‘The darkness is when hope is born.’ That’s the message behind North Bay’s ‘Longest Night’ gathering — a contemplative December tradition that embraces sorrow, honours humanity, and gently welcomes light into one of the year’s darkest nights
There’s no easy way to say it. It may come as a surprise, from historians to Christmas believers, that while we have no reason to disbelieve the Nativity story, the timing is off!
Yes, in all parts of the world, shepherds will watch their flocks by night. And (Yes) to supply the needs of the Jerusalem temple, the fields of Bethlehem would have been abundant with sheep. But: Not at night in late December! With the shepherds as the indicator, Jesus is much more likely to have been born in springtime!
The real reason we celebrate Christmas when we do is more theological, and perhaps psychological: Darkness. It’s the darkness! The deep, sustained darkness of long mid-winter nights makes us yearn for light, for the soulful, inspiring stories of ascendant light. Deep darkness is the time for hope to be born!
For so many of us, holidays of long winter darkness can intensify our loss, our grief, our exhaustion. The veneer of sparkly Christmas celebrations often fails to touch deeper hurts represented by an empty place at the table, crumbling relationships, sad diagnoses, and unsure futures. In fact, sometimes the brightness of the season just worsens the ache!
For this reason, a couple of North Bay’s United Churches team up every year to offer a community “Longest Night” gathering: a gentle, unrushed contemplative service that honours lament, welcomes your humanity, and nurtures deep hope.
The “Longest Night” service is about an hour long.
Join us for a gentle, low-key time of prayer and candle-lighting. We read scripture, and violin and guitar music fill the space with the contemplative seasonal music of the “Depatie and Hyatt” musical duo. Sam Depatie and Ariel Hyatt are a talented local folk and jazz duet featuring haunting and beautiful vocal harmonies.
This service is intended as a gift to the wider community. As such, there is no offering collected, and no demands made on your participation. You might choose to light a candle at several opportunities, or to join in some congregational singing. While we read some choice biblical texts, you don’t need to hold any particular faith confession to offer prayers or to receive a message of hope.
Please feel free to join us at Trinity United Church (Ferguson and McIntyre) at 7 p.m. on Monday, December 22. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.
We will embrace a holiday opportunity of a spacious, prayerful pause, to contemplate the deeper hope found even on one of the darkest and longest nights of the year.