Hi, my name is Pete Scazzaro, and I want to welcome you to the emotionally healthy leader podcast today.

So our theme is don't forget the blue in Christmas. Don't forget the blue in Christmas.

And the very few pastors and leaders know the idea of a blue Christmas, yet it's incredibly important, pastorally,

practically, families, and most importantly, biblically.

And so, you know, how we do Christmas as leaders is critically important because of our influence.

And again, we often think of it as happy times and services and

let's grow our churches or ministries of your pastoring. We think of our families and presents

and children and joy and all that. But a blue Christmas is really a space created for people

to grieve their losses. while at the same time holding on

to the reality of Jesus, a savior of the world.

And some churches actually do a service called the Blue Christmas, and it's usually held

around the winter solstice, which is December 21st this year, which actually is the longest

night of the year and the shortest day.

And theologically, it just integrates the fuller Christmas story, both the joy surrounding

Jesus' birth and also the pain of Herod's, for example, horrific slaughter of male children,

two years and younger.

So if we're going to mature and grow as Christ followers and really walk out a full biblical perspective,

it's really important that we integrate into our loving of people, this idea of a blue Christmas as well.

Because Christmas is among the most difficult times of loss of year for people who've survived

a loss.

It's a really painful time.

And very often they're just left out or forgotten at Christmas and maybe a loved one has died.

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