The sanctuary was filled with light—and darkness. Flickering candle flames scattered across the sanctuary provided light; the rest of the space was blanketed by darkness. Even though the light was small and the darkness was great, the darkness could not overcome the light. Instead, it furnished a canvas for it to shine, like stars lighting up the evening sky. The darkness was not frightening, because it was pierced by the light. It was beautiful.
It was a Christmas Eve candlelight service—my first—and even though I had never experienced one before, as I stood in that candlelit sanctuary, it felt special. It felt right. The symbolic contrast of light and dark was not all that captured me; it was the passing of the flame that caught my heart.
The light began as a single flame at the front, and from there it spread. Spanning pews, crossing rows, and bridging aisles, the flame was passed on from one candle to the next—from one person to another. Old or young, it didn’t matter: each had a candle with a flame, and if that flame was to continue spreading they had to pass it on. As the flame spread, a single spark at the front of the sanctuary slowly transformed into a symphony of lights illuminating the entire room.
Standing in that candlelit sanctuary, I was reminded of how we as Christians are called to help each other grow in our faith. There’s not a lot of light in our world. The darkness is vast and wide, and the candles are few and far apart. Those of us who carry the light are called to keep passing the flame one to another in a living chain.
Because of them we know His name / So let’s lift the cross, and do the same / Unbroken line of believers building a human chain / And the flame passes on, the flame passes on // From the heart of the people comes love for the people / Love that is burning strong / Oh from one to another / This dream of forever / The flame passes on // Oh the light of the ages illumines the pages / The words of an ancient song / Oh faith is the fire that burns ever higher / And the flame passes on
— Billy Smiley and Mark Gersmehl, “The Flame Passes On”
what discipleship is (and what it isn’t)
Before we go any further, I would like to make an important distinction. I’m not talking about evangelism here; I’m talking about discipleship. While evangelism is part of the discipleship process, it’s not the part I’m focusing on.
Too often we think of conversion alone as the end goal of evangelism. You share the gospel with someone, they get saved, and your job is done—on to the next. But that’s wrong. The point of conversion does mark the end of evangelism, but it also marks the beginning of discipleship. It’s far from the end of the journey; it’s only the first step. From that point forward, the process of discipleship begins.
So what is discipleship? It’s the process by which followers of Christ grow into mature believers, guided by those who have gone before them and those who choose to walk beside them. It starts by learning the stories of believers from earlier generations. Passing on the flame of faith is impossible without some sense of connection to the faithwalkers who have gone before us. We need to know our history and be familiar with the stories of those who by faith have obeyed God’s call. History is filled with these stories, beginning with the Bible and continuing through the centuries. We do ourselves a disservice if we don’t get to know some of them. Stories like these strengthen us to go on.
And did they tell You stories ’bout the saints of old? / Stories about their faith? / They say stories like that make a boy grow bold / Stories like that make a man walk straight
— Rich Mullins and David Strasser, “Boy Like Me / Man Like You”
But it’s not just the stories of those who have gone ahead of us that we need to hear; we need to hear from those who are walking God’s path today as well. We need the stories of travelers beside us who are navigating the same world we are facing while seeking to follow Jesus’ way. We need to know that still today, there are others all around the world who are choosing to walk by faith. Andrea Lucado writes, “This is the church. I don’t think we’re called simply to rely on each other for comfort during the hard times or guidance during the confusing times. We’re called to rely on each other for faith in general. When we don’t know why or how to believe, we ask someone who believed before we did, and they remind us again of what is true and what our ancestor’s ancestor’s ancestor knew.”1
Simply put, passing the flame is the act of sharing our lives by letting others witness our faith walk. When faith is our life and life is our faith (the two are one and the same) and we are part of a community of people who want to encourage and sustain each other in the faith they share, this happens naturally. When we come together, we share our struggles and victories, our joys and sorrows, our doubts and reasons for believing. As we interact with each other and see each other’s faith played out in everyday living, our own faith is strengthened by the reminder that there are others out there fighting the good fight—we are not alone. Through prayer and testimony, we light and lift each other’s faith, helping each other to see the way and strengthening each other to walk in it. By recording expressions of our faith in written form (journals, essays, stories, poems, songs), we help to preserve a legacy of faith to pass on to those who come after us.
Becoming more like Jesus isn’t a solitary pursuit—we need the help of community. Once we’ve learned what the gospel is, the next step is to learn how it transforms our lives, and one of the best ways to do that is by observing those who are further along in their faith.
how it happens
Discipleship can be a scary-sounding concept, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Discipleship isn’t some foreign formal practice you wedge into the corners of your schedule; it’s something you do as you live everyday life. I like the way Mike Donehey puts it: “I take Jesus’ command ‘Go and make disciples’ to mean ‘Go walk with people. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, be available to the people in your life. Walk with them step by step, until they begin to see how much I love them and learn how to remain in Me.’”2
One thing is for sure: discipleship involves more than just attending church services together on Sunday. It encompasses how you live and what you do during the rest of the week. Discipleship can take on many forms, each as unique as the people in the mentoring relationship. It can occur through various modes of communication, including letters, emails, texts, and phone conversations. But nothing quite compares to spending time together in person. There’s something about being in each other’s physical presence that makes it more tangible.
There are many ways to accomplish this. You could run errands together or go to each others’ homes for meals or help each other with housework. Maybe you find time together in the workplace (as long as it doesn’t hinder what you’re being paid to do). Or maybe you collaborate to minister to needy people in your neighborhood. The opportunities for discipleship are limitless.
what it accomplishes
I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
— 2 Timothy 1:5-6 (NIV)
Discipleship is a two-way street. Both the discipler and the one being discipled can learn from each other. Besides keeping the faith alive by passing it on from generation to generation, discipleship also strengthens the faith of disciplemakers. There’s nothing like teaching your faith to someone else to help your own to grow. Just because you are teaching someone doesn’t mean you can stop learning; if anything, it will encourage you to learn even more and keep growing.
It is the older generation’s privilege and responsibility to perpetuate the lineage of faith, and it is the younger generation’s privilege and responsibility to take the faith they have been given and make it their own. From one generation to another, the flame passes on. Together, we can help each other. Together, we are strong. Together, we can shine God’s light in an ever-darkening world.
What a beautiful illustration of discipleship, Hannah! The candlelight ceremony on Christmas Eve always makes me tear up. It is so humbling, quieting, and convicting. Thank you for this!
I really like that part of the service too. Thanks, Cheryl!