Celebrating a Blue Christmas - A Daily Devotion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwfz5mMLSDM
Elvis says it all with his performance of Blue Christmas and captures the sentiment of this seasonally appropriate Daily Devotion.
Wonderfully inspired meditations by Reverend Peter Baldwin Panagore~ Yes. We should celebrate Blue Christmas~ out of respect for those who we loved, and lost, and for others who are grieving and need our support.
Plenty of people aren’t into the reds and greens of Christmas. The color that chooses them is blue, as in singing the blues, as in Christmastide is a heartbreaking season.
A few years ago a colleague starting celebrating, if that’s the right word –celebrating – a service of worship called “The Blue Christmas”. “I’ll have blue Christmas…”** Technically it was for anyone in his congregation who lost a loved one that year, but other folks showed up anyway, including folks who’d lost loved ones years and years ago and missed them sorely every year at Christmas.
Eventually, “The Blue Christmas” service ended up being for everybody in town and so it moved out of the church and over to the funeral home. The funeral home owners invited everyone who’d lost somebody that year, and anyone else in town who wanted to come. Lots did and do.
I’ve been a few times, as celebrant or attendee, and always as someone who lost someone I loved.
Feeling the Christmas blues is more ordinary than we may believe. It’s realistic to feel sad and broken hearted about missing somebody at Christmastime.
Having the Christmas blues isn’t just about death, or missing departed loved ones. The Christmas blues might be some other heartache. If you’re aching with the weary blues this time of year, believe this truth – love is eternal.
Let’s Pray: God, bless the folks who have the weary blues. Touch them this holiday season, and let them know, all is well. Amen.
Here’s a Thought: All is well. All was well. All will be well.
*Title borrowed in part from a Langston Hughes poem, “The Weary Blues”
**“Blue Christmas” lyrics by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson
I'll have a Blue Christmas without you
I'll be so blue just thinking about you
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Won't be the same dear, if you're not here with me.
And when those blue snowflakes start falling
That's when those blue memories start calling
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white
But I'll have a blue, blue blue blue Christmas
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white
But I'll have a blue, blue (blue, blue, blue) Christmas.
Elvis says it all with his performance of Blue Christmas and captures the sentiment of this seasonally appropriate Daily Devotion.
Wonderfully inspired meditations by Reverend Peter Baldwin Panagore~ Yes. We should celebrate Blue Christmas~ out of respect for those who we loved, and lost, and for others who are grieving and need our support.
Rev. Peter Baldwin Panagore is host of "Daily Devotions"
Title: The Weary Blues Come at Christmas*
Date: December 18, 2017 |
| Celebrating a Blue Christmas is a supportive way to reach out to those who grieve during the Christmas season. |
Plenty of people aren’t into the reds and greens of Christmas. The color that chooses them is blue, as in singing the blues, as in Christmastide is a heartbreaking season.
A few years ago a colleague starting celebrating, if that’s the right word –celebrating – a service of worship called “The Blue Christmas”. “I’ll have blue Christmas…”** Technically it was for anyone in his congregation who lost a loved one that year, but other folks showed up anyway, including folks who’d lost loved ones years and years ago and missed them sorely every year at Christmas.
Eventually, “The Blue Christmas” service ended up being for everybody in town and so it moved out of the church and over to the funeral home. The funeral home owners invited everyone who’d lost somebody that year, and anyone else in town who wanted to come. Lots did and do.
I’ve been a few times, as celebrant or attendee, and always as someone who lost someone I loved.
Feeling the Christmas blues is more ordinary than we may believe. It’s realistic to feel sad and broken hearted about missing somebody at Christmastime.
Having the Christmas blues isn’t just about death, or missing departed loved ones. The Christmas blues might be some other heartache. If you’re aching with the weary blues this time of year, believe this truth – love is eternal.
Let’s Pray: God, bless the folks who have the weary blues. Touch them this holiday season, and let them know, all is well. Amen.
Here’s a Thought: All is well. All was well. All will be well.
*Title borrowed in part from a Langston Hughes poem, “The Weary Blues”
**“Blue Christmas” lyrics by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson
I'll have a Blue Christmas without you
I'll be so blue just thinking about you
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Won't be the same dear, if you're not here with me.
And when those blue snowflakes start falling
That's when those blue memories start calling
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white
But I'll have a blue, blue blue blue Christmas
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white
But I'll have a blue, blue (blue, blue, blue) Christmas.
posted by Juliana L'Heureux | 2:34 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home