The Christmas song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” tells us:
It’s the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you, “Be of good cheer!”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
The song was first popularized in 1963 by Andy Williams, the crooner with the mellow tenor voice. It goes on to describe the Christmas season as “the hap-happiest season of all,” with holiday greetings, marshmallow toasting and “caroling out in the snow.”
But for many, this can be a difficult season. Some are dealing with grief over a loved one who died in the past year, or they have estranged family members. Others struggle with mental health or addiction issues – which the long nights and demands of the season can exacerbate.
Some feel a real loneliness, separated from family and friends, or the season may bring up memories “of Christmases long, long ago” – that weren’t all that great.
Some of us struggle with seasonal affective disorder when the days are short and there’s less sunlight. I know I bring my “Happy Light” out in mid-November, counting the days to December 21 when the days finally start getting longer.
There are times that Christina Rosetti’s “In the Bleak Midwinter” resonates more with me than “the hap-happiest season of all.”
Many are simply exhausted by the busyness, expectations or pressures of the season – baking and parties and meals and relatives and presents and decorating. Maybe money’s tight this year due unexpected expenses or the loss of a job.
Whatever the reason, “everyone telling you ‘be of good cheer’” isn’t super helpful in dealing with grief or pain, struggle or loneliness.
Some churches are starting to recognize that congregation members may have difficulties during the Advent and Christmas seasons, and they’re offering a special service known as Blue Christmas or The Longest Night – as it’s often held on December 21, the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
Blue Christmas usually takes place with a smaller, more intimate gathering, and it’s often held at more liturgical churches, like Anglican, Lutheran, Catholic or Methodist parishes.
In some traditions, December 21 is also the feast day for Thomas the Apostle who, at one point, doubted the reports of Jesus’ resurrection. The connection leads some to acknowledge that even those who believe in Jesus may struggle with seasons of questioning and doubt.
NPR’s All Things Considered recently reported on Blue Christmas services:
The service usually involves Scripture reading, corporate prayer and singing Advent hymns – with their more solemn words of longing and anticipation, just as the Jewish people endured centuries of yearning and waiting for the Messiah.
There may be time for reflection, confession of sin, repentance and receiving forgiveness. A pastor or priest may offer a short sermon and communion, and some churches offer opportunities for members to receive prayer from ministry teams. It’s an opportunity to come alongside those who suffer.
Blue Christmas is a reminder that Christ came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and to comfort the afflicted (2 Corinthians 1:3-7). The service allows believers to participate in what the Lord proclaimed as His mission:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18-19 ESV).
While The Longest Night recognizes people’s pain and suffering, the service also proclaims hope: The Lord has come, Jesus bore our griefs and sorrows, He is with us in difficulty and pain, and He offers comfort and solace.
In times of difficulty, believers still cling to the hope and light and life that Christ offers.
The service acknowledges that things may look dark, but it looks forward to Christ’s birth, when sunrise comes, as Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, proclaimed:
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
To give knowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1: 76-79 NKJV).
Related articles and resources:
Focus on the Family offers a free, one-time counseling consultation with a licensed or pastoral counselor. To request a counseling consultation, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) or fill out our Counseling Consultation Request Form.
Christmas Mourning: Surviving the Holidays
Coping With Christmas After Losing a Child
Handling the Holidays After Loss
How Families Can Heal from Hurt and Find Hope for the Holidays
Managing Emotions During the Holidays Resources: Grief and Loss
Image from Shutterstock.
The post Blue Christmas – The Longest Night appeared first on Daily Citizen.
Daily Citizen