A new daily devotional is offered at 9 a.m. on Facebook by Summit Church.
Pastor Jeff Huber is working with his congregation to replace the words “social distancing” with the phrase “physical distancing.”
“I think it’d be really helpful if we started changing our language. People keep using this phrase ‘social distancing.’ And I don’t think that’s helpful, especially for those who are dealing with depression or other issues of feeling isolated or lonely. And so we really worked hard to use the words ‘physical distancing and maintaining a social connection.’ Because you’re not distancing yourself socially from people, you’re just doing it physically,” Huber said.
Like religious leaders across the country, Huber is tending to his congregation in new ways since the outbreak of COVID-19.
The daily devotional on Facebook has proved so popular, it will likely become something Summit Church, the new name for First United Methodist Church of Durango, will keep as a regular practice.
“I’ve had people telling me, ‘Oh, I hope when this is all over, you keep doing those.’ So, it’s been an interesting way to connect,” Huber said.
Still, Huber says the spectrum of needs people call on for support from their pastors, priests, rabbis and imams can’t all be handled with the same success he’s found with the online daily devotional.
Helping those at the end of their lives and supporting their families has become an especially difficult struggle.
Huber meets weekly with other pastors, their most recent meeting in March was held on Zoom rather than their traditional meeting place, the cafeteria at Mercy Regional Medical Center. To a person, Huber said, they agreed that tending to the dying and helping their families has become more difficult.
“We’re at that place where we want to help. You know, normally we would be with them, we would hold their hand,” he said.
He added: “It’s difficult to help someone say goodbye to loved ones. We can’t really do funerals right now the way we normally would.”
The sacrament at the beginning of life, baptism, is another area where Huber said Facebook won’t soon replace a real-life gathering.
Several families have delayed baptisms, looking for a time when family and friends can gather in celebration of a new life.
“That’s more of a sacrament that works better, I think if we’re there together,” he said. “But you know, who knows, as this drags on?”
Huber was recently sent a meme, a picture of a pastor with a Super Soaker water gun pointed at a baby being held by a couple with the words “Baptism, social distancing.”
Morgan Holick, a youth pastor Summit Church, said students in her confirmation class have now moved from meeting in person to Zoom meetings, and she thinks because schools are holding online classes, the move has been fairly smooth.
“They can send a reaction (online) and instead of asking 20 people if they understand me, I could just ask them to throw a thumbs up on the screen,” she said. “It’s worked well, and they have still found a way to make it helpful and personal. And kids, if they can find a way to make something fun, they’re going to find it. So yeah, I’ve been really pleasantly surprised by the experience.”
Losing the ability to meet regularly with children who are living in high-risk homes or who come from broken home concerns Holick.
“I think about them and pray for them. And I hope that they’re finding ways to just get outside and finding ways to just be safe,” she said.
Huber said traditional Sunday services have been among the least affected by COVID-19.
“We’ve been livestreaming for three or four years, and actually, our online worshiping community has grown. It’s now actually our largest worship service most weekends anyway,” he said.
Summit Church initially streamed only its 9:30 a.m. Sunday service, but during the COVID-19 restrictions on social gatherings, it has also begun streaming its 5:30 p.m. Saturday service as well.
“Our attendances probably doubled since we’ve been livestreaming. Just because I think more people are checking in online, it’s maybe convenient for folks.”
Livestreaming has also brought in new parishioners, people who had not regularly attended church. Huber believes the livestreams have created a less threatening environment for the curious to become familiar with the church before becoming regular parishioners.
Still, Huber said the inclination is to get back to normal despite the convenience of internet-age communication.
“We’re wired and designed as humans to have a personal interaction and physical touch and so at some point, you know, we’ll look forward to being able to be back together,” he said.
parmijo@durangoherald.com
