Coronavirus Impact: Churches Reinventing Easter Sunday Service In Age Of Social Distancing
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – For the last several weeks, houses of worship have made big changes to adjust to society's new normal of because of the coronavirus. And with the upcoming Easter holiday on Sunday, churches in South Florida are reinventing tradition to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
"Usually, Sheridan Hills has a few thousand people out on Hollywood Beach for a glorious sunrise service. People start getting ready for that at 3 in the morning to set up sound and everything that has to be done. That whole operation has obviously had to be put on hold," said Pastor Andrew Coleman of the Sheridan Hills Baptist Church.
Coleman said they will broadcast, as they've been doing, from their website and YouTube, finding the good in these unprecedented times.
"One of the responses is as a family, being in the family room, of course preferring to be a Church, but able to worship as a family together," Coleman said. "No one is in the nursery. No one is in children's church. Families sitting together and worshiping together."
The archbishop of Miami said they will also broadcast Holy Week traditions and services online. In some ways, they can make due with technology, but also have to forgo certain sacraments.
"At the Easter vigil, traditional baptize people that are becoming Catholic or entering into the faith. Unfortunately, that will have to be postponed to a later time," said Archbishop Thomas Wenski.
Of course there will also be no communion. But other practices are manifesting in new ways.
"The washing of the feet is the example that Christ left us for service and we have living examples of that through our first responders and medical professionals that are basically serving the sick and their families," said Wenski.
Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. It's a message of hope that, for many, is especially relevant during these times
"Hopefully, what it will do is increase our appreciation for the sacraments," Wenski said. "Hopefully, when we are on the other side of this, we will emerge from this as a humbler people and that humility will make our heart a more fertile ground."
Coleman said even though they don't have their usual sunrise service, they do have something else planned that morning that he thinks will make people very happy. He's not giving too many details but said it will represent the spirit of Easter.
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