We’re celebrating Christmas at Park, and I hope you’ll join us! Let me highlight a couple of things you’ll want to know about.
First, in case you haven’t heard, this Sunday at 4 p.m. is our Christmas concert in the sanctuary, led by Martial Besombes and Jevetta Steele with Park’s choir and special musicians and soloists. Have you made plans to come? To invite a friend? To bring extended family? You’ll be glad you did! This has quickly become one of my favorite events of the Christmas. And just a heads up, word has it to come a little early to get a seat. A love offering will be taken during the service but the concert is free.
We’re also doing something new and special this year called Blue Christmas on December 17 at 5 p.m. in the sanctuary. Here’s a word about it from Care Minister, Erin Brekke.
In the midst of all of the eggnog, tinsel, and celebrating, many of us find that the holiday season brings up feelings of grief, loneliness, and other heartaches. Perhaps you are mourning the death of a loved one, an estranged relationship, or the loss of a hoped-for future. Perhaps your heart is heavy with the state of the broken world around us.
Advent is a season of hope, but it is an achy hope. We celebrate the birth of our Redeemer — the One who has come to heal the world, conquer death, and set everything back to its original goodness. And yet, we live in the space of the in-between. In between Jesus’ coming, and Jesus’s coming again, we must continue to wait and ache for the fullness of God’s redemption of this broken world.
If you long for a safe space to honor the heaviness and mixed emotions of this season, we welcome you to join us for our Blue Christmas service. This will be a simple, contemplative candlelight service where we can both lament our pain and root ourselves in the promise of the coming of the God Who is With Us. There will also be a time for fellowship over a simple soup dinner immediately following.
And finally, if you’d like to download a copy of Park’s Christmas calendar, just click here. Maybe put it on your fridge or screenshot it with your phone to keep as a reminder.
Much love,
Pastor Gregg
