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Special Christmas service in Boise aims to comfort the lonely

'The Longest Night' Taize-style service will be Dec. 21

BY STEPHANIE EDDY - seddy@idahostatesman.com

Published: 12/13/08

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Katherine Jones/Idaho Statesman

Kaitlin Tookey, 12, was one of the youths at Southminster Presbyterian Church who hosted a special dinner for veterans. “I like hearing all the stories,” she says. “Veterans need to know how much they’re appreciated.”

ELSEWHERE

Southminster Presbyterian Church

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

ABOUT PASTOR MARCI GLASS

Marci Glass, 40, joined Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise as pastor in September. She is the first female head of staff at this church.

Background: A May graduate of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga., Glass was ordained this past summer. Before attending seminary she served 12 years as a youth director at First Presbyterian Church, Albuquerque, N.M., as a senior high youth director at Westminster Presbyterian in Olympia, Wash., and as director of youth ministries at First Presbyterian Church in Farmington, N.M.

Family: Husband, Justin Glass, a family practice doctor, works as a faculty member at Family Medicine Residency of Idaho. They have two boys, Alden, 13, and Elliott, 9.

Q: What do you want people to know about you?

A: I am often to be found in coffee shops; I watched way too much TV as a child; I read a lot of fiction; and I think Jesus would have an Apple computer and would eat Thai food were he here today. I tend to believe that my favorite things would also be Jesus' favorite things - it is possible I am wrong about that.

If I could invite five historical figures over for dinner, they would be: Jesus, Anne Lamott, Anne Hutchinson, Jerry Seinfeld and Vincent Van Gogh.

Q: What do you want the community to know about Southminster Presbyterian Church?

A: Southminster started a little over 50 years ago - we strive to be a place of hope, safety and support for our community. We are a "community of faith" in which people of different theological leanings can worship together.

Q: What is your hope/future plan for the church?

A: That we will be paying attention to what God might be dreaming for us - especially if that turns out to be different than what we were dreaming for ourselves.

I hope we will be challenged and pushed into uncomfortable and new situations and be a voice for those who have no voice.

I hope we can provide strength to those who are weak and that we can share our hope with people who feel hopeless.

About the church

Southminster Presbyterian Church, 6500 Overland Road, Boise. Sunday worship services are at 9:30 a.m, with Sunday School worship for children at 10:50 a.m. "The Longest Night" worship service will be at 6 p.m. Dec. 21. For information, call 375-5330.

For many people, Christmas is a time of merriment and celebration, but for others the holidays merely highlight their sadness and pain, according to Marci Glass, pastor at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise.

With that in mind, Glass has prepared a special worship service on Dec. 21 called "The Longest Night," aimed at those for whom Christmas is more of a day to endure than a day to celebrate.

"For parents who have lost children to death or estrangement, Christmas morning can be terribly painful," Glass said. "For people who don't have family, the holidays can be a time of great loneliness as everyone else goes about their festivities."

John de Veuve of Boise, chairman of the church's worship committee, plans to attend the service.

His wife died several years ago, and his kids are grown and living elsewhere.

"During the time my wife and I had together, we celebrated Christmas as a quiet day with our children. I have continued that practice," de Veuve said.

The service, presented in a Taize style, will include meditative prayer and song, silence and scripture reading, as well as an opportunity to seek individual prayer and guidance from the prayer team at the church.

"Taize-style services are quieter with longer periods of silence and meditation," de Veuve explained. "The music is simpler of melody and akin to chanting more than hymn singing. I find them to be relaxing and easier to focus on just being."

This is the first time Glass has prepared such a service, which is open to everyone.

"Many people do their best to put on a happy face when they come to church - especially when they see everyone else's excitement about the season," Glass said.

"I hope The Longest Night service will provide a space for people to bring their 'real face' to church, to allow them to be consoled and to give them room to mourn, or to reflect or whatever else it is they need to do in the midst of it all."

Stephanie Eddy: 377-6481

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