In remembrance of the 鈥楨mpty Chair鈥�
For many people, the Christmas season can be a time of sadness and heartbreak as they struggle to cope with the loss of someone they love.
A special memorial service was recently held to help local residents honor the memories of departed loved ones who are missed so dearly, especially around Christmas. The service, titled 鈥淭he Empty Chair: A Time of Remembrance,鈥� was held Dec. 8 at Rogersville Christian Church 鈥� Place of Grace.
More than three dozen people attended the nondenominational service, which was officiated by the Rev. Jim Jarvis. The service included inspirational messages and songs; the lighting of memorial candles symbolizing grief, courage, memories, love and hope; and the decorating of a Christmas tree with Memory Angels, ornaments that featured names of loved ones who passed away as a result of violent deaths, illness, accidental death or natural causes.
Attendees were also able to post pictures of their departed loved ones on a 鈥淩emembrance Board鈥� that was displayed in the sanctuary. And to emphasize the event鈥檚 theme, an empty chair was displayed during the service.
As attendees walked in they were greeted by members of the Horr family, who assisted in coordinating the event. Nancy Horr, who has been involved with the service for years, lost her son Christopher to addiction in 2018.
Following a welcome and opening prayer by Jarvis, he and singer Lexi Van Dyne took turns at the microphone, singing songs emphasizing messages of hope and love.
Jarvis delivered words of comfort and strongly encouraged those in attendance to finding healing through God.
鈥淲hen we lose a loved one, pain cannot be comforted easily, and that is why the only one who can truly heal the pain is the Lord,鈥� he said.
Reading Bible verses of hope, Jarvis stressed the empty chair in our lives should serve as a time of reflection.
鈥淭onight, I want to use this service as an opportunity to not dwell on the sadness, but to remember the joy and laughter that your loved ones gave you,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hough we move on, it is important that we remember them and cherish their memories.鈥�
As the names of loved ones were read aloud, their family members, spouses and/or friends walked up to a decorated Christmas tree and placed their Memory Angels onto the tree. They were also offered artificial candles, and after the names were read and the Memory Angels were placed on the tree Jarvis asked those in attendance to hold high their candles in memory of their departed loved ones.
Following the service, there was time of fellowship, in which people were invited to talk about their loved ones and share stories and photographs. Resources and information were also available to help those coping with the loss of a loved one.