Top 10 Worship Moments

As I celebrate having spent one year as your worship director (already?!), I thought I’d look back and reflect on some beautiful worship moments from the past 12 months.  It didn’t take me long to come up with my list of 10!  I have been encouraged and blessed by this worshiping community.  Of course, I know you may all have a different “top 10” list.  I invite you to share with me one of your God-moments from the last 12 months of worship.  I would love to hear how you are engaging with God in praise and prayer as we gather.

Here's my list…

10.  My emotional well was full after singing “The power of the Cross” on Good Friday, 2021.  Sometimes I have no words to explain how or why, but I remember experiencing an impactful moment as we sang together of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

9.  I was so blessed to have Holly, Morgan, and Olivia join me in making a simple recording of “Jesus, Strong and Kind.”  Their youthful voices were a delight.

8. I am so grateful for the brass players here at Mountainview!  Their contributions to our Easter worship, and then again on Christmas day were so good.  What giftedness.

 7.  Wow, it was SO good to see so many of you on that Sunday morning in September when we met outdoors for worship.  Do you remember?  The mood was light, the setting was just right, and we got to see each other without masks.  I would love to translate some of that “family-worship” vibe inside the building too.  (Added bonus, Erick and I met so many more of you in-person that morning than we had up to that point!)

6. There was a moment in the Christmas Eve service, when the lights dimmed, as we sang “Adore” and Tallia and Sophia lit all the candles on the stage, that was full of beauty and warmth and peace.  Visuals matter.

5.  Midweek Worship – I know this maybe isn’t fair to include as it’s a smaller group of people, but we have had some really wonderful moments on “FaceBook Live” on Wednesday mornings.  The spirit was at work (judging by my frequent tears) as we prayed and sung together.

4. Do you remember Spencer’s neighbouring testimony?  It was a beautiful story of how he connected with neighbours over a meal (and craft beer!) and was able to be a voice of love and acceptance for someone who was grieving.  He wept telling it.  And his daughter in his arms as he spoke was just perfect: more family worship!

3.  What a God-moment to hear Christina’s testimony about how she came to return to Jesus and join Mountainview.  It was a big celebration that Sunday she and her sons were baptized!

2.  On Sunday, Dec. 5 the intergenerational team of actors presented the drama “Not Forgotten.”  They nailed it.  I was not only moved by their “finished product” but also by their relationships in rehearsals, the fun and the work behind the scenes.

1.  On Good Friday I had asked a number of families to lead short vignettes/dramas from their homes for the “Stations of the Cross.”  What a plethora of gifts and contributions.  I was blown away!  Thank you, families, for (mostly) always saying yes when I’ve come to you for requests.   Faith formation is happening for all of us when the younger ones are involved.

Looking forward to hearing your God moments of 2021!

Ruth Ann

Peter Van Geest