We are told, by the culture that surrounds us, that the Christmas season is supposed to be a time of good cheer, replete with parties, festivities and merriment. Yet for many, this season is not all it is cracked up to be. It is a time of great stress and high anxiety, and the forced merriment just makes things worse. For some, the season is a time of great sadness, as we struggle with loneliness, loss, despair, or grief.
At this Blue Christmas jazz Communion service, we will bring into sacred space all that we are and all that we feel, and we will lift up our concerns to the One who created us, redeemed us, and sustains us even now. On this holy night, we will remember that God dwells wherever we dwell, in our going out and in our returning, in our joys and in our sorrows. During the dark night of the soul or of the season, God will light the way for us.