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Christian Science Worship During COVID-19

A link to a website describing the changes the Christian Science community has made to its worship and congregations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reston Community Church Online Worship

The pandemic has been extremely stressful for myself and many others but something that I've found that relieves my stress is attending my church's services on Sundays. Even though it is not the same as an in-person experience, it is still nice to attend and keep connected to God and my community!
College Church in Northampton, MA

Two students sat in a room. It wasn’t just any room, though. It was an online Zoom personal meeting room. Soon after, a third participant appeared, a pastor. Pastor Bill Hodgeman of College Church, a non-denominational church with evangelical roots in Northampton, Massachusetts, was there to converse with and explain to us, the students, how the church is adapting to the current global pandemic. Social isolation is central to staying safe in the pandemic, but the pastor told us all about how the community provided at a church is so central to so many people, especially during times like this. College Church has always been dedicated to bringing people together, and through many initiatives, programs, and planning, they are continuing to foster their sense of community despite the difficulty. During the pandemic, there are numerous interactions that would normally take place that no longer do. In our interview with him, the pastor reminisced about the little things– bumping into someone in the Fellowship Hall, sharing a coffee, or lingering in the parking lot after worship to chat. In addition to these smaller interactions, the deeper ties between members of the church have become harder to maintain. College Church has a program that the pastor refers to as one of the “heartbeats” of the church: small groups of about 8 to 30 people. In these groups, people share meals, discuss scripture, and find their place in the community. Although some have continued to gather outdoors, many have not. Community is absolutely central to College Church, and as can be seen through how they have adapted to the difficult circumstances, they have been putting in a lot of effort to maintain it. The pastor mentioned how one of the first statements by God in the book of Genesis is that it was not good for the man to be alone. At the same time, College Church is dedicated to keeping every person safe. It’s a difficult balancing act, but one they have put a lot of thought and effort into. In their commitment to safety, College Church immediately closed its church office in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, stopping all gatherings, moving leadership meetings online, shifting to online services, and re-purposing its custodial staff. In the spring of 2020, the church pulled together a task force to plan accordingly and put ideas into action. Because the church is an independent church, leadership took cues from Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. College Church also consulted medical professionals, community leaders, and project managers to develop a plan that would be compliant with local and state guidelines. The church shifted to online services and later, socially distanced outdoor services. Of course online and socially distanced services were not all the church needed to do. They needed to maintain the community they had before the pandemic and keep anyone from being left behind. Just before interviewing Pastor Bill Hodgeman, he sent us a document that outlined the church’s pandemic response. To say the least, it was extensive. There were 40 different bullet points, each outlining a unique idea, initiative, or program. Patio gatherings to keep people connected, care packages for families with children and the vulnerable, creating online gatherings for the small 8 to 30 person groups, a campaign for a “Gentle Answer” in these polarizing times, promoting radical generosity, and numerous supports for wider community organizations like nursing homes, children’s and educational organizations, and social services are among the examples. Through planning, care, and creativity, College Church has created a space and community to help its members through these isolating times. The key to balancing the difficult act that the church has employed is physical distance, but not social distance. Utilization of technology and community networks have proven to be the most important aspects of surviving this, and creativity has been necessary. Going forward, the pastor said the church will be more creative after this experience. He believes that, across America, technology is heavily underutilized in churches. College Church plans on continuing its online services even after the pandemic to be able to reach a larger audience. The church continues to allocate resources towards the community and has adapted unique methods to unify its members. Although the events of 2020 have brought on hardship for religious institutions like College Church, the creativity incited will create lasting changes that can promote the community atmosphere the church is so dedicated to.
Holiness in a Parking Lot

Even before the pandemic, I myself was not particularly religiously active, but my grandmother is a devout Catholic. She lives in Illinois, not far from St. Louis, and usually attends mass in this beautiful Czech cathedral, St. John Nepomuk, in the city. It is an old church with an old community, and I have been with her and my family many times. Much of my grandma's socialization is with her church friends, whether it is on site for events or outside of the church setting. Because of the pandemic, she has been attending mass at a smaller church in her own town. When things were normal, she would go there sometimes, like on Easter if she didn't have the time to drive to St. Louis and back, but she much preferred her usual routine. Over the course of the pandemic, I've kept up with my grandma, and she has told me about her experience through these times at this smaller church. At first, I believe they were having socially distanced, masked, outdoor masses through the summer, but as it got cold, they transitioned to having churchgoers sit in their cars and watch the priest, who would remain alone under a tent. Eventually the priest went back inside as the church allowed more people to come in while following guidelines. My grandma is particularly cautious, so she chose to remain in her car during these masses. She told me that there is a video (maybe just audio, I can't remember) from within the church that is played outside to allow those uncomfortable with entering the building to maintain some connection with the priest. My grandmother is 82, so she is obviously at some risk from the virus. Because of this, the cautions she has had to take and sacrifices she has had to make have changed her life drastically. She hasn't been able to see family or friends much (some, while being safe), and that includes much of her church community, where I know she really feels at home. She is a tough woman, so I know that she is going to make it through this awful time, but her religious experience, as well as many other aspects of life, has been affected a great deal.
Worship During the Pandemic at the Pioneer Valley Shambhala Center

Description of worship during the pandemic at the Pioneer Valley Shambhala Center including a screenshot of a letter from their director to the community
How COVID-19 and death has reshaped my religious practices

I have always practiced my religion but I started to do it less as I have gotten older. When I was younger, I would go to church every Sunday however as I've aged, I do not go as much but I make sure to pray before I go to sleep every night. However, my religious practices changed once the pandemic hit and I had a death in my immediate family. Dealing with grief after losing a loved one is something that I have never experience before and it caused me an immense deal of pain (and still does). But, I've found that because of this, I have started to pray more and attend church a lot more frequently which has helped with dealing with the pain that I feel. My family and I even donated to a COVID-19 relief fund!
Suquamish United Christ of Christ September Facebook Posts/Updates

Posts made during the month of September to the Facebook page of Suquamish United Church of Christ
Oral History with Mahana Kodzo

I am a graduate student at Utah State University. For a final project, I was given the option to record an Oral History for a religious person. I chose Mahana Kodzo from Ghana. Included in this record is an audio recording, a pdf transcript of the interview, and a couple of photographs of her and her children. I have a consent form on file from her to allow me to publish this record with you.
Knox Presbyterian Church Sign

This screenshot from Instagram shows a picture of Knox Presbyterian Church's sign, which reads, "Thou shalt not COVID thy neighbors life. Wear a mask."
Eid Celebration

This video and image from the Dar Al Noor Islamic Community Center show how they were able to adapt their celebration of Eid to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recording conversations with my father, a Presbyterian minister

My 95-year-old father, a Presbyterian minister and also a mission worker in the Philippines during the 1950s and 60s, is living under lockdown in a senior residence in Philadelphia. To ease his isolation, last summer I began recording conversations between him and his children. His mind is still sharp, his passions are strong, and his imagination just keeps expanding, perhaps more so because of his confinement in a two-room apartment. The conversations touch on many topics including the roots of his commitment to justice issues, Presbyterianism, his love for his family, and his views of the afterlife. To share these marvelous conversations, I created (with my father's consent) a podcast called Keeping Dad Alive. You can listen on your favorite podcast app and on the web at https://keepingdadalive.com/.
Sermon from Rabbi Olitzky - Ivri: Traditional Service - Rosh Hashanah Day 1

Rosh Hashanah Virtual Sermon
Oral History with Tom Clardy

For a graduate school project at Utah State University, History Dept., I was assigned to create an Oral History with a religious person with respect to their experiences with COVID-19. Tom signed a written consent for me to record and upload his history in this archive. I have the form on file. Included in this submission are three files. The first is an audio file from a Zoom recording transcribed by Otter.ai. The second file is a Word Doc with a series of photographs of Tom with various aspects of his life. The third is a text transcript of the 70-minute interview.
Oral History with Mawanyo Afua Peni

For a grad project, I was assigned to interview a religious person about their experience with COVID. This is my friend, Mawanyo's brief life history along with her experience with religion, faith and COVID-19. This is an audio file produced through Zoom, and transcribed by Otter.ai I have also included a word doc with several photos of her and her life experiences. Mawanyo gave me a signed consent form which I have on file consenting to have this history included in your archive.
Conservative Judaism in Northampton

Noah Barondes interrupted his October bar mitzvah ceremony to ask, to no one in particular, “Where are they going?” This ‘they’ would be the twenty some masked and socially distanced bar mitzvah attendees, caught in the act of an awkward, would-be surreptitious shuffle to the sunlight from the cold shaded tent they were originally sitting in. This disturbance in the ceremony, although relatively humorous, is just one of the many disruptions of Northampton’s Congregation B’nai Israel’s services induced by the pandemic. Unable to meet in person due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission, the synagogue has been forced to move its services online for streaming. This proved an immediate issue, as Conservative Jews practice Shabbat by not using electronic media (including taking pictures or being photographed, as streaming requires). This creates a whole host of restrictions most other religious groups did not have to consider when transitioning to an online service format. In addition to this, services at Congregation at B’nai Israel feature a strong focus on cooperative, communal prayer, and leading that prayer over the Internet is much more difficult than in-person. Normally, attendees would sing all together, creating lots of energy, but being on Zoom or a live-streamed service makes that kind of connection impossible. Services can feel inauthentic as religious experiences and more like chores, since many people are doing their jobs over Zoom, sitting in the same place in their home and at the same computer they work from. And that’s not even to mention the ways Zoom shortens people’s attention spans, making it far more difficult to sit down and concentrate on prayer. To adapt to these challenges created by the pandemic, Congregation B’nai Israel and its leaders have looked to the larger Jewish community and authority to guide their decisions on how to continue practicing their religion and reaching all members of their community at a time when they cannot be together. While it was unconventional and potentially against Jewish law to move services online, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the larger organization the Congregation is part of, was able to find solid rationale for bending those restrictions in order to keep people connected to their Jewish communities. For their part, Congregation B’nai Israel has made some adjustments to their services in order to make them more Zoom-friendly. For one thing, they have made services shorter, in order to combat that reduced attention span of service attendees. Their Shabbat morning services have shifted to become more focused on conversation and study of different texts, with a few prayers in the beginning and end of the service. The attendees seem to really enjoy this, but it’s unclear whether the new format will continue once the pandemic is over. Congregation B’nai Israel also monitors and responds to the pandemic with their personal COVID-19 task force, which includes a few infectious disease experts as well as the synagogue president. They work together to come up with recommendations on what will be safe for the community to do as far as in-person gathering, and whatever they say is carried out. At the moment, they have considered it safe to provide a few, heavily limited opportunities for in-person worship, one of which was Noah Barondes’s bar mitzvah. These gatherings are restricted to a specific size, and social distancing measures and masks are enforced at all times. In addition to these structural adaptations to the pandemic, Rabbi Justin David adapted the contents of his service too. He infused Barondes’s bar mitzvah with themes of hope and resilience, referencing the various tragedies of humanity in the Hebrew Bible and reminding the congregants that nevertheless, humanity persevered. This communal acknowledgement of suffering combined with the assurance that the community will survive is a reminder that religion is more than its rituals and practice: it’s a source of collective, spiritual strength in times of adversity. In a way, CBI’s services themselves act as a natural adaptation to the pandemic by providing a response to coronavirus anxieties.
Religion in a Small Town During Covid-19

Within my small community, church attendance is already low, but with the addition of a pandemic, my church is struggling. We have adapted by sharing every message and event on Facebook Live so that the elderly people of our community have the opportunity to watch from their homes. We interact with them via Zoom. To help grow church attendance and grow the bond between the church members, we hold socially distanced activities outside of the church: fireworks, painting, bonfires, and outdoor games for children. We leave fliers of church tracks on every door so people that are timid to attend church in person, are still getting a touch of the Message in their lives.
Holiday Times Around the Corner

As I sit here today I think about what the holidays will look like this year. In times past during thanksgiving, we gather with the whole family and enjoy a big meal and share and laugh at stories we have missed. This year with COVID cases rising we are unsure of what it will look like. We aren't going to be able to sit around a table as usual with our whole family. We are going to have to change it up, times are hard. This year we are not going to be able to have our distant family around we might have to use technology to call them in. Thank goodness for technology or we wouldn't be able to accomplish this. Christmas on the other hand we are unsure what this will look like as well. Usually, without COVID we go to church and spend time with family but just recently my family and I have found out that church will not be happing in person like it has my whole life and that changes things. I am unsure of these times we are experiencing and I am not good at change so we can only hope next year will be different.
Catholic TV

Since going to mass has been prohibited in Idaho, my family has been using CatholicTV.org in order to somewhat participate in mass. The website also offers mass in Spanish for those who prefer that. They offer mass services every day.
Global Religions Class

This semester I am a senior college student tiring to make it through school and this pandemic. In late July I found out some of my classes were not happening due to no in-person classes at the university I attend so I had to alter my schedule. As a senior I was brought with the concern of will I still graduate what should I take. I was looking through class options and I came across a class called "Global Religions". I am religious myself but when looking at other religions I am unsure what their practices are so I decided this would be a fun interesting class to take. I signed up and when early August rolled around I was built with excitement to see what I would learn. Well, here I am in late November with three weeks left of class. I have learned so much more than I would have ever hoped. I have learned about religions from all over the world and what their practices and beliefs are. The coolest part about this class is that since we are in a pandemic I am able to learn how different religions are adapting to different situations. I have learned so much about different religions and I believe this is just opening the door to more I will want to learn about in the future and follow up on what religions are doing as we see how this pandemic unfolds.
Hard times during COVID

Religion during the pandemic takes a whole new turn on religion. I am not a regular churchgoer but I did attend often. I am in college and have moved from my old church to finding a new church in my new town. I have been in my new town for now 3 years but only during when school is in session. last year I was able to find a church that fit my grove. I fell in love and started to attend with my friends then what do you know COIVD hit and we all had to go home, just as I was getting a hang of things. I follow the church I go to in college and the one from home on social medial so I am able to follow along with changes happing within. I was amazed when the world shut down no more churches no nothing so I just turned to home practicing but what am I kidding if you don't have someone holding you accountable it gets tough. Over the past several months I have been trying and just recently the church at college has opened their doors back up to those that are willing and have even found a way to broadcast online. All churches are tiring so hard to adapt to this new normal and I feel as though so are people especially me. This COIVD stuff scared me so I have been taking advantage of the online live lectures. Even better the church posts stuff daily wheater that is motivation quotes or things to think about that day. I think this aspect has really helped me keep on top of everything. Hopefully one day soon the churches can open their doors back up to full capacity.
Trinity Ecumenical Parish - Pandemic - a history

Our parish historian has recorded the many changes that were necessary for the parish to serve the congregation and surrounding community during Covid 19.
Religious studies class

During COVID 19, I have taken the time to learn about other religions through an online religious studies class at my university. It is different, since the class would originally be in person. However, I have found a new passion for learning about a variety of religions. It is intriguing to compare rituals and traditions and learn historical forms of each faith. I have an appreciation for each religion and learning about how the celebrate and where they came to be.
Prizmah Knowledge Center Resources on Finances Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Prizmah is the network for Jewish day schools across North America. This is a collection of Prizmah's Knowledge Center resources that address general finances, financial aid, and budgeting during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prizmah Knowledge Center Resources on Mental Health & Emotional Support

Prizmah is the network for Jewish day schools across North America. This is a collection of Prizmah's Knowledge Center resources that address mental health and emotional support for families and their children.
College Changes

I grew up in a very small and very religion based town, so when I came to college, it was kind of like a culture shock. People were not as focused on religion, or at least it didn't appear to be that way; you had to look closer and deeper in order to find people who were just as focused on religion as you were. But when I found out that there was a non-denominational Christian group that continued to worship even amidst COVID, I really wanted to go and see what is was all about. I am happy that I went because now I have met so many new people in my community that share the same beliefs as I do, and we have really connected and became close friends. Being a member of this group almost gives me a sense of being grounded and being at peace. These days are very stressful for everyone especially with the pandemic going on, so if you can find a group near you that still worships during these times, I highly recommend going and seeing what it is all about. You never know if you will like it unless you try.