Monday, December 21, 2009

Meditation for the Longest Night

Tonight Musical Friend, whose husband died in March 2008, and I are going to a Blue Christmas Service together.

Mags held one at her church last night. I love that they call it a Longest Night Service, since it was on the calendar the longest night and since this kind of a life does feel like one endless night. (My brother asked me yesterday. "When does it end?" "It doesn't," I said. "It changes, but it doesn't end.")

Anyway, a beautiful meditation:


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

In my part of the world it is the longest day. But longest night or day I find that today more than any other the tinny saccharine of commercial Christmas grates deeply on my nerves. Today I choose to be quiet and silent and remember. Tonight a small group of friends and I pray for ourselves and for all we know and for all we do not who face Christmas with hearts full of grief.

May we use your translation of Psalm 88 to give us focus tonight please?

Elaine (aka...Purple) said...

Spoken in truth and honesty. I am hoping to do similar service next year. People grieve for a variety of reasons and I hope a service like this provides a place for some of the grief to be acknowledged and held.

Prayers with and for you and Musical Friend this evening.

Gannet Girl said...

Of course, Gabriele. Although as I said to Mags, while I translated it painful word by painful word, you can find the same thing elsewhere although in various combinations with other translations of the various verses.

Anonymous said...

Ah yes but we will know that you did this and you share the sadness with us and have walked in the deep darkness and that makes it personal you see.

And so it was, last night. We joined our broken hearts to heaven, and remembered that beyond the cradle stood the cross. God's own heartbreak. And we felt also as if we joined the wider world last night ans we not just a handful of friends praying the unthinkable at the Christmas time.

Ans we all thank you for this gift.

bathmate said...
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