We just returned from our Christmas Eve service. We have only been attending it for 6 years. Before that we were with family for the holiday's. Our church does Advent readings that include the lighting of the Advent candles. Families do the readings. We begin this the four weeks before Christmas. One new candle is lit every week with all five candles being lit on Christmas Eve.
Our family was asked to do the reading on Christmas Eve in 2002. Usually the fathers do the bulk of the readings with the rest of the families asking questions and lighting the candles. We did our reading when our church was meeting in our fellowship hall. It was situated such that where our pastor sat he could not see us as we read and lit the candles. We had rehearsed our parts and when the time came we went forward. Andrew didn't want to read anything instead he asked to light all the candles. All went well until the lighting was happening. We can only suppose that maybe a thread or a fume was on Andrew's arm because when he lit the last candle the flame went up his arm. I gasped! The congregation was stunned. Our pastor couldn't see anything that was going on. He could just hear the muffled commotion . I was ready to stop, drop, and roll. Carl calmly said " Let us pray" As quickly as the flame went up his arm, it was gone. I don't remember too much of the rest of that service because I was still stunned. After church several of Andrew's friends came up to him and said that he was their hero and that they have only dreamed of doing what he did. Our pastor asked as we left what had happened. We shared our story and laughed about it.
We have not been asked to do it again. I wonder what else could go astray
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