I know, I know. The Winter Solstice was two weeks ago. But with the near-future of our country up for grabs in the Georgia Senate runoff election today and the Electoral College vote count tomorrow, this night feels awfully similar to December 21st. So I thought experiencing our Longest Night service again might help me. Perhaps it can help you too. At the very least I will say that I was pleased with how this service ended up. I think it works. But of course I think that — I wrote it. So let me know what you think. And if it helps you in any way, feel free to make use of it too.

Sources of inspiration included:
resources for church by The Many
UMC Discipleship
Pastor Robb McCoy

Full video is below. Service begins at 3:30 mark. Here’s how I introduced it:

So much about this year feels cold and broken. So many have died. So many are sick. So much feels lost. So much was lost. So much continues to be lost day after day after day. We are tired. We are lonely. We are grieving. Much of the time God feels far, far away. 

Fortunately for us, we are not the first people to feel this way. For eons, women and men — especially women and men of faith — have cried out to God. Our biblical writers shout their laments at the Lord. We may be in the midst of the longest night of the year, but we are not alone. 

The Psalmist cries with us: “How long, O God will you ignore the prayers of your people? You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.”

Our intent tonight is to offer safe space to honestly name our hurts and our despair; to plead with God and if need be, let our tears flow. Then, together, to pray and sing as we hope against hope that, as the author of the book of Samuel wrote, “God will set things right all over the earth.”

I hope this helps you find some peace tonight, tomorrow, and beyond. And may democracy and goodness defeat fascism and racism tonight and tomorrow and always.

Photo by Tom Gainor on Unsplash