Lee — Lee Congregational Church is offering a “Blue Christmas” service on Thursday, December 21, at 6:30 p.m., to offer “comfort, solace, and a safe place to express feelings of loss and sadness that are often hidden during the holiday hustle and bustle.”
Whose idea was it to schedule the Christmas holidays at the end of a months-long decline in sunlight that tends to leave mortals feeling gloomy and out of sorts? No one knows for sure, but it was likely early Christian leaders who wanted to provide an alternative to the ancient winter solstice festivals, which were simply about celebrating the imminent return of longer days, eating turkey legs with their fingers like Henry VIII, and swilling grain beverages. Extreme midwinter feasting and revelry predate recorded history and have never gone out of style. But not everyone is in a party mood at Christmas. And not all houses of worship have the wherewithal to hold such a service as the one on December 21, the materially poor having long been recognized at Christmastime, but the poor in spirit? Not so much.
But if any among our local clergy could be expected to understand all of this well, it would be the Rev. Marisa Brown Ludwig, the pastor of Lee Congregational Church. Marisa has more than the usual bona fides expected of a minister of the United Church of Christ: a Bachelor’s Degree in Music, Business and Technology from NYU; a Master of Social Work from Boston College; and a Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School. But what really distinguishes her from many of her peers is her 15 years of experience as a licensed social worker in medical and mental health settings, including the directorship of a community mental health center in Holyoke in the mid-2000s. She is part of an interfaith ministry team providing Bible study at the Western Massachusetts Regional Women’s Correctional Center in Chicopee. Moreover, she is involved with causes of racial justice, interfaith peacemaking, LGBTQ rights, climate change, women’s rights/reproductive justice, and for more than six years, she co-hosted “Coffee & Conversations,” a series of local interfaith events. On top of all that, Marisa is an accomplished musician, having sung professionally for many years. She plays Celtic harp and acoustic guitar and belongs to an a cappella singing group called On That Note.
The way Marisa describes the December 21 service shows you where she’s coming from:
“When there is so much emphasis on family, joy and togetherness at Christmas, the holidays can be difficult times for many who have suffered losses or who are separated from family and friends … This service, on the longest and darkest night of the year, honors the reality that not everyone shares in feelings of joy and excitement that characterize most Christmas observances … With this service, we are acknowledging and including those who often feel left out, while still celebrating the birth of Christ whose love and compassion can sustain us during dark times.”
The service on the December 21 will combine traditional Christmas texts with a message inclusive of all faiths. There will be music and an opportunity to light a candle to honor a loved one.
Lee Congregational Church is at 25 Park Place, in Lee. For more information, visit the church’s website or call (413) 243-1033.
