This is not a normal Sunday morning — anywhere.
I’m typing this after spending the morning doing something I have never done before — watching an Internet live stream of the the Divine Liturgy of my home parish, St. Anne Orthodox Church in Oak Ridge, Tenn. I am, to be blunt, an at-risk individual since I am (a) 60something, (b) someone with asthma and chronic sinus issues and (c) someone who had a sore throat and low fever six days ago (both gone).
But I was not the only person who was not present in the service. Under the extraordinary (and I believe very wise) instructions of our Archbishop Alexander of Dallas and the Diocese of the South the rite was being celebrated by our clergy and a few chanters — while everyone else stayed home as a form of “social distancing.” Priests will take the Sacraments to the sick and hospitalized as needed, of course.
Our archbishop’s instructions (.pdf document here) represented a crisp, clear statement of one of the major COVID-19 news stories taking place in our world, this morning. In part, he wrote:
Everyone in the parish or mission, other than the priest (and deacon), a reader, a server, and no more than two (2) chanters or singers (all of whom are physically strong and at low risk for COVID-19), should remain at home, even at the time of the Divine Liturgy. The holy body and precious blood of our Lord can never be a source of disease, it is after all for the healing of soul and body, but the COVID-19 virus can still be passed through the congregation. Out of love for our neighbor, we must do everything we can to protect the vulnerable by slowing the rate of infection not only in our parishes, but in the greater community, and thereby allowing the hospitals and medical community to more adequately care for those most at risk. All who are “at risk” — the elderly, those with pre-existing conditions, any who are actively sick or exhibiting signs of illness — should absolutely absent themselves from the services. ...
If possible, the service should be webcast on the internet so that the faithful may participate in the prayers, which are themselves a source of grace and consolation.
The liturgy was followed by special prayers in our ancient tradition, the Molieben in Times of Pestilence. When it comes to plagues and disasters, ancient faiths offer ancient rites — because the faithful have been through all of this many times before.
This leads me to this weekend’s think piece, an essay by Edric Sng that ran on March 11 (that seems like an eternity ago) at Christianity Today. The author leads the Bethesda (Bedok-Tampines) Church in Singapore. The headline:
7 Lessons from Singapore’s Churches for When the Coronavirus Reaches Yours
Advice from Christians in the “Antioch of Asia” on how your congregation can survive — and thrive — amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
This essay is, of course, written by a Christian leader to other Christian leaders. However, it is packed with details that journalists may way to see as they cover Christian communities — and believers in other faiths, as well — during this crisis, which I believe will continue for several months.
Why listen to Singapore? There are many reasons to do so, if we are interested in lowering the impact of this deadly virus. Singapore has already been there and, it appears, done that. Sng writes:
Churches in Singapore, which Billy Graham affirmed as the “Antioch of Asia,” have already weathered the anxiety now sweeping the world. On February 7, the nation-state’s government raised its national risk assessment level from Yellow to Orange, indicating “moderate disruption” to daily life — and in particular to large gatherings of people.
His advice comes from a Protestant point of view. But, again, there is much here to note. Here are several samples:
(1) Your church’s worship will change. Hold tight to what is sacred — and hold everything else loosely.
Congregations are creatures of habit. Churches are built on traditions, liturgies, and order in worship. Over time, every church’s line between what is fundamental to the faith and what is merely institutionalized response gets blurred.
Does Communion have to be actual wine and unleavened bread to still count as holy? If you don’t actually lay hands on someone, are prayers of healing still effective? Does a church have to gather in the flesh to count as a congregation?
Every church, and every member of your church, will have different views on such often-undiscussed questions. The COVID-19 outbreak presents a needed moment of doctrinal stocktaking.
Later in the essay, he states the obvious: There will be backlash to almost any decision that is taken, with blows coming from believers and unbelievers.
Now, the following item is rather obvious, in this day and age. However, this crisis is also reminding many religious leaders that the leading edge of one of America’s largest generations ever — yes, the infamous Baby Boomers — is hitting its mid-70s and may soon require new ways to take part in worship and educational activities.
(3) There’s no better time to up your church’s tech game.
While the Singaporean government has said an upgrade to the Red risk assessment level is “unlikely,” local churches have explored improvements to their video recording and live-streaming capabilities in preparation for a worst-case total lockdown scenario.
Seeing the need, various groups have put together websites and webinars with free advice for churches on how to switch to live streaming. For example, the Bible Society of Singapore partnered with ThunderQuote, a procurement-related startup founded by Christians, to launch Streams of Life, a resource center listing various livestreaming options ranked by difficulty level.
Reporters across America and around the world may find symbolic events linked to this next item:
(4) There’s no better time to up your church’s prayer game.
At noon every day since Valentine’s Day, the historic bells sound at St Andrew’s Cathedral in the heart of Singapore’s civic district, while phone alarms go off across the island. It’s a signal to believers that it is time to stop whatever they are doing for a moment of united prayer in the face of the COVID-19 threat.
“For such a time as this, unity is the key,” said LoveSingapore, a local prayer and church unity movement, in announcing its PraySingapore@12 initiative. “We believe in the power of prayer agreement. For such a time as this, we need every believer to arise and seek God together for Singapore. A prophetic act, just like the ringing of church bells, summoning the faithful to action when their village or town is threatened.”
There’s much more. New forms of social outreach may emerge. Clergy will face painful questions linked to funeral rites.
MAIN IMAGE: A screenshot from Sunday a.m. Divine Liturgy at St. Anne Parish, during the Molieben in Times of Pestilence.