Blue at Christmas? St. Mark has a place for you

Sometimes all is not merry and bright. Sometimes this season is filled more with fear than hope, more grief than joy. On the longest night of the year, the Winter Solstice, St. Mark Lutheran Church will make room for those feelings at their Blue Christmas Service on Tuesday, December 21 at 6:45pm.

"Our hope is that this service will provide a place of solace, comfort, and community. We come together seeking healing and room to share grief, sadness, loneliness, or confusion when these emotions often feel out of place during the holidays," says Pastor Christie Webb.

The service will take place in the St. Mark Memorial Garden, just dedicated this past summer. According to tradition, on the longest night of the year, nature and all her creatures stop and hold their breath to see if the sun will turn back from its wanderings, if the days will lengthen and the earth will once again feel the sun's warmth. Out in the very dark and cold that amplifies these challenging feelings, the community will gather with songs, readings and prayers that make space for our honest yearnings and communal seeking of the return of light and hope.

"I'm particularly excited for the music that we will surround ourselves that night. They are haunting songs that name our fears, name our sorrows, honor the dark and point to the light," says Webb.

The church choir will be present to help lead the songs. The sanctuary will be open following the service for quiet reflection.

Webb says, "If you are in need of a place to feel your true feelings and be supported by community, we hope you will join us in this night of prayer."