There are several opportunities to engage with Grandview through Holy Week this year. More info will come out as we approach the dates, but mark your calendars for some Holy Week and Easter traditions:
- Mar 29: Palm Sunday service, 10:30am
- Apr 3: Good Friday Service, 4pm
- Apr 4: Holy Saturday: Naming of the Martyrs, 12pm (location TBA, through Christians for a Free Palestine)
- Apr 5: Resurrection Sunday:
- o Sunrise Service, 7:30am (Trout Lake)
- o Easter Sunday Breakfast, 9am (Lower Hall)
- o Easter service, 10:30am (don’t forget flowers!)
More about Naming of the Martyrs:
On the afternoon of Saturday April 4th, 12:00-6:00 pm, in downtown Vancouver (exact location TBD), Christians for a Free Palestine will host a public vigil station where we will read aloud the names of recent martyrs in Gaza. Even with six hours of constant reading, we will only cover a fraction of the list of people killed since October 7 2023 - it would take almost 6 days of non-stop reading to recite all of the names confirmed by the Ministry of Health, and even longer to include the thousands of names of people still missing under the rubble.
Why name the martyrs? We know that reflecting for even a few seconds on a single name can be an act of prayerful recognition that this person was fully human, uniquely valued by God in all their individuality. Bearing public witness to those who have been killed is an act that recognizes their dignity and resists dehumanization and abstraction. On the in-between, liminal day of Holy Saturday, we entrust each martyr we name to the One who laid down his life in solidarity with the suffering, to liberate all people.
Grandview Church has signed up for the 2-2:30pm time slot. If you would like to participate on our behalf, please contact Wendy. There are also other volunteer roles that individuals can sign up for. Please check out our participation form here, and feel free to share it widely.