Sadness is a normal life experience for both individuals and congregations. In times of corporate sorrow, we acknowledge the reality of our emotions and plead our case with God, just as the psalmists and prophets did in the Bible. More importantly, we commit to trusting God in all circumstances. This litany may be used as is during a difficult time for a congregation or adapted for a Blue Christmas/Longest Night service of lament during Advent. —RWHoly God, source of all comfort and peace,our hearts are heavy, and the tears never stop; we cannot feel you and wonder if you are still there.Listening God who hears us, like Hagar we feel alone and helpless,sobbing,hope vanishing before us.Meet us in our despair as you met Hagar.The sorrow in our lives and the darkness of these days weigh heavily on us and bend us low. Nothing seems right. It is as if all creation is closing in around us.Holy One, who holds us close and nestles us in safe arms, we pray this daythat you help us feel your comforting presence.In the burdens and trials of our life, we remember that you have been called “trustworthy” and “savior” by the Hebrews in the desert, the apostles, the saints of old, and the millions who continue to call on your name.The psalmist reminds us that,despite the deepest of sorrow, one day the faithful will inherit the earth;they will feast and worship the God whose peace no one can understand.Let us lift our voices, and through our cries and tears remember that God is never far and that all of creation and time belongs to him.May God bless us even in our sadness and lift up our heads with a gentle hand. May God’s smile radiate around us, illuminate the darkness,and give us hope.Be assured:the clouds will break, and the sun will shine again, So with faith and hope,let us praise God.Glory be to the Father,who wipes away all tears, and to the Son, who shows us the way in the dark, and to the Holy Spirit, who wraps us in the warmth of God’s love. Amen.
