I was a child of the seventies and I remember when wine bottle drip candle holders were all the rage. It took years to cover a wine bottle with candle drippings. There are websites that teach you how to make your own. But that isn’t really the point of this blog post! The seventies was an interesting decade in a LOT of ways, these candle holders are a reminder of that. I used to wear bell-bottom jeans, fringed vests and platform shoes. I listened to Elton John, Chicago, Seals and Croft, James Taylor, Jim Croce and Bread. (We had some GREAT music in the seventies.) I walked to church, school and my friend’s house because we lived close enough to do that. My husband, Jim Denison, was also a child of the seventies and thankfully someone asked him to ride a bus to church. And his entire life was changed because of that moment.
We were at a dinner when this subject came up. Back in the seventies, churches painted their name on the side of an old school bus and sent it through the neighborhoods, willing to pick up any kids that wanted a ride. It was called a bus ministry. A LOT of children came to church on those buses that wouldn’t have come to church otherwise. Jim is one of those people. One Saturday two men knocked on his door, invited him to church and said they would pick him up on a bus the next morning. He and his brother Mark said “yes” to that invitation and they are both in the ministry today. The question at dinner last night was this, “Who is finding the Jim and Marks of the world today?”
People are more reticent to put their child on a bus, with a bunch of strangers and allow them to attend a church they know nothing about. Would Jim and Mark be preachers today if they had been born in this century? Who are the future preachers staying home watching television or playing video games on Sunday morning because no one has ever invited them to church?
Jesus was teaching his disciples when he said, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
It is crucial in this day and time that Christians shine with the light of Jesus. Your witness is the light you give off to the world. Is your life so full of good deeds, better translated “God deeds”, that people who spend time with you are led to think about your Father in heaven? I think we should make it our goal to be like those wine bottles, covered in candle wax.
The candle in the bottle always shines brightly because the flame is not choked out by the melting wax. It sits high and lights the room because the wax drips down the bottle. If you want a multi-colored bottle, you use different colored candles. So I want to offer you a new way to view your witness. I think God wants us to be like a bottle drip candle holder.
Consider every candle drip a moment when your witness shines with the light of the Lord. Every drip represents a time when you share your faith with someone. Your light shines and your good deeds are really good “drips” that cause people to consider your Father in heaven. Creating a really good drip candle takes years and creating a good witness will take your entire lifetime. But that is the job that Jesus gave his followers. We are the light of the world.
Back in the seventies if someone called you a “drip” it wasn’t a compliment. Today, I think it should be your highest praise! Think about becoming a candle holder and shine brightly from here forward. May our “bottles” be a gift we can lay at the feet of Jesus one day as our offering of praise. Now, let’s get out there and be a drip as often as possible!
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