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2020-04-17
Filming Online Church While Observing Social Distancing
A small church responds quickly to the threat of large gatherings. Despite not having a standing audio/visual team, a pastor quickly mobilizes volunteers to get church services online for parishioners while the production team observes social distance protocols. As a consequence, on the same day that the Los Angeles mayor announcing as ban of gatherings, the church posts its first online worship service. -
2020-05-07
Reflections of a 2020 High School Senior
N/A -
2020-04-16
Sign Honoring First Responders
A sign at St Francis Hermitage in is illuminated blue in a show of support to First Responders. The Hermitage normally has a restaurant which has been closed as a result of COVID-19. -
2020-04-16
Church Sign Announcing Online Services
Local churches are still managing to have services using online resources. This church in Soldiers Grove, WI is not able to meet in person but are still able to connect the congregation. This is one branch of a larger group of churches located in southwest Wisconsin. -
2020-04-30
Return to the beach not to normal life
I wish I could explain the emotion that was felt the moment this picture was taken. When Covid first came about and the city began to shut down, it was the ocean that gave people in my city comort. I live in a small beach town in San Diego county. Surfing and going to the beach is an everyday thing. The ocean to many in the area is our church. The beach and the ocean is where we go to celebrate, to think, to heal our hearts after a break up. Being with our toes in the sand gives some of us strength more than breathing. When Covid happened we all lost our life source when they closed the beach. They first closed the beach to staying tanning and sitting and reading. This was a hard adjustment as going to the beach to meditate and talk to the universe and set my intentions and manifestations was something I have done almost daily for 35 years. But it was okay, we could still walk the beach and we could still feel the toes in our sand and feel the waves crashing against our legs. The day they closed the beach, it started to rain and it rained for days. Its as if the universe and the Gods all felt our loss. This past month being stuck in the house has been so feeling like being in a bucket of lobsters and they are all struggling to get out. Its funny to think just some sand and some water can have such an affect on a person. As I type this I have tears streaming down my face and I can remember that beautiful moment yesterday when finally getting back to the beach. The moment my toes touched the sand and felt the water, it was as though it was easier to breathe. In speaking and keeping social distancing to some of the surfers and locals around and about, I discovered that I was not the only one that felt that way. So many people see the ocean and the beach as their church, their religion, the thing that gives them strength, hope, courage and comfort. The ocean is like a giant warm hug with side of hot cocoa. The water looks so brown and gross I know, but if you check out the waves at the beach at night, this is the time when the waves show off their bilolumencent glow! At night its a beautiful mixture of glowing blue, purple and white. Such a great reward from mother nature for enduring the time away. -
2020-04-10
Notes From an Essential Worker Series #3
The COVID-19 virus disrupts life, particularly our relationships with those we love. But, relationships are flexible and adapt to circumstance. Any other year, my mom would stay home from work on Good Friday and bring us to church, so we can see the stations of the cross. This year, the churches closed, and my mom could not afford a day off due to COVID-19. Instead, she used her morning note to remind us to celebrate in our own way: remembering her parents, "grandma and pap," and doing something kind for each other. In keeping with traditional however, we celebrated the end of another week in quarantine with a "Pizza Payday." My mom gets paid on Fridays, so we always have pizza to celebrate. COVID-19 has caused many changes, but I am glad that has stayed the same. #FordhamUniversity #VART3030 -
04/12/2020
Easter Sunday- drive up church service.
In these trying times, I believe that my photo helps to tell a story of strength, family, unity, and unwavering faith. We’re both “essential” workers, however, family comes first and one of us has opted to stay home to homeschool our two sons. We are very appreciative of this extra, uninterrupted family time. Spending more time together, we’re getting to know each other all over again. -
2020-04-30
St. Lucas Evangelical Lutheran Church signboard announcement
This is an image of the signboard in front of the St. Lucas Evangelical Lutheran Church in St. Louis, MO. This announcement is notifying the community that the church holds their services online, and by not gathering for traditional services, they are helping to minimize the spread of COVID-19 while still engaging in their religious lives. #REL101 -
2020-04-29
The State of Religion During the COVID-19 Pandemic
This image includes a family bible, N95 facemask, and a cell phone. It is meant to illustrate the changes that churches had to make to spread their message during the pandemic. That is, they had to go almost completely online. Furthermore, it is meant to illustrate how technology allows religion to flourish even when followers cannot physically meet. -
2020-04-29
Bethel Lutheran Church Closed
It shows a church forced to close by the pandemic. The sign on the front door reads: "CLOSED, Public Health Emergency, ReOpen...God Only Knows, 2020" The sign informs the public, reaffirms faith in God while also making a joke about the uncertainty of the time. It also documents the fact that churches are not considered to be essential. -
2020-04-28
REL A local Church notice
This local church has signs posted all across their doors to update members on how they shall proceed in the midst of COVID-19, and how they will be able to remain connected through these unsettling times. They are continuing to do live stream masses. I found the wording of the note extremely special as they note "dispensed all of the faithful from the obligation" so that these members do not feel like they are doing a disservice or sin by not attending their normal mass routines. -
2020-04-28
How I attend mass on Sundays.
This is a picture of my phone on my desk watching Sundays mass during the pandemic. Its pope Francis sunday's mass. -
2020-04-28
music bringing us together
An account of how a local church is helping with the pandemic #REL101 -
2020-04-28
A Sign at Our Lady of the Cross Parish in Holyoke, Massachusetts
This sign, located at Our Lady of the Cross Parish in Holyoke, Massachusetts, informs parishioners that mass is cancelled indefinitely. In an a directive dated March 16, 2020, Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski closed all churches and chapels within the Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts. -
Sick woman in Church
A woman who is either sick or preventing by wearing a mask in sitting in church. We are made to need hope or look to a higher power/ God during times of hardship. To me, this photo represents a lot regarding what has been happening with Covid-19. This has been a hard and dark time for us. Religion and hope in God has brought me a lot of peace during this time. -
2020-04-13
sick in church
Photo of a woman in a church with a mask on her face. This signifies the need of a higher power during these times of hardship. We are humans who are in need of someone/ something to give us hope. This picture clearly shows that this woman is sick or trying to prevent sickness and looking for hope in a God. Photo time is unidentified. This photo signifies our absolute need for a higher power, God, in a time like we are going through with Covid-19. #REL101 -
2020-03-16
Corona Clap by Dee-1, New Orleans, LA
New Orleans rapper Dee-1 released the song "Corona Clap," a remix of the New Orleans classic "Nolia Clap" by UTP (rappers Juvenile, Wacko and Skip) in March 2020. Lyrics include references to handwashing, cheap flights, NBA cancellations, school and church closures, and toilet paper shortages. The song includes a sound bite from New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell. -
2020-04-27
Church signs in Elizabethtown, KY
I have contributed a collage of three church signs where I live. The church boards are inviting the public and its members to attend services via Facebook Live since our governor, Gov. Beshear has restricted mass gatherings during Kentucky's stay at home policy. -
2020-04-06
REL - "16 Funny Church Signs About Corona Virus"
It is a series of humorous photos of church signs about their services and corona virus. -
2020-04-20
Palms
With the church closed on Palm Sunday, palms are left outside for people to pick up. -
2020-04-20
In response to the corona virus
Due to the pandemic, all in-person worship and meetings are canceled. On-line services offered through the church's web site. -
2020-04-20
Covid-19
Sign in front of church detailing how to get help and access to church services on-line. -
2020-04-20
No services today
Church building is closed; services are streamed on Facebook. -
2020-04-20
We're here to help
An offer to help those in need -
2020-04-01
'It's Like a Lifeline.' How Religious Leaders Are Helping People Stay Connected in a Time of Isolation
This article does a great job detailing how religious leaders in Christianity and Judaism are aware of the major problem of Covid-19. They have shut down their temples for prayer, but they will still get their message of unity and faith across to the community. The article also details the major changes to usual rituals in churches and temples. -
2020-04-04
The rightwing Christian preachers in deep denial over Covid-19's danger
The article discuses how Covid-19 has been ignored and not taken seriously by some of the Christian Pastors and leaders within the relgion by not dismantling all social gatherings. The article explains how for some Christian leaders, they have been disobeying orders given by their states to no longer hold any more social gatherings until further notice which have resulted in arrestment. These leaders are/were trying to convince the masses that through more intensive Christianity practices, those who participate will become immune and from a global scale, the virus can be defeated. -
2020-04-02
Here's a look at what states are exempting religious gatherings from stay at home orders
This article is about twelve states which have allowed public religious gatherings during the current COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. The twelve states listed to the left have deemed religious gatherings essential and have created adaptations to maintain distance between members. These gathers are highly criticized and have been sourced as the cause of several outbreaks across the country, including in Sacramento, California. -
2020-04-05
Priests, ministers, rabbis and other religious leaders go online to connect with faithful, but miss the personal touch
Though nearly every religion has used online streaming to connect with their congregations during the pandemic, preachers and parishioners alike are missing the personal contact that comes with in-person services. -
2020-03-10
Is coronavirus coming between people and their faith?
This article speaks to the actions that major religious groups are doing around the world. We see how Christiany had to change up a lot of touching and huging to stop the spread. They also had to do more onlice services as well. We go to Islam and see how they closed down the Kaaba and stopping people from other countries from coming into Mecca and Medina. We look at the Hindus and how they still do Holi but they are asked to take more steps to be careful like wearing masking. Finally we see how Judaism trys to stop kissing and touch many things in order to slow the spread. -
2020-04-07
Religious Services Navigate Coronavirus Restrictions
This article addresses some of the issues faced by various religious communities across the United States of America in the wake of restrictions due to COVID-19. It mentions some ways in which organizations are adapting services to comply with social distancing restrictions, and it provides more examples of organizations that have actively opposed these restrictions. It also incorporates the thoughts about compliance versus noncompliance from others across different religious traditions. The article points out that, for many of the religious traditions addressed, the measures being taken in response to the pandemic, such as social distancing, are in line with the central principles of their beliefs. The article closes by addressing some of the issues that communities face in their attempts to adapt services to these restrictions. -
2020-04-24
Church donations have plunged because of the coronavirus. Some churches won’t survive.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, churches are being hit hard. They are facing a decrease in donations, making it difficult for them to stay afloat. This is due to their masses being cancelled or moved online. Congregations are beginning to make difficult decisions of whether or not to close their doors or cut the work of their staff. #REL101 -
2020-03-17
Iranian police disperse crowds from shrines after Covid-19 closures
The article talks about how Iranian police are forced to break apart crowds of people who're forcing themselves into shrines which are normally used for prayers around the clock. It also states that COVID has affected mainly important festivals. The Article also talks about how Italy has opened private prayers and confessions. Europe and the US churches mosques and synagogues have been suspended for public celebration as well. It also talked about how 2/3rds of the confirmed cases of the virus inMalaysia can be linked back to an Islamic conference attended by about 16,000 people. -
2020-04-09
Some churches confront virus restrictions on Easter services
This article is about churches in Georgia, Texas, and New Mexico having to adapt the upcoming Easter services through livestreaming options. However, in some states Governors have determined that church is an “essential” service which would allow Easter services to go on. These churches would use social distancing in order to worship and to avoid the spread of the virus. Moreover, some smaller churches plan to carry services how they normally would without practicing social distancing. -
2020-04-06
Churches spark outrage by defiantly holding services despite coronavirus orders
This article is about church members who lined up on Palm Sunday for communion at a Calvary Church near Los Angeles. Ten people were allowed inside at a time, but by the end of the day the church had seen hundreds of memebers. While people were attending church, protesters were lined up in the parking lot of the church honking their horns becuase this church was not closed and members were disregarding Los Angeles "stay at home" order due to COVID-19. -
04/09/2020
Fact Check: Yes, Texas' governor has deemed religious services essential amid pandemic
On March 31st Texas governor Greg Abbott added religious worship to the state’s list of essential services. This order allows for in-person religious gathers after other local officials had already ordered religious gatherings to be live-streamed only. The governor’s order proceeds the news of the arrest of several religious leaders for holding services with hundreds to thousands of attendees. -
2020-04-02
South Phoenix church still hosting in-person services despite widespread call to stay home
The article describes one church community's response to COVID-19 and Gov. Ducey's proclamation to practice social distancing except in "essential activities." A spokesperson from the church community stated that they are not practicing social distancing and would continue to meet. -
2020-03-29
As states crack down on gatherings, some religious exemptions could keep pews full
Many state governments are being pressured by health professionals to set restrictions on religous gatherings. However, some state governments feel like they do not have the authority to set restrictions on religous practices, while others are limiting the amount of people per gathering, or even banning it completely. -
2020-04-02
Texas Governor, Attorney General issue guidance for religious services during COVID-19 pandemic
Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton issued guidance for houses of worship and religious services. In the state of Texas, churches and other houses of worship are classified as essential services. The guidance document states that institutions can provide these essential services under certain conditions. The governor is directing religious activities to be practiced at home or through audio or video services. If they cannot conduct activities remotely, houses of worship should follow White House and CDC guidelines for social distancing, personal hygiene, and sanitizing public surfaces. -
2020-04-15
Lawsuit accuses Beshear, others of violating religious freedoms in COVID-19 orders
This article explains how three Kentucky citizens are accusing Governor Andy Beshear and other government officials of violating their religious freedom. The three plaintiffs attended Easter church and were issued quarantine notices on their cars that instructed them to quarantine themselves at home for at least 14 days. They claim that because they practiced social distancing at the church, they have no need to quarantine themselves and are refusing to do so. They are filing a class action lawsuit to fight this order and to ensure their religious freedom in the future. -
2020-04-12
Priest's Social-Distanced Blessing
A priest at my parents' local church in Chesterfield, MO waves at our car after an Easter Sunday drive-thru blessing. This will stand in my memory as one of the strangest religious experiences I've ever had, as well as a highlight of my quarantine. The photo makes me think about priests and other similar people who lead communities face-to-face and the distance they must be feeling, as well as the experience of the churchgoer. -
2020-04-12
Easter Bunny at Drive-Thru Blessing
The local church near my parents' house in Chesterfield, MO (where I'm currently quarantined) had a drive-thru style blessing on Easter Sunday. After a priest stood a good 6 feet back and sprinkled holy water on our car, we were directed to exit past a costumed Easter Bunny who waved as the cars left. I snapped this photo from the back seat. To me, the photo is a symbol of hope and human optimism in the face of a crisis, however, at the time of taking it, it struck me as more sad and detached. Something about an Easter Bunny standing outside his car with the trunk open just struck a chord. -
2020-04-20
Streets and Avenues / New York City (X)
After college, and a year of vagabonding through Central and South America, I moved to the city forty-two years ago. I was drawn to New York, like many, by the energy and complexity of the city itself, and more specifically, the rich and endless theater found on its streets. While the array of cultural offerings has been a source of nourishment and pleasure, it is the streetlife that keeps me as excited as my first weeks here. What I love about New York is not what I know about the city, but how much I don't know. You cannot exhaust it as a subject, and from the start, I have made the city my primary interest and subject as a photographer. I always go out with a camera and am often mistaken as a tourist because of it. I take that as a compliment, given few can match the exalted state of excitement and awareness that a tourist experiences on a visit. When the Coronavirus hit and the staggered shutdown of the city went from a talked about possibility to a reality, I found myself inside my apartment looking out at the street below. At first, I made short trips to get necessities, then later added walks through Central Park, and now through the streets of Manhattan. If you think of a photograph as a piece of theater, with a stage set, lighting, cast, and choreography, the new version of the streetlife of New York is an eerie and fascinating show. The set and lighting is much the same, but the cast and choreography have wildly changed. Wandering through Midtown is like walking through an amusement park in the off-season. You experience the present colored by what you know it to be in season. -
2020-04-09
Celebrate Holy Week and Easter With Us On-line
As Easter Sunday approaches, President Trump’s prediction about crowds of people returning to mass is proving unrealistic. Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Libertyville, IL is one example of many Catholic Churches offering online mass as a substitute for in-person services. While religious services have been streamed before, and “Church TV” has existed for a long time, never have Church services across the world had to be cancelled to such a large degree and replaced by online streaming.#DePaulHST391 -
2020-04-20
Our Lady of the Rosary Cancels Public Masses, New Orleans, LA
A sign on the door of Our Lady of the Rosary Roman Catholic Church reads: "All public Masses are cancelled until further notice. A "private" Mass will be offered in church everyday at 9:00am. You can view a live-stream of that Mass on Facebook (www.facebook.com/olrnola) or watch the video later in the day on our parish website (www.olr-nola.org). The church will be open for private prayer every day: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. Confessions will be offered outside in the parking lot on the Cabrini side of the church Tuesday - Saturday: 6:00pm - 6:30pm. You can schedule another time with Fr. Jonathan by calling or texting him at [###-###-####]. If you need an Anointing of the Sick, contact Fr. Jonathan at the same number. Check our parish website for the latest information: www.olr-nola.org/coronavirus-updates. -
2020-04-17
Pastoring through a Pandemic
It’s Saturday night, March 21, and my son and I have spent pretty much all day creating an iMovie Sunday morning worship service for my two congregations. Now we can’t figure out how to upload it from Aidan’s school-issued computer onto YouTube. This is the first time I’ve had to do this all online. I call Allysen, a teacher in the school district and a member of one of my churches. She suggests I try putting it on a flash drive. It’s 11:55 p.m. My son’s computer is set to turn off at midnight and won’t open up again until 6 a.m. I frantically run downstairs and search for a flash drive in an attempt to transfer the iMovie of the worship service from his computer to mine. My kitchen drawers are a mess. I can’t find a flash drive. I can never find anything when I need it in my disaster of a house. On Facebook Messenger Allysen says, “Just sleep for now and do it in the morning. Your church goers should be a forgiving lot even if it isn’t ready right at 8:30 a.m.” I can’t go to sleep. In a world where nothing is going right, where everything has changed, where this is the first opportunity to prove that I can adapt and lead and be of help to the congregations I love as we navigate these unchartered waters, I need this to happen. I realize my iPhone has iMovie on it. It’s 12:10 a.m. when I open a new “project” and begin to import all the pieces I originally worked with on Aidan’s computer. The video clips of Mom and Jill singing the hymns; the video of Allysen reading scripture (the video that had taken hours to download via Google drive); the short little clip of the Smorstad family sharing the peace, sweet twin boys—age 9 months—giggling and drooling. God, I miss them all. Aidan had told me it would be too difficult to add the words of the hymns to the screen, but I do it. At 1 a.m. I figure out how to add photos of the hymns as cutaways to the movie. I discover this by mistake. I’m pressing buttons without knowing what I’m doing. I swear it feels like the Spirit has given me the button I need. I forget to give thanks. I’m too busy making a movie that is somehow also a worship service for two congregations that can no longer meet in person. Seminary has not prepared me for this. I have a YouTube channel only because I had used it to share videos of my sister’s senior trombone recital years before. I had never made an iMovie. Now I’ve made one between the hours of midnight and 3 a.m. It’s done and I’m proud of it. I’ve gone from waking up at 7 a.m. on Friday morning with the idea of including multiple parishioners in the making of the movie—to being ready to upload it to YouTube at 3 a.m. on Sunday morning. In the future, I’ll allow more time. But it won’t make it any easier. For each piece that becomes routine and knowable, another piece becomes a challenge. How to convert files that aren’t allowed by iMovie? Google it. Pay $6 for an app that will do the conversion. Problem solved. How to create hymn files when your mom refuses to keep singing for these worship services? Sister to the rescue. She discovers openhymnal.org. I play the midi file of the hymn through old, donated speakers attached to my work computer, place my iPhone at the perfect distance from the speakers (too close and it’s fuzzy; too far away and it’s too soft—this I learned through much trial and error), hit the voice memo record button on my phone and try my best to have some sort of decent breath support as I sing the public domain hymns that I can include without worrying about copyright infringement. It would help if I could breathe. It would help if I could sleep. It would help if I wasn’t trying to do this, basically, all alone. It would help if I could turn over the movie production to some high school student who loves such things and who could do it all easily and maybe even enjoy it. But now I feel like it’s my job. I think I should be spending more time calling my people, but I can’t seem to manage much calling. Each conversation leaves me absolutely spent. I sob after each goodbye. I miss these people. I don’t want to make phone calls or iMovies. I want to give hugs. I want to talk face to face, leaning in to listen well, holding hands as we pray for hope and healing. The night before Easter I can’t sleep. Awake at 2 a.m., I watch the worship service created by my good friend, a volunteer music director in a neighboring town. The service is beautiful. I love my friend. And I miss her. At 3 a.m. I watch another worship service created by another dear friend, a pastor in my corner of Iowa, skipping ahead to get to her sermon. I’ve already read it, as she asked me two days before for input, but now I get to hear it. Receive it. It’s beautiful. Needed. At 4 a.m. I click on YouTube news and lay in bed listening to death counts. It’s Easter morning. At 5 a.m. I get out of bed and go to church. I’m supposed to join an invitation-only zoom gathering by 5:40 a.m. My computer is sluggish and won’t load the meeting. I hate technology. I hate being so damn dependent on it. Christ can rise from the dead but can’t make this computer do what it’s supposed to do. I finally use my iPhone to connect to the meeting. It’s a gathering of women from around the world, an informal worship service of sorts that grew out of a single Tweet. “How to faithfully celebrate Easter this year: Only women on the Zoom call. Call is scheduled before dawn. We speak only of impossible things that would topple the empire.” It turns out to be the most meaningful Easter worship service I’ve ever experienced. As each woman is called by name—just as Jesus called Mary Magdalene by name in the garden outside the empty tomb—we give our testimony. We talk about where we’ve seen the Lord. I think I’m going to say something about the church in which I grew up. How they used the Bible to tell me women couldn’t pastor—I couldn’t preach—but God said yes! But instead, a song I’ve written comes to mind. And my testimony is this: I know that death is real but it will never be the end. I know the song goes on and dancing feet are powerful. I worship later with my family, watching myself lead worship on the television screen in our living room. I smile at my on-screen self. I can’t help it. I want to dance. -
04/17/2020
Lockdown Weighs Heavily on Orthodox Christians During Easter
The article explains the current lockdown situation in Greece and how it has impacted the Greek Orthodox community during the very holy time of Easter. The article explains how the lockdown has led people and churches to be defiant and hold gatherings in churches and viallages, despite the lockdown. However, the article expresses that Greek orthodox community has found a way to stay connected with each other through prayer services given via zoom and church services broadcasted online. -
2020-04-07
Coronavirus Florida: Lockdown exemption for religious services not expected to be widely used
This aritcle describes how the churches and synagogues will conduct services virtually or parking lot services with the members remaining in their cars. It also describes how the governor of Florida considers attending religious services exempt from the stay at home order. Dispite the governor's directive most religious leaders will choose to not hold public gatherings and stay within the social distancing guidleines to help with midigating the spread of the virus. This article also describes what happened when a leader of faith decided to move forward with public church services despite the local stay-at-home order. Rev. Rodney Howard-Browne was arrested for violating this order. -
2020-03-18
Close the Churches
Churches have had to close worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For many religions, there is a necessity to get together in groups, worship together, and even celebrate religious events. Due to these restrictions, many are now having their right of practicing religion taken away from them. There are legal actions that have been taken in the past, when considering if churches should listen and follow state or federal claims. -
2020-04-17
Trump consults faith leaders on phased-in reopening
President Trump held a call on Friday to discuss with faith leaders the return of in-person worship. During the pandemic, most services have been held online due to COVID-19. After classifying some places of worship as "large venues," some religious leaders would like to return to their normal services. -
2020-04-16
Seattle-area Sikh community leans on core values to help those in need during coronavirus pandemic
The article describes how a Seattle Sikh community drawing upon its religions core values has come to the aid of city since the rise of the current pandemic. This local Sikh chapter operates a community kitchen and has teamed up with other local partners to expand their reach since the outbreak. While they have always been in the business of helping the less fortunate, they have now begun to serve a whole line of others to include local medical workers and the elderly during this crisis.