For many, the holidays represent a time of joy and happiness, while for others it is a time of sorrow. Feelings of loneliness and depression or sadness over the death of a loved one can be amplified by the season and become overwhelming.
For people who feel the season represents sadness rather than celebration, the United Methodist Church in Hollister is holding a special “Blue Christmas” service to help them cope with their grief or unhappiness.
“Some people might be burdened with sorrow with things that make people blue in this season,” Pastor Hwapyoung Kang, pastor of Hollister United Methodist Church, “so for them, they need some comfort and care from God, who came to be with us in our suffering. That is the idea behind the Blue Christmas service.”
The service will be held at Hollister United Methodist Church, located at 521 Monterey Street, on Dec. 21 at 7:00 p.m. It will include a candle-lighting ceremony and music chosen for the occasion.
“The candles will be lit in the middle of the service,” Kang said. “It will be a time for people to remember those they have lost or to think about their sorrows and give that burden to God. And I believe that being together while remembering loved ones will bring some comfort.”
For Kang, who became pastor in July, this is his first time leading the service. It was started in 2016 by Karla Lundin, who currently leads the Church of the Wayfarer in Carmel.
“I saw a need during this holly-jolly season when everyone seems to be happy,” Lundin said. “I was discovering that not everyone experiences Christmas the same way. They might have lost someone or are going through a breakup or are depressed. I had heard about this kind of service before—other places it might be called ‘The Longest Night’ or ‘The Night of Hope’—and decided to start having one for our church.”
Part of Lundin’s motivation was her own sense of loss around that time.
“I had lost my mother that year,” she said, “and we had also lost a prominent member of our community. That prompted the understanding in me that we needed to recognize and share our grief. It is designed for anyone who isn’t feeling holly and jolly but it is also for those who are feeling that way who need time to reflect on ourselves, our lives, our relationships, and our spirituality. We may not even understand our feelings but we need to know that there is hope.”
“As we gather that evening, we are thinking about our congregation and those that we have lost,” Kang said. “But this is also a public event and everyone is invited. It is important for people to know we are not alone.”
The church will also be hosting a special Christmas Eve service with carols and candle lighting on Dec. 24 at 7:00 p.m. The Christmas Eve offering will be donated to Emmaus House, a domestic violence shelter for women and children in Hollister.
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