Christmas should be a happy season. But it’s hard to sing “Joy to the World” when sadness engulfs your heart. The reality of life—memories of the past and the pain of the present—can leave many people feeling less than merry in December. It might be the death of a loved one, a discouraging diagnosis, a job loss, or some other family crisis. This year we add to it the coronavirus pandemic and all that it has wrought.
As a community of women, we have committed ourselves to promote healing and wholeness in the church, the society, and the world. How can we do that for those who are sad or suffering this season? We will gather on the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere—the Winter Solstice—December 21. Into God’s presence, we will bring whatever weighs us down: the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, the brokenness of a relationship, loneliness, and isolation, worries for the state of our world. And we will be fed by the words, the music, and prayers.
Register now
Register now to participate in the Blue Christmas Service. The service (webinar) will take place at 7 p.m. CST on Monday, December 21, 2020, via Zoom. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Death and disappointment are very much a part of life. When we experience death or disappointment while the rest of the world seems focused on ho-ho-ho happiness, realities and expectations collide. Healing rituals like the Blue Christmas Service acknowledge painful realities and re-connect those who mourn with the redeeming and reconciling love of God in Jesus Christ.