On Qingming, a time to commemorate the dead, churches across China traditionally hold memorial and tomb sweeping services to remember deceased Christians.
However, this year's Qingming was different from before as control measures were taken against the spread of Covid-19.
Many churches offered online tomb-sweeping services, urging believers to pray and mourn their ancestors and family members who passed away.
Since local graveyards were closed, a church in Guandong hosted an online service with the theme of "Honoring the True God and Remembering Family Members" last Saturday.
A church pastor in Jieyang, Guangdong exhorted believers who attended on-site commemorative services not to be engaged in superstitution activities such as ancestral worship, sacrifice or offerings. He suggested that they remove weeds in cemeteries and trace red characters on tombstones. Family members could sing hymns, pray together, and recall their ancestors' wise words and admirable deeds.
A church in Jinan, Shandong launched a specific prayer, "We pray for God's protection on this special day so that we can mark the day with the truth. We should remember our deceased family members, not 'worship' them. Pray that God will do his good work in us so we can follow after his heart. Let us be always vigilant. Only you are God, only you are the true and living God. Only you deserve our worship."
- Translated by Karen Luo
各地教会应措倡议清明节“云祭扫”
清明将至，追忆之心随着时节也涌上心头，也想踏着时节缅怀一下已逝的亲人，前辈，思想他们的美好品德以致传承。
每到这一节期，各地教会都会举行清明节追思礼拜和清明节扫墓礼拜等形式来缅怀睡之圣徒。今时不同往日。虽然国内疫情得以良好控制也为我们迎来了春暖花开。但防控任务依然艰巨。
为此响应号召，各地教会为确保每一位教牧同工及信徒“零感染”特提供了线上扫墓礼拜及呼吁信徒居家祷告默想以解信徒们的缅怀之心。下面是各地叫会举办云上扫墓的号召及劝勉。
广东一教会：因清明节暂停墓园开放扫墓，为便于弟兄姐妹在清明节缅怀亲人，特决定于4月4日举行清明节线上扫墓。并为此建立了微信群共信徒及慕道友统一参加。聚会主题为“敬畏真神，缅怀亲人”。
湖南一教会：因疫情防护，避免人群感染。在此期间提倡信徒居家灵修，以读经、祷告、唱诗、追思等形式缅怀先祖，继其美德并存美好盼望。
佛山市一教会：清明本是慎终追远，缅怀故人之时；不能前往墓园思念亲人或前往教会参与公共礼仪感念神恩，用居家唱诗、祷告追思等方式来缅怀。教牧同工将通过信徒微信群编发布有关消息，共同提升灵性生命。
北京教会：暂停群体性聚集性祭扫活动，实施按日分时段预约祭扫，限定每日入园人数上限等方式，提醒将要去西北旺陵园祭扫的弟兄姐妹，按照防控要求进行祭扫活动。
揭阳一基层教会牧者对参加祭扫信徒的劝勉：
1、首先要分别为圣，勿参与迷信活动，如祭祀，献祭品等。
2、去扫墓时可以清除杂草，帮助墓碑重新描红。
3、家人一起唱诗祈祷，追忆先人的嘉言懿行。
山西一教会历年清明时节都会组织教牧人员为已故牧长扫墓。而现由于特殊时期，不能实地祭扫。其教会一长老劝勉信徒：居家云祭扫可通过祈祷，赞美思念已故长辈亲人，同时借此思想上帝恩典，预备心灵，盼望天家永生，过敬虔生活，体会神爱迎接耶稣受难复活。
现下无论是社会新闻还是宗教新闻都在倡议“云祭扫“这一活动。社会祭扫形式更是多种多样，可预约祭扫，代为祭扫还可网上祭扫。在此也提醒信徒无论你选择哪一种切要警醒祈求，带着缅怀、追忆之心。
“在这日子里祈求上帝看顾保守，让我们在真理中度过这节，我们当纪念已故的亲人而不是“祭“，求神将万事互相效力使我们能够行得合你心意，让我们时刻警醒，唯有你是神，自有永有、又真又活的神，唯有你配得我们敬拜！阿们。”济南一教会清明节祷文。
On Qingming, a time to commemorate the dead, churches across China traditionally hold memorial and tomb sweeping services to remember deceased Christians.
However, this year's Qingming was different from before as control measures were taken against the spread of Covid-19.
Many churches offered online tomb-sweeping services, urging believers to pray and mourn their ancestors and family members who passed away.
Since local graveyards were closed, a church in Guandong hosted an online service with the theme of "Honoring the True God and Remembering Family Members" last Saturday.
A church pastor in Jieyang, Guangdong exhorted believers who attended on-site commemorative services not to be engaged in superstitution activities such as ancestral worship, sacrifice or offerings. He suggested that they remove weeds in cemeteries and trace red characters on tombstones. Family members could sing hymns, pray together, and recall their ancestors' wise words and admirable deeds.
A church in Jinan, Shandong launched a specific prayer, "We pray for God's protection on this special day so that we can mark the day with the truth. We should remember our deceased family members, not 'worship' them. Pray that God will do his good work in us so we can follow after his heart. Let us be always vigilant. Only you are God, only you are the true and living God. Only you deserve our worship."
- Translated by Karen Luo
Chinese Church Advocates “Icloud Tomb Sweeping” on Qingming
