In February 2004, our Christ Lutheran Church congregation in Norfolk, Virginia dedicated the peace candle we received from St. John's Lutheran Church in Des Moines, Iowa and began a tradition of presenting a peace candle to our out of town visitors to take back to their home congregations.

     In 1985, the Rev. Blair R. Monie, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in York, Pennsylvania, visited the Soviet Union.  In the small town of Voronezh, an old woman approached him and pressed a small sum of money into his hand and asked that he do something for world peace.  He recognized a deep desire and strong devotion in her eyes and in her voice and determined that he would do something special when he returned to the United States.

     What could he do with three rubles?  After much thought, he purchased a small votive candle, placed it on the Communion Table and lit it.

     After hearing his story, the congregation agreed to make it a permanent accessory of the chancel and purchased a supply of votive candles so that they could make a "peace candle" available to any visitor to take back to his/her sanctuary.

     When we see the glow of our peace candle burning, we offer our prayers for peace.  This small non-threatening symbol of peace helps us to be praying people and to play our part as peacemakers, as Jesus called us to do.  Today these candles burn in the United States, England, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Kuwait, South Africa and Denmark.

     As we see it being lit each Sunday and see the glow of this candle burning, we offer our prayers for peace.  This small non-threatening symbol helps us to be praying people and to play our part as peacemakers as Jesus called us to do.

     Our peace candle came to us from St. John's Lutheran Church in Des Moines, Iowa.  Our congregation has joined in spreading this reminder of peace by making candles available for visitors to take back to their own churches.  Since joining in this tradition, Christ Lutheran has passed along peace candles to congregations in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Virginia.