Opening Prayer for Blue Christmas worship

Here’s an opening prayer for a Blue Christmas/Longest Night worship service.  It was posted on the Telling Secrets blog.

Opening Prayer for Blue Christmas

God of abundant mercy,
you have given us grace to pray with one heart and one voice,
even though our hearts are broken
and our voices tremble with grief and sorrow.
Comfort, comfort, Lord, your Holy people.
Comfort those of us who sit in darkness,
mourning 'neath our sorrow's load.
Speak to us of the peace that awaits us,
of the balm of healing for our weary and wounded souls.
We ask all this, trusting in the promise you have made
to hear the prayers of two or three
who have gathered in the Name of your Holy Child, Jesus. Amen. 

~ from a longer Blue Christmas liturgy, posted on Telling Secrets. http://telling-secrets.blogspot.ca/2006/12/o-holy-night.html