Virtual Easter is a switch, yet still spiritual time for Christian faithful

Prescott United Methodist Church Senior Pastor Dan Hurlbert channeled Mister Rogers a couple weeks ago for a live-streamed sermon where he donned the trademark cardigan sweater and voiced the tune, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor.”

Such creativity to engage congregants of all ages was a prelude to what he and his fellow Christian clergy throughout the Quad Cities and around the nation will tap into on Easter Sunday — the grand finale of the most solemn and holy week of the Christian faith.

Easter celebrates the Resurrection of the Christian Savior Jesus Christ who rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion on the day known as Good Friday. The night before, known as Maundy Thursday, Jesus shared the Last Supper with his 12 disciples before his betrayal and capture that led to his brutal death on a cross at Golgotha, according to Christian scripture.

GOING VIRTUAL

For Hurlbert, the virtual Easter service will not be a spiritual departure from the online worship practiced over the course of the past month because for practicing Christians “every Sunday is Easter.”

“Every time we come together we are celebrating the Resurrection,” Hurlbert said.

He does admit that the first time he arranged livestreaming of the worship service it was “really awkward.”

For Easter, and all of Holy Week, Hurlbert said the church has offered a variety of “streaming platforms” to allow people to reflect, observe and pray, and that will continue until the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis has subsided such that regular face-to-face worship can occur again.

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Hurlbert admits that the online worship does not have the same “energy” and engagement with parishioners, but he has relied on various tricks he observed from some of his favorite television programs to continue to connect with people and share a message of hope.

STILL SPIRITUAL

A long-time Prescott United Methodist congregant Diane Iverson said she certainly misses gathering together with others for worship. Yet, she said, she doesn’t find it has diminished her faith or spiritual practices.

Indeed, she said she finds the new approach to be somehow “appropriate.”

“Easter is all about waiting for a promise. And this is what we’re all doing. On faith, we’re all waiting for life as we know it to come back to some semblance of what we saw as joyful, or giving us a reason to celebrate,” Iverson said. “That’s what standing outside the empty tomb is all about. We’re standing outside of the empty tomb and waiting for evidence of resurrection.”

For Iverson and her husband, Doug, slowing down and staying home together has proved to be a “worshipful experience.”

“All the things we do in worship I really miss, but there is something very spiritual in the time we’re going through if we choose to embrace it in that way,” Iverson said. “For me, I’m waiting for a resurrection.”

Skull Valley Bible Church Pastor Jason Hamilton said he intends to host an Easter sunrise service — it will simply be videotaped from his patio. “It’ll be live. I have a patio where I can catch the first sunlight coming over the mountain,” Hamilton said, noting he will offer the experience live on both Facebook and YouTube.

The Easter sunrise service is symbolic to the early Sunday morning more than two centuries ago when scripture says the boulder in front of Jesus’ tomb was rolled away and his body was nowhere to be found.

Like many of his fellow clergy, Hamilton said this is not ideal, but it’s what is required now to keep people safe and virus free.

“I have mixed feelings,” Hamilton said. “It’s always better to do something live and in person. But this has also expanded our reach. We’re seeing four times as many views as we would on a Sunday morning.”

FAITH LESSONS

Hamilton, who launched the online services on March 22, said this whole experience has proved a spiritual lesson on how to be faithful to ministry.

“God’s in charge of it all,” Hamilton assured. “He’s in control. This is faith. Faith is trusting God will work this out in the end no matter what. It’s not ideal, but it’s accepting that, hey, God will work it out for us and for Him.”

Heights Church Pastor Ron Merrell concurs.

For the large non-denominational church, worship technology is not new, with services regularly livestreamed for those who cannot attend an in-person worship service.

The challenge during the past month has been to offer an intimate experience that enables them to incorporate some of the praise music and teaching and abide by social distancing parameters, he said. The team has also shortened the services from a typical 65 minutes to no more than 45 to 50 minutes, he said.

In the first couple weeks, Merrell said they videotaped the worship team performing in circle fashion. They have now switched to a more living room-style environment, he said.

He said the goal is to keep the worship intimate — “from the message to the music.”

STILL A REFUGE

“These are weird days we’re in,” said Merrell, who with lead pastor John Challinor and worship team members have been meeting virtually with about a dozen other area pastors to share technology and worship tips during this season of uncertainty. “We just want to be a refuge for people and point them to the hope in Jesus.”

Follow Nanci Hutson on Twitter@HutsonNanci. Reach her at 928-445-3333 ext. 2041.