For most of us, the past two years have been more full of grief than we were prepared to receive. There have been losses big and small—as difficult as the people we love, and as frustrating as the changes in our routine. And yet, thank God, there has also been more ordinary magic at the edges of things—baked goods and letters and gardens that have kept us connected to each other.

This year, we will host the first Dreams + Visions All Saints Day service, as a chance to come together in grief and regain hope.

All Saints is an old festival in the church calendar—linked to the celebrations of “All Hallows Eve” that became our modern Halloween! This holiday is typically celebrated on the first worship service of November, marking the ending of the year with a special chance to honor those who have died, along with all of the ancestors that always keep watch over us. All Saints makes room for us to imagine who we see as saints, which might be those we see on icons known and revered in the church, but just as well might be those people we name as saints because of the love we have shared.

This service we will give focus most of all on giving thanks for the saints in each of our own lives and in the community, blessing their memories and receiving their strength to carry onward. As usual, we will offer different pieces of music, a few scripture readings, prayers of blessing, words of welcome from Pastor Emily, a full communion, and time to catch up.

Would you like to participate in this worship service by helping set up, reading or praying, baking bread, making music, or offering something else? Please contact Pastor Emily with your ideas, and she can help you design your role.

+

Dreams and Visions is an LGBTQ+ rooted community. We honor your full selves, use your pronouns, and do our best to create trauma-informed spaces. Gender neutral bathrooms are available. While the lower level is accessible by ramp, the new worship space is located up a set of stairs. Please contact Vicar Claire at vicar@stmarksbaltimore.org if you have trouble navigating stairs, and we will work with you to create a plan.

Dreams and Visions staff keep an eye on COVID data to ensure that community policies stay up to date. For now, we remain masked at all indoor gatherings. We are still singing, and we will do it only when we are outside and wearing masks. Each time we gather, we confirm safety preferences with those present to ensure that everyone is comfortable. As always, these precautions are intended to help all who join us feel at home.