The Holiday Season is not necessarily happy for everyone. Grief, pain, and loss of any kind can lend itself to sadness, disappointment and, at times, deep despair. A Blue Christmas service is designed to hold space for those who are hurting, so they need not suffer in silence or alone.
There’s no denying it. This time of the year can be painful. Perhaps it is the first time you are celebrating the holiday without your loved one who recently died or are experiencing the heartache of a broken relationship. Maybe you have lost a job, moved from a familiar community, received bad news regarding your health, or will be separated from someone special, including a beloved pet. Maybe this time of the year brings back bad memories of your past or finds you feeling lost, directionless and wondering what the future holds. As much as one may like, mustering up a celebratory spirit is just too painful for one reason or another.
Traditionally, Blue Christmas services are offered on or near the longest night of the year, sometime around December 21. This coincides with the Advent season during which the Christian community prepares for the coming of Christ. Together they proclaim the message that “Jesus Christ is the Light of the world; the Light no darkness can overcome.”
They serve as a word of comfort, hope and even joy for all, especially those who find themselves living in a land of deep darkness.
This is a quiet service, contemplative in nature — something a bit foreign in these days when there is a frantic pace to buy presents, attend parties, and celebrate with family and friends.
It includes silence; prayers for the painful life events we experience; scripture and song; and candle lighting that brightens lives with its healing glow. When smiles are hard to form, tears take the place of laughter, hearts are breaking, and one feels “blue” rather than glad, this service offers an alternative where the good news of Christmas can still be heard in the depths of hurting hearts.
For the first time, Christ the King Lutheran Church located at 11295 SW 57 Avenue in Pinecrest, will offer such a service, extending an invitation to the community to join them at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 15. No offering will be received, except the offering of your own heart-felt desires for healing and wholeness. During this holy and blessed season, we pray Christ will scatter your darkness and bring light to your world.
