(RNS) — The Rev. Megan Castellan has been livestreaming morning prayer from home every day through the coronavirus pandemic for her parishioners at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ithaca, New York. But Thursday’s prayer (March 26) was an “epic disaster,” Castellan told her followers on Twitter. Both the rector’s dog and cat decided to participate in the Facebook Live video, hovering over her shoulders on the couch. Offscreen, her husband, forgetting Castellan was on camera, made a loud phone call, then motioned to her that he was going to go get tested for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Castellan, also briefly forgetting she was on camera, responded by miming sticking a swab up her nose, part of the testing process. Then a “mysterious loud noise” sent her dog leaping off the couch to investigate, returning in time to lick the rector’s hand enthusiastically through the final prayer. Castellan briefly considered recording the video over again, she told … [Read more...]

(RNS) — The COVID-19 pandemic has focused many of us on the state of the nation’s health care system. As the virus rages, all Americans need to raise their voices about the deep injustices it has exposed. Even before COVID-19 struck, the Trump administration was doing too little for the millions of people without affordable health care or life-saving medicine. As the novel coronavirus spreads, it’s no surprise that those who are hurt the most are the poor, whose health concerns are exacerbated by a lack of living wages, adequate housing, food and household savings. The pandemic has demonstrated that everyone’s fates are intertwined with that of the poor. It reveals the costs of having a two-tiered, privatized health system – where those who can pay get care, while millions suffer and die in close proximity to some of the best medical resources in the world. This public health crisis reminds us that we all are only as secure as those with the least health care access among … [Read more...]

(RNS) — The nation’s top doctor urged faith leaders to follow federal guidelines and partner with local health officials as they learn new ways to lead congregants coping with the coronavirus pandemic. “What can you do as faith and community leaders?” asked U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams in a videotaped address for the COVID-19 Church Online Summit that opened Thursday (March 26). “Well, first, follow the guidance from your local health department and find ways to partner with them. Second, develop your plan to protect your employees and the people you serve.” Evangelical and humanitarian assistance leaders offered pointers and encouragement to church leaders in the first day of a two-day summit by releasing videos on topics ranging from advocacy for the vulnerable to crisis communications. “We are certainly in a crisis,” said the Rev. Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, speaking through a headset. “This pandemic has gripped the world. … [Read more...]

JERUSALEM (RNS) — In the days before the novel coronavirus, the thought that every church, synagogue and mosque in the Holy Land would be ordered shut was simply unimaginable. Yet that is today’s reality. On Wednesday (March 25), the Israeli government instituted a nearly complete COVID-19 lockdown that includes the closure of all houses of worship. The directive permits 10 worshippers to pray outdoors, provided they stand at least 6 feet apart. The day before, the Ministry of Health revealed that 24% of infected Israelis had contracted the virus in synagogues. Another 5% were exposed in yeshivas. In the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority shuttered all mosques and churches, including the Church of the Nativity, weeks ago after an outbreak of the virus in Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus and the territory’s most visited site. Mosques and churches in Gaza, ruled by Hamas, are also closed to worshippers. Although communal religious practice is being … [Read more...]

(RNS) — The Rev. Nick Bruckner stood atop a mound of snow as he preached about taking time to reflect during the Lenten season and urged the faithful to not “drift through life.” The strong winds made it difficult for him to flip the pages of his Bible. He used the remains of a plastic cup to shield his microphone and block the swooshing sounds of the gusts. Bruckner placed a cellphone, which he protected inside a cardboard box, next to the microphone to project piano music to the crowd. His estimated 35 guests listened and sang hymns from inside their vehicles. This was Sunday service (March 22) during the coronavirus pandemic in Unalakleet, a village on the northwest coast of Alaska. “Improvisation was the word of the day,” said Bruckner, 35. As COVID-19 continues to spread across the nation, churches are creatively offering drive-in style worship services to maintain social distancing rules meant to protect people from catching the novel coronavirus. For … [Read more...]

(RNS) — The Washington National Cathedral will donate thousands of medical masks to two hospitals in the nation’s capital after discovering a trove of the much-needed protective equipment just feet from where Helen Keller and other prominent Americans lie in the cathedral’s underground crypts. Bought in 2006 as a precaution during an outbreak of the H5N1 flu, also known as bird or avian flu, the more than 5,000 N95 respiratory masks had been forgotten until early this month, when the cathedral’s chief stonemason, Joseph Alonso, remembered coming across them in an unfinished area of the crypt level. Though still in their original packaging, the masks were technically expired, and cathedral staffers first reached out to the manufacturer and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine whether they were safe to use. Since the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. last month, mass buying of N95 masks has resulted in a critical shortage at medical centers. … [Read more...]