Preparing for Christmas was always an exciting time
growing up.
From hopping into our Chevy Astro van and heading to
pick out a tree to hanging the stockings by the
front door with care, and with all of the lights and
presents and smells of the holy-day season made the
house warm and magical.
I know of people who are biting at the bit when the
Advent season comes around so they can finally
create all those Pintrest projects they’ve been
preparing to make. There are houses around town that
prepare to welcome the holiday season by
straightening and checking the thousands of lights
that’ll illuminate their house on the outside.
Y’all get the point. Preparing for Christmas takes
on a variety of shapes…
Over the last two days the chapel has been preparing
for the Christmas season as well. We have hung up
the blue paraments and décor in our chapel in
preparation for our Blue Christmas/Longest Night
worship service.
Most of you know by now what this is. But for those
of you who don’t, here is quick synopsis: Blue? Yes,
blue as in the blues. As in "I am feeling blue." Not
everyone is up and cheery for the Christmas
holidays. Dealing with the death of a loved one,
facing life after divorce or separation, coping with
the loss of a job, living with cancer or some other
dis-ease that puts a question mark over the future,
and a number of other human situations make parties
and joviality painful for many people in our
congregations and communities.
This time of year is hard for many. While most
families are preparing for wonderful reunions around
long dining room tables or catching up with old
friends on the beach, some are quietly sinking into
sadness as they face some hard realities:
This is the first year they won’t need to prepare a
meal because, the children have chosen to visit the
in-laws or there's nobody to prepare for.
Some on Christmas Eve instead of reading “Twas the
night before Christmas…” will be driving home for
the first time since college…
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Some during the holiday season are preparing
responses to that relative who insists their
political and ideological perspectives are right and
that the reason for the season is NOT about LOVE but
instead is about fear, hatred, and building walls or
excluding others in the name of the One we are
waiting for…
Some will wake up on Christmas day for the first
time not surrounded by their own walls and own
decorations but to the stale smell of processed food
and sterilized living facilities…
Some will not be alone for the holidays because
their family or church or whoever has rejected them
because of they no longer choose to live as someone
else…
The holidays can be hard.
Be gentle this holiday season, friends. Those folks
you encounter who may not be as jolly as you are and
deemed as Scrooges, might be dealing with something
that …
So, those of you who are dreading the holidays or
think you’re alone in feeling blue, you’re not. Many
of us sit with you in this season—whether that is
blissful or sorrowful—we sit, we pray, and we love
you.
One last note as to why we need a Blue Christmas
service. But instead of me using my words, I’ll let
an image from the newspaper do the talking:
[Pastor Adam Quine of First Presbyterian Church
in Lincoln] |
