COVID Closed
Image courtesy of Bishop Laurie Haller
Fortunately, the folks at the Lewis Center for Church Leadership at UMC-related Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. are alert to the problem. They've given Insight permission to republish one of their recent articles on why it's important to plan innovative ways to celebrate Christmas this year.
One of the ways in which worship services become coronavirus “superspreader” events is through congregational singing. Knowing how much we United Methodists love singing, the Desert Southwest has taken a proactive approach by scheduling a webinar with a choral music expert.
Dr. Elizabeth Schauer, director of choral activities at the University of Arizona, will conduct a Zoom webinar on singing out loud at 10 a.m. PST Dec. 16. She’ll offer guidance on singing out loud, including coronavirus safety precautions. After her presentation, the Rev. Matt Ashley, superintendent of Desert Southwest’s South District, will read questions from the chat for Dr. Schauer’s response. Registration is required and available on the conference website. The webinar also will be recorded and posted later on the website.
Coronavirus and religious liberty
Another issue that the coronavirus has brought into sharp relief is the conservative push for “religious liberty.” At its most basic, this idea seeks to exempt churches from laws that their adherents think require them to violate their religious beliefs, especially in regard to LGBTQ rights and reproductive rights.
This week the U.S. Supreme Court overthrew New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s COVID-19 ban on religious services in a lawsuit brought by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn. Ian Millhiser of Vox has written one of the best interpretations of the significance of the high court’s ruling, which many church-state observers think has set the stage for allowing more faith-based businesses and social service agencies to discriminate against people whose civil rights are now protected.
A graduate of UMC-related Duke University’s law school, Millhiser also asserts that the case also shows the effect of conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s appointment to succeed the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (may her memory be a blessing). Definitely worth a read.
Quarantine times shortened
Having recently gone through a coronavirus exposure scare with my husband and myself, I’m heartened by this news from NPR: CDC Shortens Its COVID-19 Quarantine Recommendations. We were pretty sure after seven days without symptoms that we were negative, which a COVID-19 test confirmed. It’s good to know the experts now think we can shorten quarantine times.
Media Mentions as of Dec. 2, 2020
Some churches scale back in-person worship amid COVID-19 surge – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette *
Christians look for new way to wait out pandemic during Advent – The Boston Globe *
Closed for Christmas, Washington National Cathedral is more popular than ever – The Washington Post *
Coronavirus robs biblical Bethlehem of Christmas cheer – The Associated Press
The Supreme Court was right to block Cuomo’s religious restrictions – The New York Times *
Why are some places of worship unconcerned about holding potential super-spreader events? – Los Angeles Times *
‘Biblical mandate.’ California churches ready to defy Newsom after Supreme Court ruling – The Sacramento Bee *
Churches return land to Indigenous groups as part of #LandBack movement – Religion News Service
Nearly half of LGBTQ adults are religious, US study finds – NBC News
To this Supreme Court, religious freedom trumps public health — even amid COVID-19 plague – USA TODAY
Minnesota churches launch 10-year plan for racial healing, reparations – Star Tribune *
National Guard chaplains reflect on Floyd protests, lessons learned – The Associated Press
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Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.