Easter is the most important Christian festival, acelebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It is usually a sacred time when families come together. Butthis year it will be a much more intimate celebration for the faithful. WithSouth Africa under lockdown to slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus, churchservices have been suspended, along with most other activities.
Yet many churches are planning to livestream services onlinefor congregants, while others have created WhatsApp groups to worship together.
The SABC and DStv have agreed to make room for a dedicatedchannel to broadcast Easter services, said Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, minister ofcommunications.
"People are heartbroken that they won't be able to stand onthe pulpit and do what they do best over the Easter weekend. These sermons willbe streamed live for those who cannot go to church because of the lockdown.They can have church from the comfort of their homes," she said at a mediabriefing.
The way believers worship will change, hopefully only for ashort time, but, advises Christianity Today magazine, it is important to "holdtight to what is sacred and hold everything else loosely".
LIVESTREAMING SERVICES
Many churches are using technology to stay in touch withtheir congregants and to let them continue worshipping. These are some of thechurches you can find online to attend an Easter service.
This Kempton Park church livestreams its main service, aswell as Sunday school services, on their YouTube channel.
The church has pledged R1 million to help the poor duringthe Covid-19 crisis. Its founder and senior pastor, Reverend Chris Mathebula,said the funds, donated via the People Matter Foundation, would go a long wayto help the poor.
The church streams its three Sunday services - at 8am,10.30am and 6pm - on YouTube,Facebook Live, and on their website.
If you miss these, you can catch the sermon between 11am and12pm on TBN (DStv channel 343).
The church holds daily morning prayers in the lead-up to theEaster weekend.
These are streamed from 5am to 6am on their website, and on YouTube.There are also podcasts available.
Their online church was launched shortly after PresidentCyril Ramaphosa's declaration of the emergency lockdown.
Services are livestreamed on YouTube andtheir website.
The Sandton church has told its congregation that church isnot closed, only its buildings are. All their services are being streamed,including Sisters, Kidszone, Youth, Young Adults and weekend services with liveworship and faith-building, fear-immunising teaching.
"It is up to us to stay plugged in and connected so we don'tmiss a beat with what God is going to do in this season," the organisationsays. Find them on YouTube or download sermons from rivers.church.
The church launched its "On-the-line" campaign after thelockdown announcement, saying, "Sundays are looking a little different. We'retaking church on the line."
Services can be streamed from their website.
The church usually celebrates with an annual mega conferenceat its headquarters in Thaba Nchu, Free State, but this year it will belivestreamed on YouTube.
Houseof Fellowship Christian Church
All Christian families should commemorate Easter, saysPastor Kensly Ramahala of the church in Tembisa.
Their Easter Sunday service will be livestreamed onFacebook. Despite the difficult conditions in which we find ourselves, "it isimportant that Christians take the time to remember Christ during this time",he says. "This will also give families an opportunity to introspect,soul-search and find where they are with God."
The church will be sharing messages of hope andencouragement on Facebook and WhatsApp every Sunday during the lockdown.
COMMUNION
Sharing communion is an important practice for manyfamilies, especially during Easter and local pastors have told DRUM there's noreason families can't still have Holy Communion at home.
Pastor Mojalefa Maluka of Uniting Believers Church inMarlboro, Sandton, says just because families are at home, it doesn't preventthem taking communion. "We've encouraged our members to buy communion elementsand to prepare themselves to take communion in their homes this Easter. This isan opportunity for family altars to be restored."
A family altar is simply a space used to worship at home.Pastor Maluka adds that Christians should remember how personal the weekend is"and should make sure it remains sacred and purely Christ-centred". His familywill have a service at home which they will share with the congregation onFacebook.
"We will lead Good Friday from our home this year, withhymns and the word, then communion with those who will be watching." Smallerchurches in townships and rural areas may not have access to the samesophisticated infrastructure to reach their congregants, but they won't be leftout, thanks to social media and smartphone apps.
Pastor Peters Mathebula of Church Ablaze in Clare in ruralBushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, says their church is communicating via WhatsApp."We've decided to use this lockdown time to network in prayer. Our members wakeup for prayer between 4am to 5am every day. We've also encouraged our membersto study verses from the Bible and speak faith instead of fear," he says.
