Novi United Methodist Worship Service Reminds People to Slow Down, Enjoy Christmas

During the holiday season, it’s not uncommon to be running around trying to get everything done.

With all the activity the holiday season brings, decided to start a special worship service that gives people a chance to slow down.

On Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m., the church will host its annual “Blue Christmas” or “The Longest Night” worship to give people a place to find peace and remember the joy of Christmas.  

“People do express that they feel very torn – too many things going on, too many conflicts in their lives. They’re conflicted because they need to be in too many places at once, and I believe that people have just forgotten what Christmas is all about,” said Rev. June M. Marshall Smith of Novi United Methodist Church.

Even Smith, who said she doesn’t usually get caught up in all the rush and parties, said she likes hosting the service because she still gets busy this time of year. 

“It’s such a rich way to start Christmas, and for me that’s really, really important because it brings me back to center…It’s a good opportunity for me to just slow down and remember why I’m here,” she said.

Traditionally, the healing worship has been held in a darkened room and has been a more intimate gathering; last year about 15 people attended the service. The service uses a lot of dark and light imagery about comfort, God and hope.

The Longest Night started off as a service for people who had someone pass away in their lives and were especially hurting during the holiday season. But over the past few years, it has grown to also help those who are feeling blue or just need to slow down.

Smith said that Christmas can sometimes be difficult for people to celebrate because they are feeling pain from financial difficulties, illness, strained family relationships or other life stressors.

Smith said that it’s not uncommon for people to shed a tear during the service, and that people tend to feel cleansed afterward. 

“Last year when we got done with the service, we had people who just didn’t leave…and that’s not common in many churches,” she said. “A lot of times people fly out the door to get to their next thing, and they just sat and sat – the last time 20 minutes before anybody moved.”

“It just had that much of an impact, it really hit our souls.”

Smith said that everyone in the community is invited to the service, which does not include an offering.

“Some people are intimidated about going to churches or haven’t been in a church in a long time, and we try to create an atmosphere where they would not feel at all unwelcome," she said. "They won’t get all the churchy church stuff."