It is good for all of us to remember that Advent is, historically, a “little Lent,” a short season of solemn preparation for the joy that lies ahead. The liturgical color for Advent, as for Lent, is the purple of penitence. During this season we bring our sorrows, burdens, and failures before God, in the sure hope of the mercy revealed to us in the coming of Christ. Understood this way, Advent is a perfect time to reach out in special ways to those who are especially burdened with sorrow. 

During the third or fourth week of Advent, some churches have been holding special services of hope, with an emphasis on ministry to the sorrowful. This service may take the form of the beautiful “Service for Wholeness” in the Book of Common Worship (pp. 1005–1015). The Book of Common Worship’s liturgical resources for Advent also include several prayers and litanies that speak pointedly to our griefs and sorrows (pp. 165–177). Note that some seasonal hymns speak especially well to people in distress, for example, “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” (The Presbyterian Hymnal, #38), “Lord Christ, When First You Came to Earth” (The Presbyterian Hymnal, #7; the tune is familiar to most, even if the text is not). 

Springdale Presbyterian Church of Louisville, Kentucky, holds a Sunday afternoon Service of Hope during Advent each year. Ideas that have worked well for them include:

• Gather people for prayer around the Advent Wreath. Invite them to come in four groups. Light one of the purple Advent candles for each group, and offer for each a prayer focusing on particular struggles: loss of relationships, death of loved ones, loneliness, loss of employment, family discord, and so forth.
• Print in the bulletin a list of helpful books, movies, community support groups, opportunities for service, and other resources.
• Read selections from the book Psalms of Lament by Presbyterian writer Anne Weems (Westminster John Knox Press, 1995).
• Conduct a Ritual of Remembering and Reconnecting. Church members are invited to bring a small object that represents their loss, and during a season of quiet music (Springdale uses guitars, mandolins, and dulcimers) place that object in a large sand tray, then choose a card from a basket, each of which contains a comforting text from Scripture or elsewhere. A photographer takes a picture of the tray after all objects are collected, then gives everyone a picture of the tray to save as a reminder that they are not alone in their grief. A digital camera and computer printer can generate these pictures for distribution on the spot.

For more information on the Springdale Service of Hope, contact pastors Whit Malone or Jean Davidson at (502) 425-1760 or write springdale@springdalechurch.org.