블루 크리스마스예배 Blue Christmas Service

By Hwa-Young Chong

Advent and Christmas are considered seasons of anticipation, celebration, and joy. Worship and songs reflect the joyous birth of Jesus. At the same time, the joy of Christmas may be difficult to sense for those who go through griefs and sorrows due to the death of a loved one, divorce, health decline, losing a job, or other challenges in life. A service of Blue Christmas is designed to offer peace and comfort to those in sorrowful situations of life. Blue Christmas is often offered on the night of winter solstice, December 21. It’s also called “the Longest Night Service,” as it is the longest night during the year. Prepare a Christmas tree in the sanctuary to have worshippers hand a Christmas Star ornament during the service. If a small gathering is expected, a tabletop tree can be used. People are invited to write their prayers on the paper cut in the shape of star. Prepare the star-shaped paper and markers in advance.

WELCOME

Grace and Peace to you from Jesus Christ. I welcome you to the Blue Christmas Service. On this longest night of the year, we gather to remember God, who give light in the midst of darkness. We open our hearts to God in this worship, acknowledging the sorrows and challenges of our lives. May God’s light bring us peace and comfort.

CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

All: All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.

Leader: What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.

All: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

(John 1:1, 3-5)

HYMN

“It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”

(United Methodist Hymnal, 218)

RESPONSIVE READING

Psalm 130

(United Methodist Hymnal, 848)

OPENING PRAYER

God of Peace, we thank you for your steadfast love and mercy. As we anticipate Jesus’ birth during Advent, we also confess that we have sorrow, anguish, and fear within us. O Emmanuel, God-with-us, come into our hearts, comfort us in our pains, and guide us to see the light of your hope. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

ADVENT CANDLES

Leader: We light the candle of hope, waiting for Jesus who comes to us as the hope of the world. (Light the first candle in the Advent wreath.)

People: Lord, thank you for coming to us as hope when we cannot see hope.

Leader: We light the candle of peace, waiting for Jesus who comes as the Prince of Peace. (Light the second candle in the Advent wreath.)

People: Lord, thank you for coming to us as peace amid conflict and anxiety.

Leader: We light the candle of joy, waiting for Jesus who comes to us as joy in our life full of sorrows. (Light the third candle in the Advent wreath.)

People: Lord, thank you for coming to us as joy when we are not able to sense joy.

Leader: We light the candle of love, waiting for Jesus who comes to us as the incarnate love of God. (Light the fourth candle in the Advent wreath.)

People: Lord, thank you for coming to us as love when we are alone and lonely.

Leader: All the candles in the Advent wreath are lit, but the Christ candle is yet to be lighted. Christmas Eve is only a few days away. Yet, darkness is still deep; the joy of Christmas seems far away. I invite you to come forward and light a candle, if you are so moved, to add light to our darkness. As you light the candle, you may remember a loved one who passed away, offer your sadness to God, or lift up a prayer. Since God is with us, darkness will not conquer us.

(Take time so that all who want to light a candle may have a chance to do so. During lighting, the accompanist may play soft music, or the congregation may sing a hymn. After everyone has lit a candle, continue to play music or sing a hymn to allow people to reflect.)

HYMN

“Emmanuel, Emmanuel” (United Methodist Hymnal, 204)

SCRIPTURE

Isaiah 40:6-8

SILENCE

SCRIPTURE

1 John 4:7-9

SILENCE

GOSPEL

Matthew 2:1-11

SILENCE

SERMON

HYMN

“We Three Kings” (United Methodist Hymnal, 254)

HOLY COMMUNION

INVITATION TO HOLY COMMUNION

We give thanks to God for giving us light and hope through Jesus Christ. Now all are invited to this Holy Communion where we confess Jesus Christ as our Lord. With hearts of gratitude, may we participate in this service and dwell in the peace of Christ through the presence of the Lord.

THE GREAT THANKSGIVING

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God who gives us light in long nights.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

WORDS OF INSTITUTION

On the night when Jesus was arrested, he took bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” After supper, he took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.”

Therefore, let us confess the mystery of faith, proclaiming our Lord's saving death and resurrection until Christ comes again.

Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again.

THE PRAYER OF CONSECRATION

Eternal God, send your Holy Spirit to bless this bread and wine, so that those who eat and drink them may be transformed anew in Jesus, becoming a holy church and believers, one with Christ who turns sorrow into joy, anxiety into peace, and pain into healing. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

BREAKING THE BREAD

The bread we break is a sharing in the body of Christ.

The cup we take is a sharing in the blood of Christ.

Amen.

GIVING THE BREAD AND THE CUP/ HANGING PRAYER STARS ON THE CHRISTMAS TREE

Now, I invite all of you who confess Jesus Christ as your Lord to partake in the Lord's Supper. Come with gratitude to receive the priceless gift of the Lord's salvation that Christ freely offers. Please bring your prayer star and hang it on the Christmas tree.

PRAYER AFTER RECEIVING

God, Emmanuel, we give thanks for the holy mystery of salvation that you grant us through Jesus Christ. Renew us by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that we, too, may become the body of Christ, dedicated to our neighbors and the world. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

HYMN

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (United Methodist Hymnal, 211)

BENEDICTION

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of light.” (John 8:12)

Dearly Beloved, let us go forth from this place knowing that God’s light will always shine on our way. May the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you, bless you, and encourage you today and all the days to come. Amen.

Hwa Young Chong wrote this order of Blue Christmas Service for a bilingual Korean-English congregation. This service can be used when the Korean-speaking and the English-speaking members worship together, and it can also be used when each worships separately.

Rev. Dr. Hwa-Young Chong holds a BA in Christian Studies from Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Korea. She completed her M.Div. and Ph.D. in Theological and Historical Studies from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. She is an ordained elder in the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church. She serves as the District Superintendent for the Prairie North District of the Northern Illinois Conference.