“If We Make It Through December” — a Blue Christmas service

Because of cold weather and rising COVID numbers, this service will be on Zoom and Facebook only!

Order of Service

Back in 1974, country singer Merle Haggard released the song, “If We Make It Through December,” in which the narrator is laid off from his job right before Christmas. Sad, even devastating Christmas songs make up an entire sub-genre of holiday music, running from Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas,” to the Everly Brothers’ “Christmas Eve Can Kill You,” to Joni Mitchell’s “River,” to Nat King Cole’s “The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot.” What all these songs reveal is the truth that, for many of us, the holiday season is not joyous. For many of us, it can be lonely, depressing, or financially challenging. And a constant soundtrack of merry tunes can add insult to injury, making us feel that we’re alone in our sadness. We’ll acknowledge the emotional challenges that the season can present and remember that we are not alone, through an exploration of some of the saddest holiday songs.

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