{"id":1319373,"date":"2020-04-09T15:07:52","date_gmt":"2020-04-09T21:07:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vaildaily.com\/?p=476509"},"modified":"2020-04-09T18:34:35","modified_gmt":"2020-04-10T00:34:35","slug":"vail-valley-virtual-church-services-bring-holy-week-to-stalwarts-new-listeners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/vail-valley-virtual-church-services-bring-holy-week-to-stalwarts-new-listeners\/","title":{"rendered":"Vail Valley virtual church services bring Holy Week to stalwarts, new listeners"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/11\/MCR_0022-2-1024x680.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/11\/MCR_0022-2-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/11\/MCR_0022-2-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/11\/MCR_0022-2-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/11\/MCR_0022-2-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/11\/MCR_0022-2-2048x1360.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/11\/MCR_0022-2-600x399.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption><strong>Most U.S. churches are packed on Easter Sunday, including the Vail Interfaith Chapel, pictured here. Churches have moved their worship on line in the wake of the COVID-19 virus outbreak.<\/strong><br \/><em>Photo courtesy Michael Rawlings<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The stories in the Christian scriptures don\u2019t change, but times do. And these are interesting times.<\/p>\n<p>Most churches are packed, and ring with celebratory hymns on Easter Sunday \u2014 April 12 this year \u2014 to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. This year, those churches will be mostly silent, due to the COVID-19 virus and mandates for people to keep their distance from each other. That\u2019s bringing worship services online.<\/p>\n<p>While the COVID-19 pandemic is unique in modern times, Father Brooks Keith of the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration said this is far from the first time Christians have had to adjust the way they worship.<\/p>\n<p>Keith said that Christians are \u201cnot constrained to our own experience. We can call on people who lived through this (in the past).\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\">\n<div class=\"row vail-donation vail-donation-mobile p-0\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/03\/VD-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/03\/VD-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/03\/vail-banner-paypal.jpg)\" class=\"col-xl-8 p-3 text-center rocket-lazyload\">\n<h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vaildaily.com\/donate\/?utm_source=article&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_campaign=donation&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=mid-article\">Donate<\/a><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Keith said the U.S. at this moment is \u201cmirroring the Christian message.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s particularly true with churches that follow the \u201cliturgical calendar.\u201d That calendar puts the New Testament\u2019s four main gospels \u2014 Matthew, Mark, Luke and John \u2014 on a rotation. All those gospels contain similar, but different, stories of Jesus\u2019 birth, life, execution and resurrection.<\/p>\n<h3>\u2018Do not be afraid\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>This year, Matthew is up in the rotation. Keith noted that gospel\u2019s telling of the resurrection is the only one in which Jesus\u2019 followers are told, more than once, \u201cdo not be afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the same way we have to repeat it now,\u201d Keith said. \u201cThat\u2019s the message \u2014 do not be afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bringing that message takes a lot of work these days.<\/p>\n<p>Churches have turned to Facebook, YouTube, Zoom and other platforms for both weekly worship and other programs.<\/p>\n<p>The valley\u2019s Episcopalians \u2014 a congregation more than 400 strong \u2014 can view services for children, as well as daily services. That programming takes the work of the church\u2019s seven paid employees and about a dozen lay volunteers.<\/p>\n<p>At the United Methodist Church of the Eagle Valley, Rev. Molly Fiore is celebrating her first Holy Week as pastor.<\/p>\n<p>Fiore is on Facebook every day sharing thoughts about Holy Week and the Christian experience.<\/p>\n<p>Fiore said it\u2019s interesting that the pandemic hit the U.S. during Lent \u2014 the 40 day period before Easter in which Christians are asked for self-denial and reflection.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve been forced to literally slow down,\u201d Fiore said. \u201cThis period gives us an opportunity to reflect.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Grief, then joy<\/h3>\n<p>Fiore noted that with funerals, weddings, graduations and other events canceled or postponed, many people are grieving the loss of those occasions.<\/p>\n<p>Lent is \u201can opportunity to let ourselves grieve,\u201d Fiore said. But, she added, grief is followed by the joy of resurrection, and Jesus\u2019 promise of eternal life after physical death.<\/p>\n<p>Moving worship online has also meant an opportunity to reach out to more people.<\/p>\n<p>Fiore said a typical Sunday at Eagle\u2019s Methodist Church brings between 70 and 100 people into the chapel. The first week that services went online saw more than 800 people viewing virtually.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve turned this into an opportunity to minister to people in different ways, and reach a whole new demographic,\u201d Eagle River Presbyterian Church Pastor Rob Wilson.<\/p>\n<p>Wilson said that church\u2019s online services are getting better every week. But, he added, sharing the Christian message through adversity is nothing new.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re people who have historically faced obstacles,\u201d Wilson said, adding that the attitude at the church can be summed up with four ideas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Accept the reality you can\u2019t change.<\/li>\n<li>Assess what we have to do now.<\/li>\n<li>Adapt.<\/li>\n<li>Thrive.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In addition to sermons, Wilson said he\u2019s been spending a lot of time on the phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople are hurting, scared and isolated,\u201d Wilson. I\u2019ve said more prayers over the phone than I thought I ever would.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s all part of working the spiritual into the physical world. And the Easter message is one of hope.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen things are at their worst, God is at his best,\u201d Keith said. \u201cThat\u2019s the wisdom of our forebears.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Vail Daily Business Editor Scott Miller can be reached at <a href=\"mailto:smiller@vaildaily.com\">smiller@vaildaily.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vaildaily.com\/news\/vail-valley-virtual-church-services-bring-holy-week-to-stalwarts-new-listeners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Vail Daily<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most U.S. churches are packed on Easter Sunday, including the Vail Interfaith Chapel, pictured here. Churches have moved their worship on line in the wake of the COVID-19 virus outbreak.Photo courtesy Michael Rawlings The stories in the Christian scriptures don\u2019t change, but times do. And these are interesting times. Most churches are packed, and ring [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1319373","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-30 07:25:09","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319373","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1319373"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319373\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1319376,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319373\/revisions\/1319376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1319373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1319373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1319373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}