I just stumbled across something on the website of the Church of England's Diocese of Lincoln, specifically from their liturgical commission. (There's my liturgy junkie side again.) It is something they call a "Quiet Christmas", a liturgy for those people whose Christmas spirit is dimmed by personal conflict, loss, depression or other crises.
I'd never heard of the idea before, but I have to say that I really could have used this last year, when I also was going through my own little year of hell (which thankfully feels like it is finally coming to an end, one reason I started this blog). The liturgy, which can be downloaded at the link above, is rather interesting in the way it describes pain as the sacrifice we bring to the Christ Child. While I've often thought of pain and suffering as something Christ shared with us in the agony and humiliation of the Cross, and His sacrifice for us, I have to admit I never thought of it in reverse, as a way of letting go from whatever it is weighing us down.
Kudos to those who wrote the liturgy and came up with the idea. I hope with all my heart that it gets used, and touches the lives of those going through a very un-merry Christmas.
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