“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know. Where the tree tops glisten, and children listen, to hear sleigh bells in the snow. I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, with every Christmas card I write. May your days be merry and bright. And may all your Christmases be white.”
That’s one of my favorites. And I’m sure, like me, you can hear Bing Crosby’s buttery deep voice singing in your head. It speaks to what Christmas is supposed to be: trees glistening, sleigh bells ringing, cheerful Christmas cards greeting, all things merry and bright.
But what about when Christmas isn’t like that?
When everything tells us we’re supposed to be happy, but we’re not.
When the world around us tells us we’re supposed to be bright, but inside we feel dim.
What about those times?
That’s what our Longest Night Service is all about: it’s an opportunity for all of us to confess what we all know is true: sometimes all is NOT merry and bright.
And that’s okay! Sometimes, this time of year brings up difficult emotions from past loss, grief, or hardship. Our Longest Night Service is an opportunity to bring those emotions with you, along with others who are experiencing the same, to acknowledge together that Jesus does indeed provide an easy yoke and a light burden, especially when we come together as a community. At the service, we’ll sing, we’ll hear readings, we’ll have the chance to light candles in response, and we’ll have an opportunity to be anointed with oil.
I hope you’ll join us Wednesday, December 21, at 6:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary.
– Ted
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