FEEL BLUE AT CHRISTMAS? ST. LUKE'S OFFERS SERVICE FOR THOSE WHO ARE DOWN.

Byline: HOLLY J. ANDRES Staff Writer

WOODLAND HILLS -- Children anticipating the arrival of Santa Claus are warned not to pout or cry, but what if you're an adult and feeling too blue to live up to the sunny expectations of the most wonderful time of the year?

A Blue Christmas service will be offered on Wednesday night by St. Luke Lutheran Church in Woodland Hills to provide comfort to those suffering from the holiday blues.

``This is a service for any sense of loss or grief,'' said the Rev. Elizabeth Steele. ``It's not just for people with a loss of a loved one. It's also for those who are reeling because of a job loss, whose marriage has ended or kids who have lost a pet.

``It's for anything that keeps you from being joyful.''

Second year

This is the second year that St. Luke's is offering the Blue Christmas service. The service is often held on the winter solstice and thus is called the ``Longest Night'' service.

Steele said, however, that holding the service on that date in December doesn't allow grieving people a chance to mentally prepare for all of the societal pressures to be in an upbeat mood.

``Looking forward to the holidays is hard in itself,'' Steele said. ``We don't all come to it with joy -- the constant emphasis on joy. That's really hard to feel when it's not there. To hold grief inside is a terrible burden.

``To give up some of their sorrow, and know there's hope for tomorrow, is what I hope they will feel.''

The elements to the Blue Christmas service include choir singing and readings from the Psalms and Isaiah. Worshippers will have the option to sing and light tribute candles. There is no sermon, and no offering will be taken.

One timely element of the service is the use of an Advent wreath. Advent, the month-long church season to prepare for Christmas Day, begins this year on Dec. 3.

The Advent wreath uses four candles, three purple and one pink. By tradition, each candle has a symbolic meaning and, for the first Sunday in Advent, the first purple candle lit means hope.

For the Blue Christmas service, Steele said, this first candle will be lit to also symbolize the loss -- whatever that loss is -- for those attending.

``The whole point of the service is to give people the opportunity to lay down their sorrows,'' said Lisa Curtis, chair of worship and music at St. Luke Lutheran Church. ``People are being given permission to say, `Why me, God?' They are given the chance to lament.

``I want people to be comforted and strengthened, and be filled with an intangible sense of hope.''

The Blue Christmas service last year was so moving and touched so many people -- half of whom, it was estimated, were not St. Luke members -- that it was agreed ``within 20 minutes'' of the service to offer it again.

In advance of last year's service, one woman told Steele that a friend needed to know about this service and ruefully added, ``Where were you when I needed this 10 years ago?''

Reconnecting

A milestone birthday was on a woman's mind at last year's service. She told Steele that she was realizing that more of her life was behind her than ahead and that reality was discomforting.

``There may be no answers, but there's a chance to re-connect with God,'' Curtis said. ``We can get so bottled up, that we forget to look up and see God and ask for help. Why come to be in a group when you're sad? Because we are called to worship and comfort each other.

``It's very powerful to open yourself up to others' comfort. When we come together, we have that reminder that God's promise of hope -- which is the message of Christmas -- is constant.''

Blue Christmas service, 7 p.m. Wednesday, St. Luke Lutheran Church, 5312 Comercio Way, Woodland Hills. Call [phone].

holly.andres(at)dailynews.com

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(color) Rev. Elizabeth Steele, left, and Lisa Curtis, chair of the worship committee, will offer a Blue Christmas Service, designed for those who have suffered a loss, on Wednesday at the St. Luke Lutheran Church in Woodland Hills.

Evan Yee, Staff Photographer