Blue Christmas

December 4, 2005

Gathering Instrumental selected by Organist/Pianist

(As people arrive, each is given a stone, which they are invited to keep with them during the service.)

Welcome and Introduction

Lighting of the Christ Candle

May the flame of this candle serve to remind us that Jesus Christ, light of the world, is present in our midst.

Call to Worship

One: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; on those who lived in a land of deep shadow a light has shone. For the yoke that weighing upon them, and the burden upon their shoulders, you have broken in pieces, O God.

Prayer of Approach

God of mercy, hear our prayer in this Advent season for ourselves and our families who live with painful memories of loss and painful present experiences. We ask for strength for today, courage for tomorrow, and peace for the future. We ask these things in the name of the Christ, who shares our life in joy and sorrow, death and new birth, despair and promise. Amen.

Opening Hymn

"Come and Find the Quiet Centre" (VU 374)

Scripture

Psalm 121 from VU# 844 Responsive without Refrain.

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where will I look for help?

            My help comes from God,

            who has made heaven and earth.

God will not let your foot stumble;

the One who protects Israel will not slumber.

            The One who protects you

            will neither slumber nor sleep.  R

It is God who protects you,

your defence at your right hand.

            The sun shall not strike you by day,

            nor the moon by night.

God will protect you from all evil,

God will protect your life.

            God will protect your going and coming,

            now and forever.  R

Reflection

The temptations of Jesus that we are most familiar with followed the high of his baptism. Many of you can no doubt relate to being at a high point in your life when, almost without warning, a single event has cast you into a desert—a desert of anger, a desert of regret, a desert of sadness, a desert of fear, a desert of silence, a desert of lost hope, a desert of despair, a desert of wandering.

There are those here who, because of the death of a loved one or family member, because of a powerful memory of long ago, because of unemployment, because of abuse or neglect, because of depression and a sense of lost hope, have difficulty celebrating during the Christmas season. It is as though a particular event or memory from the past has taken you from exhilarating joy to a place of despair.

We gather today to be angels to one another that in this collective body of Christ we may journey toward new understanding, new hope, and the promise of new beginnings.

Casting Off Stones and Lighting of Candles

Reader: Jane

(a) Of Anger

God, I place in your hands my stone of anger, in the knowledge that none of my fury has brought me peace; that the harsh words I've spoken against you and others have only served to increase my burden. Take this weight from me and replace it with forgiveness.

(b) Of Forgiveness

God, I light this candle seeking forgiveness: forgiveness for the words I have spoken in anger, forgiveness for my foolish pride that would not admit my loss, forgiveness for the hours I have stewed and worried while I could have been helping others who share my path, forgiveness, knowing it is mine all along, a gift in Christ, a gift that frees me from my past with the promise of new beginnings.

Reader: James

(a) Of Regret

God, take this stone from me, release me from my regret that has bound me like the weight of many stones. Regret I hold for opportunities missed, experiences merely dreamed of, words not shared, and words that should have remained unspoken. Regret for locking the door and not allowing you to enter. Regret that it has taken this long for me to pass on to you my burdens. Regret for turning away all those expressions of love and kindness shown by friends and neighbours.

Lighting (b) Of Friendship

I light this candle as a constant reminder that in my deepest darkness I am not alone. I am surrounded by a caring faith community who share without expectation of return, their friendship. It is these expressions of friendship that I now plan to embrace leaving behind all my burden of regret.

Reader: Jane

a) Of Sadness

God, I cast into your hands my stone of sadness in the knowledge that while I focus only upon the past, I fail to see the future. I have carried my sadness long enough, and it has been a shadow over me, preventing me from seeing the light of your presence.

Lighting (b) Of Presence

God, I light this candle to remind me that even though I have walked in a fog of my own sadness you were always there. I light this candle as a symbol of my presence as I return to you with a sincere desire to once more see the light.

Reader: James

(a) Of Fear

My fear has been great, God. Fear that I might love again only to be hurt once more. Fear that I may try again, only to find disappointment. Fear that in giving up my fear I may discover the unknown. Please take my stone of fear and show me the means to new life.

Lighting (b) Of New Life

I light this candle to remind me that in the flickering of a new flame there is new life; new life that brings with it new possibilities, new opportunities, new beginnings. May this light lead me from my fear through doors of new beginnings.

Reader: James

(a) Of Silence

This stone is a symbol of my silence which has entrapped me and allowed my soul to be tormented. It is like the many opportunities I have had to speak for myself or for others, to reach out to care or to be cared for, and I have sat silent like this stone. God, take this weight from me, so that I may at last begin to find voice, a voice to speak of my own emotions, a voice to speak for others, a voice to share my deepest thoughts, a voice to pray to you aloud, a voice that will bring me peace.

Lighting (b) Of Peace

I light this candle—symbolic of the peace that can enlighten my heart when I speak out and share my experiences, my thoughts, my emotions with others. Peace that can come when I offer to God all those things for which I have remained silent. Peace that comes in prayer because I know my God is listening.

Reader: Jane

(a) Of Lost Hope

This stone is just as inflexible, as cold, as firm, and as unmoving as I have been because I lost hope. Hope in ever finding myself again. Hope in ever discovering new beginnings. Hope that this world could ever bring Joy to my life. So, God, I give my stone of lost hope to you, trusting that through you I may find new hope.

Lighting (b) Of Hope

One of the candles in the Advent wreath is the candle of hope. Hope for a Saviour. Hope for a new and better world. Hope for all. So I light this candle for hope. Hope for all who have lost their way. Hope for all who feel forgotten and alone. Hope for new possibilities. Hope placed in that newborn babe, our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Reader: Jane

(a) Of Despair

When you release a stone from your hand, it does not soar, but falls to the bottom. The bottom is where I have been living. In the sadness of my own sorrow, in the despair of my own dreams, I have remained firmly grounded. There is no hope at the bottom, there is no peace, and so God, I give to you my stone of despair in the full knowledge that only in its absence can there be any possibility of joy.

Lighting (b) Of Joy

The words of a hymn tell us that "Joy Comes with the Dawn" (VU 166), and so I light this candle that it may bring the light of dawn into my life, turning back the darkness never to let it hide my joy again. Joy that I, like many, have found through faith in the one who came to be a light for the world.

Reader: James

(a) Of Wandering

When you drive down a road that is strewn with large stones, your vehicle becomes almost impossible to control as it wanders back and forth. Your whole attention is focussed on trying not to crash, and you become oblivious to everything around you. God, like that road covered with stones I too have wandered, so focussed on myself that I have ignored the fact that you have taken every road, every step, indeed, every breath with me. So I give up my stone of wandering, longing to return to you.

Lighting (b) Of Love

"Love is a flame that burns in our heart, Jesus has come and will never depart." (VU 7) I light this candle as a reminder to myself and to everyone gathered here, that Jesus is the flame of love that burns in our heart ‑ a flame that can brighten the darkest of our doubts. A flame that can dissolve the cloud of our fear. A flame that can warm us with a love beyond any love we have ever known. A flame that can not be put out and, if we are willing to hold it high and share it with the world, a flame that can bring new hope, new understandings, and in God's great love for you, the promise of new beginnings.

Invitation to All

I invite you now, as you feel free to do so, to come forward and cast off your stones of burden, giving them to Jesus. Then light a candle, as you ask Christ to come into your life once more bringing hope, peace, joy, and, above all, love.

In the Bleak Mid Winter, Oh Little town of Bethlehem, Silent Night, In The Quiet Curve Of Evening.

Hymn

"Hope Is A Star" (VU 7)

Invitation to Share In Memorial

As folks will be gathering into Memorial Hall, in just a few moments to share in refreshment and companionship, let us use this as an opportunity to return thanks for the food and expressions of care that we are all invited to share. God for your gift of community that helps us build up from our low places, we give you thanks even as we do for the gifts that have been provided for us to share. Amen.

Closing Prayer and Benediction

And now, as we move from this place to the many other places where God chooses to meet us, may we do so in the assurance of God's love and companionship. Amen.

Instrumental selections for a time of reflection.

Original text by Tom Beecroft, Watford‑Warwick P.C., Watford, Ont. Used with edits for our context.