Service of the Longest Night By Marg Fehr


Songs invite us to “have a holly, jolly Christmas” and say it is “the most wonderful time of the year.” Christmas evokes memories of joyous times spent with family and friends decorating a tree, bak- ing, and buying and wrapping giſts. For people of the Christian faith, the season of Advent is a time to reflect on and celebrate the birth of Jesus into the world. We light the candles around the advent wreath and possibly participate in a candlelit Christmas Eve service. It is a time of singing “Joy to the World, the Lord has come ...” For those who have family and friends all around them, Christmas can indeed be the highlight of the year. However, for those who have experienced loss, Christmas can


be an extremely sad and lonely time. Cold days and long darkness can accentuate personal grief. Last Christmas, Salem Church chose to acknowledge this by offering a “Longest Night Service,” a time of reflection, prayer, candle-lighting and hope to those who were struggling at Christmas. Te Waldheim community was invited through an article in


our local paper. We gave personal invitations to folks who were grieving the loss of a family member; to individuals who were sick or had family members with terminal illnesses; to those who had experienced a family breakup; to those who had lost their jobs and were uncertain about the future; and to people who had recently moved to our community and felt alone this Christmas. We en- couraged our church family to accompany those they invited and make them feel comfortable and welcome. We explained that this service would allow participants to


experience Christmas with others who were also dealing with grief in various forms. Our message was: “You will not be alone. Tere will be candlelight, music, Scripture reading and prayer. You are free to come and leave privately if you wish, or for those who de- sire, there will be plenty of Kleenex™, hugs, and time for individual prayer. All are invited to join us for this unique opportunity to acknowledge how grief can be extremely strong during the Christ- mas season.”


And so they came to our quiet, contemplative, candlelit


sanctuary to seek God’s peace and strength through the Word, songs, short readings and prayers. Participants were given several opportunities to come forward and light a candle as a symbol of the ones they were missing, or to represent their unique loss. It was a time of quiet, friendship, support, faith, and reflection. No doubt the Holy Spirit was pouring his healing balm out on those who came. When the formal service concluded, the lights were turned


down, and in the beauty of the glimmering candlelight people listened to a few familiar Christmas carols being played quietly on the piano. Some then sat with each other, prayed and shared their stories together. Hot apple cider was served in the foyer, and many stayed around to continue their fellowship together. We hope to make “Te Service of the Longest Night” a yearly


event to reach out to those in our community who are struggling at Christmas. We would encourage your congregation to consider incorporating this into your plans this Christmas season. It will bless those in your community with the hope, peace and love of the Lord during their times of grief, uncertainty, and loneliness. If you would like more information about our first “Longest Night Service” feel free to contact Marg Fehr at marg.fehr@yahoo.ca.


Marg Fehr, along with her husband Len, is a member of Salem Church in Waldheim. She has found great joy in her many years of teaching “Friends” Sunday School, a unique and enthusiastic class of about 20 adults of differing abilities. Another one of her favorite ministries is overseeing Salem’s distribution of generous Christmas food hampers that bless families in the community who are going through a rough time. She was thrilled to help Pastor Darrell Derk- sen organize Salem’s first “Service of the Longest Night.”


Other Links • ministrymatters.com/all/entry/3053/longest-night • calvarylife.org/event/2015-12-21-the-longest-night/


Fellowship Focus, September/October 2016


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