The holidays are a time filled with joy and hope, but they can be an especially tough time of year for people who are mourning the loss of a loved one or feeling alone.
It’s with those people in mind that the Hellertown Area Ministerium (HAM)–a consortium made up of Saucon Valley churches–decided to sponsor a “Blue Christmas Service” on Wednesday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Hellertown, 69 Main St., Hellertown.
“All are invited to worship with us in a way that continues to provide a space for the grieving or feelings of loss that sometime overshadow the joy of the Christmas season,” said Pastor Lauren Applegate of New Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lower Saucon Township.
“We all go through hardships in our lives–the loss of loved ones, estranged families, broken relationships, the loss of jobs and so much more,” she explained. “In the celebrations of Christmas, folks can feel even more torn when they sense a push to deny these feelings of grief and to put on a smile for the sake of the ‘Christmas spirit.’ In reality, Christmas is about God showing up in our midst in human form and responding to these feelings of grief offering comfort, peace and hope for what is to come.”
The service is open to everyone.