Blue Christmas Service

Last year, in the days surrounding Christmas, Emmanuel received word of several deaths among our congregation and extended families.  In the midst of the familiar Advent and Christmas rhythms—preparing bulletins, decorating the church, rehearsing special music, and tending to all the personal tasks of shopping, traveling, baking, and celebrating—there was also the quiet, weighty presence of grief. We shared sacred conversations with families who were learning to live in a world where the voice of someone they loved would no longer be heard, at least on this side of the new Jerusalem.  

The holidays—a word rooted in holy days—can be especially difficult for many.  These days are holy not only because we remember that Silent Night two thousand years ago, but also because they draw us into the deep holiness of gathering with those who have shaped and shared our lives.  And yet, not every holy day feels joyful.  For some, these days carry absence, longing, and sorrow alongside the lights and music. 

It is in recognition of that tender reality that Emmanuel will host its first Blue Christmas service.  This Sunday, December 21, at 5:00 p.m., we will create a space to give voice to the loss, grief, and loneliness many experience this time of the year.  The service will be quiet, honest, reflective—yet still hopeful.  For even in our sadness, we carry the hope of our Faith: that in the birth of a child, God comes to free us from the captivity of our sorrows. 

I hope to see you this Sunday evening.

Peace,
Morris+