Sunday was All Saints Day, and during our service at Graceview, we read the names and honoured the memories of those who have been lost from our congregation over the past 20 years (since Grace and Hillview amalgamated to become Graceview). We wanted to share that part of the service with those who were not able to join us in-person. So that’s what this post is all about!

We began this part of the service with this excellent video, made by our newly ordained Elder, Joan Addison:

We joined in a responsive call to worship, and then a prayer:

And then some of our elders took turns reading the names of all those on the tree (there was a bit of a mishap while recording this, but most of the video is intact. I felt it was important that those who were not able to be with us on Sunday and have loved ones whose names are on the tree, be able to see the video despite the short mishap!):

We finished with this prayer:

I love the image in the New Testament of the ‘great cloud of witnesses’ that surrounds us as people of faith. This service is meant to honour some of those witnesses, and to call to mind all the other witnesses that have impacted and encouraged our walk of faith.

Until tomorrow, dear friends, keep running the race and finding strength and encouragement in that great cloud of witnesses.