THE LONGEST NIGHT

There’s an Advent tradition within Western Christianity of inviting people to come together for the Longest Night — a night around the time of the winter solstice when there are more hours of darkness than light. It’s a time to come together for prayers and laments, to mourn the losses and griefs of the year, to let the tears flow for the hurting places in our own lives, as well as for our country and our world. A Longest Night gathering is a safe and sacred space to share anguish, to plead with God to remember us, to pray for justice and restoration, even to hope against hope, through our doubts and tears and fears, that “God will set things right all over the earth.”

The Longest Night has become an expression for the spiritual journey of grief and loss over the past decade at Union Avenue Christian Church. This year’s Longest Night Worship Service is intended to give voice to our sadness and grief in this year of unprecedented loss and anguish in our world … in our country … in our community. In this time of worship, you are invited to a quiet refuge of prayer, music, remembrance, and Holy Communion. We will acknowledge our losses and ponder the everlasting hope that shines like a light in the darkness.

If you are seeking companionship in your losses this past year, if you are lonely, grieving, living with deep sadness and/or just want to give full attention to the shadow side of the season, join us on Zoom for a Longest Night Worship Service on the winter solstice, Monday December 21 at 7 p.m. Gather your sorrow and lamentations and bring them into the community of care as we seek a path toward hope in this holy season of Advent.