Blue Christmas Service Outline

Blue Christmas Service Outline

Prelude: As the Deer

Call to Worship

Psalm 42:1-3      As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"

Hymn:   In the Bleak Midwinter

Prayer (unison):                               Gracious God, You know us perfectly and You understand what we are presently experiencing. Our lives have been tainted by hurt and sorrow, disappointment and loss. We are weak and frail, so we depend upon Your love to support and sustain us. Carry the burden of our hearts and help us to overcome our troubles. When we feel lonely and vulnerable, be our strength and shield. When we experience isolation and confusion, be our peace and tranquility. Hear our prayers, both spoken and unspoken. In Jesus’s Name we pray. Amen.

Reading: Psalm 13:1-6

Poem: Blue Christmas: Part 1

There's no room at Christmas for sadness,
There's no place for hearts that are blue.
All the world wants to hear
Is a word full of cheer,
Not a sigh, not a tear, not from you.

There's no room at Christmas for loneliness,
There's no place for your emptiness and grief.
All the world wants is peace,
Mistletoe and Christmas trees,
Not a heartache that mars its beliefs.

There's no room at Christmas for sickness,
There's no place or time to be ill.
All the world wants is health,
Prosperity and wealth,
Not a pain that can spoil its goodwill.

There's no room at Christmas for Jesus,
There's no place for His family, too,
All the world would not share,
No one seems to really care,
A stable will just have to do.

Silence

Reading: John 6: 60-69

Hymn:   What Child Is This?

Homily

Prayer:                 Lord Jesus, You knew what it was like to be rejected and forsaken, wounded and hurt by other people. You understand the pain that we feel and the sadness that we carry. Help us to share our hearts and tears with You. Embrace us in our weakness; strengthen us in our plight. For we pray this in Your Holy Name. Amen.

Poem: Blue Christmas: Part 2

Yes, there's room at Christmas for sadness,
There's a place in God's heart for you.
For He knows pain and loss,
Which He felt on the cross,
So this candle is lit here for you,

For Christ knows what it's like to be blue.

Lighting of Blue Candle

Revelation 7:16-17          Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Quiet dismissal