The (Almost) Longest Night

This evening, some of us will gather at Richmond Congregational Church (UCC) for an hour of quiet Advent worship, also referred to as a Longest Night or Blue Christmas service. For some of us, the holidays are always complicated. I think of Charlie Brown looking on after his excited friends, feeling disconnected from it all. Others of us consistently love the holidays, but due to change or loss in the last year, are finding this one more difficult. Still others of us, not because of any heartbreak, are looking for a retreat from the pressures of the season, a way to connect meaningfully with the the heart of Christmas.

I am looking forward to this simple, intimate, contemplative hour. If you'd like to tune in from the privacy of your own home, remote viewing is also available through Richmond's Facebook page.

Whether or not you attend this evening, I hope you'll join in raising prayers for those in our world who find it a bit difficult to raise an alleluia this year. There is a place for everyone at the manger, so come, just as you are.

Pastor Jen