Let There Be—Longest Night Worship Liturgy (w/ Visual Art & Poetry)
Let There Be—Longest Night Worship Liturgy (w/ Visual Art & Poetry)
[This resource is also included in our 2017 Advent Bundle of resources]
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD FOR ONE-TIME LICENSE
This liturgical resource is for hosting a "Longest Night" service (alternatively titled, "Blue Christmas" or "Service of Light") on or around the winter solstice (December 21st in the Northern Hemisphere) designed to honor those grappling with loss and grief. Our hope is that this worship service will create a safe and sacred space for those who are struggling to feel the joy and light of this holiday season due to loss of any kind. We do not intend for this service to be a service of healing, for what we lose cannot always be replaced. Instead, we hope this service will acknowledge the hole that grief leaves in one’s heart while simultaneously remembering that we worship a God who is with us, even in the darkest of times.
About the Service:
Structured around four major movements, this service interweaves spoken word poetry, visual art, hands-on elements, and candle-lighting. If you have access to screens in worship, we highly recommend sharing the Let There Be Worship Film (purchase separately) as part of the service. The visual, "If Love is the Sky," and the poem, "Let There Be You," are included in this download for printing in bulletins as an alternative to showing the worship film.
Download includes:
A full order of worship with liturgy and leadership notes
A bulletin outlining the order of worship with liturgical instructions
The visual, "If Love is the Sky" (featured in the Let There Be Worship Film) formatted for print and projection
The poem, "Let There Be You" (featured in the Let There Be Worship Film)
PS. This service includes showing the Let There Be Worship Film (please purchase separately), but we have included the visual art and poem featured in the film with this download for those who do not have access to screens in worship. You may wish to print the art and poem in your bulletin as a visual meditation during the service.
Credit Info:
Liturgy and service written by Sarah Are | "If Love is the Sky" visual by Lisle Gwynn Garrity | "Let There Be You" poem by Sarah Are
You may wish to pair this resource with our Let There Be Graphics and Let There Be Worship Film:
[These graphics are included in our Advent 2017 Bundle of resources]
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD FOR ONE-TIME LICENSE
These graphics offer a visually engaging way for you to build on our Let There Be Light theme, or create your own seasonal or weekly themes by filling in the blank, "Let there be ____________." Perhaps you may wish to follow the traditional weekly themes of Advent by adding "Hope," "Peace," "Love," or "Joy" to the "Let there Be" logo. If you use our Longest Night Worship Service, you may wish to use these Let There Be graphics for that service as an invitation and reminder to simply "be."
Download includes files for print and web so you can use them for projecting images and slides in worship, printing on bulletins, study materials, church publications, and advertising your worship on your website and online.
[This resource is also included in our 2017 Advent Bundle of resources]
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD FOR ONE-TIME LICENSE
This worship film offers a visual meditation on love and loss, creating safe and sacred space for those wading through the tides of grief. Featuring spoken word poetry by Sarah Are, the film offers imagery of stormy chaos slowly curving into calm. The end result is not an erasure of the chaos, but, instead, a sense of groundedness for being held by God even in the midst of the storm.
Poetry by Sarah Are | Art & film by Lisle Gwynn Garrity
