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New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world. Stir up in us desire to serve you, to live peacefully with our neighbors and all your creation, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

"A Liturgy for Morning Prayer," Upper Room Worshipbook

Used by permission from the Book of Common Worship, © 2018 Westminster John Knox Press. All rights reserved. This prayer appears in “A Liturgy for Morning Prayer” in Upper Room Worshipbook.

BLUE CHRISTMAS

Devotions of Light in a Season of Darkness

by Todd Outcalt

Not all Christmases are white—some are blue

Chances are that either you or someone close to you has felt depressed during the holiday season. When it seems like the whole world is awash in lights, celebration, friends, and family, many among us feel an amplified sense of loss, grief, and disconnect. Blue Christmas, an Advent devotional book by Todd Outcalt, reminds us that even in our darkest times, God offers us hope and comfort if we are willing to bring our deepest fears into the light of God’s love.

The honest devotions in Blue Christmas help us name our fears and realities so we can confront them with grace and truth. And with the naming comes understanding—in ways that give us permission to sit with our experiences, to acknowledge what we have lost, and to remember Jesus’ promise “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

This book includes:

      • A Blue Christmas/Longest Night worship service that addresses the pain many feel at Christmastime
      • Daily readings with additional prayers
      • Questions for individual reflection or small-group discussion

$11.99

BUY THE BOOK

The Upper Room invites you to participate in the Blue Christmas video prayer service.

A “Blue Christmas” service may also be known as the “Longest Night” service. This service is especially designed to give voice and hope to those who are grieving or who are experiencing loss.

Join us in this prayer service, lifting up any darkness you may feel to the God of Light.

About the Author

Todd Outcalt is lead pastor of Calvary United Methodist Church, Brownsburg, Indiana. He is the author of more than 35 books, including Praying Through Cancer (Upper Room Books, 2016), Common Ground, The Other Jesus, The Healing Touch, The Best Things in Life Are Free, and eight youth ministry titles published by Abingdon Press. He has written for many diverse publications, including The Christian Century, The Upper Room, Rev!, Midwest Outdoors, Indy Boomer, and Midwest Travel. Todd has also completed the three great Christian pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Rome, and the Camino de Santiago (Spain). He lives in Brownsburg, Indiana, with his wife and enjoys travel, hiking, and painting.

Blue Christmas is available at your favorite retailers, including…

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