes we just need to take a step back to differentiate those important things in our lives. Having a occasion designated for new beginnings allows us to do that.
- Continuing with ways to explore the various meanings of the holiday, we should realize that the candles and concepts they represent do not necessarily always fall into a set order, from 1 to 5. Different meaning come when we consider the candles in reverse order. For example, in many matters, we may need to determine what ideals we are going after – a characteristic of the fifth candle – before we decide how to refocus our efforts – from the 4th candle. That, in turn, may direct which things we choose to focus upon in our search for understanding as well as what areas we choose to improve in ourselves – the characteristics of the 2nd and 3rd candles. Or, at times, we need to do other work before we can move forward in our search for the divine spirit, the concept from the first candle. The point is that each of these concepts affects the others. In some ways, it is the integration of all these concepts that is the essence, not necessarily the order.
[Candelabrum]
Let’s move on to talking about the idea of the Candelabra. The Candelabra is the unifying element that brings together all the candles, and all the concepts. We utilize a candle holder that is in itself representative of a number of additional spiritual concepts. When viewed from the top, the candelabra is essentially round, representing the shape of the sun and the shape of the moon. It is simplicity. It represents the circular nature of the seasons, going from winter to spring to summer, to fall and back, to start all over again.
Luminescence will become a holiday with a tradition for us to make candelabras. They can be made of wood, clay, metal, just about any material. Children can make them out of folded paper, with the candles colored in by crayon. You can decorate them any way you want. The 4 sections of the layout can certainly be drawn as to signify the seasons. The candelabra can be simple or it can be ornate. There is no wrong way to make a Luminescence candelabra. All of them will be correct.
We also have Luminescence Lanterns, as you can see decorating the alter.
The mission of this holiday is to provide us with a structure for our spiritual quests. Let us enjoy the energy of these candles for the rest of the service. May each individual candle -- and the totality -- remind us of the light that is inside of us, of the need to appreciate and reflect, and of our desire to live with intention by focusing our light with purpose.
May it be so.