The Service of the Longest Night

You are invited to come and worship in a quiet and peaceful gathering of The Holy Eucharist in Saint Clare Chapel of St. Francis Episcopal Church, 6:00 PM December 15.

Does the Christmas season feel the same way for everyone? We know, it does not. We are human beings, and all of us have our own emotional landscape. We are impacted by personal circumstances and by things happening around us. It is common for the sacred holidays to be marked by expressions of joy, excitement, and happiness, but it is common for people to feel out of step with such light emotions.

The Christmas Eve liturgies will fittingly carry the uplifting music and message of comfort and joy. We are eager to gather meaningfully to offer worship that celebrates the saving work of Christ the Word Incarnate. It is important for you also to know of another liturgy we will offer: this little one is quiet and simple. It is offered because we are tuned in to the variety of emotional landscapes of the human experience.

On Wednesday, December 15 at 6:00 PM Saint Clare Chapel is open for what we call The Service of the Longest Night. Yes, from the title, we might guess this service would fittingly go with the winter solstice, which in the northern hemisphere falls generally on December 21st or 22nd. The practical considerations of the parish calendar recommend its placement, this year, on December 15th.

Sometimes our experience of the weeks surrounding Christmas usher in something of a blue feeling. The general tone of the Christmas observance, that of joy and expectation, is a bit of a mismatch when we are holding feelings of loneliness or sorrow. The Service of the Longest Night with The Holy Eucharist is designed to allow worshipers experiencing challenges of bereavement, relationships, memories, or other longings to hold those feelings honestly before our loving God of compassion. Each worshiper has the chance, in a simple ceremony of light, to ignite a candle representing the yearning or sorrow that might be felt.