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The Longest Night Service on the Winter Solstice

December 21, 2022 @ 7:00 pm

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The Longest Night Service on the Winter Solstice—Wednesday, December 21, 7:00 PM___

When the Christmas season rolls around, and the first notes of your favorite Christmas songs start to play over Thanksgiving dinner or while walking through the grocery store, it can be both a joyous, yet difficult reminder. The quintessential Christmas experience is one filled with families and friends, as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. But, when we see empty chairs around the table, or empty benches during church services, it can bring a deep sadness. For those celebrating, perhaps for the first time, without a loved one, the holiday season can feel very lonely and uncertain.

The Longest Night Service: A Service of Remembrance recognizes the loss and loneliness that can be felt during the holidays due to death, ill-health, poverty, abuse or other loss. It is a service that specifically enables individuals to experience their grief, as well as express what they are feeling, so they can find a sense of calm and hope. While some churches have foregone this kind of service, many continue to hold space for those grieving during the holidays. In Western Christian tradition, the Longest Night Service has been called the Longest Sleep and is sometimes held on the longest night of the year, or winter solstice.

For this reason, on the longest night of the year, the winter solstice, St. Paul’s Church invites the community to join in A Service of Remembrance. Through readings, prayer, and music we will remember loved ones who have passed, grieve our losses and, hopefully, find restoration of our spirits.  Whether this is a joyful season for you or one of loneliness and grief, please join with us in an atmosphere of understanding, comfort, and hope on this midwinter evening which for some is truly “The Longest Night.”  Invite a friend or neighbor who may need support and comfort at this time.  All are invited and welcomed.

na Skylark, which loosely means “the Skylark” in Irish, is a Celtic Chamber Trio that shares the rich beauty of ancient traditional Celtic music through voice, Irish harp, Irish uilleann pipes, Irish fiddle, Irish whistles, flutes, Irish bodhran, and a little Appalachian mountain dulcimer for good measure. We are fortunate to have two members of the “Larks”, Lorinda Jones and Cathy Wilde, who will be with us to share the beauty and grace of the music “that sets your soul soaring”.

 

Details

Date:
December 21, 2022
Time:
7:00 pm
Event Categories:
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