It’s Christmas ... a time for joyful celebrations—or so
we’ve been led to believe.
But maybe it’s hard for you to feel up and happy.
If your life is too filled with worry, or grief, or loneliness, or if you just have “the holiday blues, stressed out” feeling, the Longest Night Service is a reminder that you don’t have to feel happy this season.
Hear the Christmas message: despite the shadow of grief and death, there is hope.
Pastor Jeff calls this “a service of light in the midst of darkness.” The service will be held in the sanctuary, and it will be streamed to Zoom. Those who want to attend on Zoom need to pre-register at bit.ly/longnight2025.
“This is also the time of year with the longest nights,” Pastor Jeff says, “so on the longest night of the year our congregation offers a special meditative worship service that makes time for remembering, sharing our hurting places with God, and preparing our hearts for the coming of Christ.”
“Attendees are invited to light candles during the service as a quiet response and act of prayer,” Pastor Jeff explained. He said that he hopes that the service will provide a space for people “to release their anger, face their emptiness, have a good cry (if that’s what they need), and know that God cares.”
He said he hopes that people worshipping at home, watching the live stream, will create a worship space near their computers. “Ideally, people will have a central candle (wax or electric) to light as part of the beginning of the service,” he said. “In addition, I hope they have seven additional candles or seven stones (they don’t have to be big) nearby to gather around that central candle as the service progresses.”
While people of all faith traditions (and no faith tradition) are welcome, the service is rooted in the Christian tradition.
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