We filled the Sanctuary on Sunday with the joyful harmony of hymns, at Lessons and Carols in the morning and the Love Feast led by youth in the evening.

But this Advent season would not have been complete without the sound of hearts breaking in Francis Chapel . As Rev. Bill Roth told the gathering at the annual Service of Hope and Consolation last Wednesday evening, we might as well lock the doors of the church if the hurting cannot find comfort in this place. We celebrate the birth of the Christ child. But we never let go of the hand of those who can’t find their way to the story, and to the hope.

“We can have broken hearts and deep wounds,” Roth said at the start of the service. “He still comes to us…We need not fear.”

In a season whose bright lights can blind us to the anguish of our neighbors, I am drawn to this service each Advent – I am drawn to the many gatherings of this kind meant to comfort the bereaved, the lonely, the lost, the confused. Our service lasts just 35 minutes. It hardly draws an impressive crowd, at least in number. This year, 25 came. But such trivia does not matter. What matters is that with each hymn sung and each candle lit, those 25 dear hearts were reminded that God and the church have not forgotten them.

I make it a point to keep to myself at this service. No interviews. No pestering people about what brought them here. Many have lost loved ones, whether through a miscarriage or in a nursing home. Others have lost jobs or careers. Some at this service and others find themselves at loose ends in life for no specific reason. It’s hard to be sad in a season that pressures us to be jovial.

And so we rose together in Francis Chapel to sing O Come, O Come Emmanuel. We heard from Psalm 121, I lift up my eyes to the hills – from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord. We listened as Roth spoke of those who live in a land of a deep shadow. We rose and walked to the front of the chapel to light a candle, and say a silent prayer if so moved.

As worshipers lined up to light their candle, I wondered what they might silently share with God.

I hurt so much.

How can I get through Christmas?

Thank God for the church.

I believe I can endure.