With Sunday being All Saints Day, Bethesda co-chaplains Mary Hovland and Bill Miller pause during their Nov. 1 worship service for a special prayer to acknowledge loved ones who have passed away since November 2019.
Since Bethesda is unable to welcome visitors into the chapel, the pastors welcome all to worship virtually with them. Each week, the pastors record a worship service that is shown at 9:30 a.m. Sundays on Bethesda’s Facebook page and shared to Bethesda’s public YouTube channel for residents, staff and the community to view.
Sunday’s worship service with the All Saints Day prayer and remembrance will be available for viewing throughout November on the Spiritual Care page of our website or on our YouTube channel. May this service provide comfort and peace to all.
Remembering those who have gone before us:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of all mercy and the God of all consolation, who comforts us in all our sorrows, so that we can comfort others in their sorrows with the consolation we ourselves have received from God.
O God, who calls us forth, with the power of the resurrection, and the promise of eternal life to all who trust in you, we give you thanks for all your faithful people who have followed the light of your Word throughout the centuries into our time and place.
We remember those who have died since last November, All Saints Sunday, 2019. We name them in our hearts or out loud at this time.
As we remember these people, we give you thanks for them, for knowing and loving them. We give you thanks for their example as saints working in your kingdom.
Strengthen us to follow Christ through this world, until we are carried into the harvest of eternal life, where suffering and death will be no more. Hear our prayer in the name of the good and gracious Shepherd, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Lord Jesus, by your death you took away the sting of death. Strengthen us to follow in faith where you have led the way, that we may at length fall asleep in you, and wake in your likeness; to you, the Author and Giver of life, be all honor and glory, now and forever.
Amen.
