This Sunday is the fourth Sunday of Advent, a day when we celebrate the profound love that God has poured into our human lives and the vision for a realm in which “God has lifted up the lowly and filled the hungry with good things,” to quote Mary, the mother of Jesus, whose wonderful song, the Magnificat, we hear this Sunday morning.
This Sunday also happens to fall on the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Thanks to our amazing music director, Trent Whisenant, at Trinity we will be recognizing the winter solstice in a special evening prayer service (Compline) on Sunday night, December 23, 6pm.
Why? Why gather together on the longest night in one of the busiest times of the year?
Because a “longest night” service gives us the opportunity to do two things at once. On the one hand, in our gathering, we acknowledge the weight, complexity, and challenges of our lives—the long nights of sorrow and struggle with grief or depression or self-criticism or self-harm or addiction or illness or sense of purposelessness. And simultaneously we recognize that it is precisely in the longest nights of the soul and struggle that our God, our merciful God who died on the cross, enters and dwells with us.
The longest night compline service—in addition to being beautiful in our candlelit sanctuary—is a chance to receive and celebrate the presence of God that illumines even the darkest corners of our lives, our minds, our hearts, our world.
What can you expect? Beauty and grace and healing. We will gather at the front of the sanctuary, surrounded by art and candlelight. The choir will chant; we will read scripture and poems; and we will pray. During prayer time, you are invited to light candles and pray for circumstances in your own life and the lives of others; you are invited to walk or look about the space and ponder the beauty that God pours out in our lives through visual art; and you are invited to receive healing prayer with anointing and laying on of hands—to hear words of grace and receive the touch of divine love that may heal and comfort broken spirits and hearting hearts.
I know that we are all very busy during Advent—especially in the last days before Christmas. But I strongly encourage you to take a time out….just 45 minutes to an hour….to receive the healing and restoration and peace of God that goes beyond all understanding….and can change your life. Literally. Change your life. Because that is what divine grace and love can do. It can change your life….even or especially on the longest night.
Trinity’s Longest Night Compline service will be at 6pm in the sanctuary of Trinity—Staten Island.
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