SEASONS - A CHRISTIAN CELEBRATION OF CHANUKAH IN 2014 - Prayers and Meditations for the Second Day of Chanukah

(Partially Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf.  The Meditation section of this article is written by Rabbi Debra Orenstein.)

It is the Second Day of Chanukah!

Instructions for lighting the Chanukah Menorah:

The Chanukah candles cannot be used to light each other, which is why we use the Shamash Candle to light the Menorah.  It's not one of the 8 Chanukah candles, so we set it in a place above the rest. The Shamash can be made out of sweet-smelling beeswax.  This candle represents Y’shua, Jesus to Christians.  Jewish people know it as "the servant candle."  This candle is higher and more special than the others because it has more power, yet it is a servant to the other candles, giving them life and light.

We place candles in the Menorah from right to left, but we light the candles from left to right.

On the first night we light one candle on the right side. On the second night we light the new, candle first, starting from the left and moving to the right. A new candle is added each night until we have eight candles and the Shamash on the eighth night.  Chanukah, like the oil of the temple when it was rededicated, lasts for eight days.   

Each night as we add another candle and light them again we can recite special blessings.  We can also meditate on the truth from the illustrations found in God’s Word and the truth of the history of God’s people throughout time to help us understand the full meaning of this special time together and how Chanukah was a great miracle of God. 

Many people delight in gathering and serving foods cooked in oil during this season in order to remember the miracle of the oil in the menorah lasting for eight days when there was thought to be only enough oil for one day.

BLESSING FOR THE SECOND NIGHT OF CHANUKAH

We praise you O Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctifies us by Your Presence and enjoins us to kindle the Chanukah lights.

We praise You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed great miracles and deeds many times over for our ancestors in the days of old during this season. 

We praise You  for the joy in the miracles that You continue to show us each day of our lives.

 We praise You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this season. 

We praise You for Your provision of our every need, even in the midst of hopelessness, You shine out Your Holy love into our lives and turn our mourning to joy.

MEDITATION FOR THE SECOND DAY:

This meditation is taken from the teachings of Rabbi Debra Orenstein.  She has given us great insight into the miracle of the second candle we light tonight.

The miracle of the second candle is one of surprise,  joy, and delight. With the benefit of hindsight, and with the story so entrenched in Jewish culture and consciousness, we have to work to imagine the shock and celebration that must have ensued when the light burned past its time.

Picture the scene: Jews are gathered around the newly purified Temple. They hold one another, celebrating the victory, supporting one another over the losses. The light that is about to go out in the Menorah represents another loss, another bit of damage inflicted by the enemy. They want to bask in the Light and the victory for as long as it will last.

There is a debate among the Jews over whether to continue fighting for complete political independence, or to be satisfied with having beaten the enemy back. The flame of the Menorah, now about to go out, is a symbol that either side could invoke. “We have our menorah back: purify the oil, focus on holy, and light the flame of faith again.” Or: “we must endure more darkness. Therefore, purify the oil, focus on the holy, and don’t abandon the fight until it is done. “

Before any of these thoughts are spoken, a buzz starts to go through the crowd. First one person and then another realizes that the flame has been burning “too long.” There is more light, more hope, than they had dared to expect. Soon everyone is cheering and singing. The Light will not go out! The political choice is still before them, but the spiritual promise matters more.

 The Light will not go out!

Take a few quiet moments in front of the second candle or during the second day of Chanukah and consider:

What are the miracles of  joy, surprise, and delight in your life?

Was there a time when you were you recovering from loss, and preparing to face the future, when you got a gift – a sudden surge of hope, of Light, a promise for the future?

FURTHER COMMENTS OFFERED BY SHEILA GAIL LANDGRAF:

How does the miracle of the light of Chanukah for the Jewish people relate when we think of the state of America today? 

What can Americans learn from the Jewish people about hope and perseverance in a time of trouble?

What was the main thing that brought about this great miracle?  

What did God do?  What did the people do?