How To Celebrate With Online Services

For many people, Passover and Easter week are an especially difficult time to “shelter in place.” My heart goes out to all those who will miss the joy of worshipping with their spiritual families. If you belong to a congregation, you are probably already checking to see if they will be conducting online services. If you do not belong to a congregation, here are some local churches and temples that are conducting services online.

Second Eve of Passover: Thursday April 9

Temple Adat Elohim Open In New Page

Temple Adat Elohim provides links to a clergy-led, interactive Seder for the Second Eve of Passover on Thursday, April 9. There you’ll find instructions on hosting a virtual Seder for you and your family, and they provide a link to a brief video explaining how to set up Zoom (the online video conferencing software).

Rabbi Barry Diamond of Temple Adat Elohim says, “We are living in extraordinary times. In many ways we are in our own version of Egypt. But even in Egypt, we loved, we laughed, and we learned. We do not want to remain in Egypt, but we can bring some of our skills and insights with us in the next phase of our lives. I hope you take this time to connect with one another and with the message of freedom that is available to us all.”

Good Friday: April 10 – 12pm

Saint Jude the Apostle Open In New Page
Or on Facebook Open In New Page  

The message from Saint Jude the Apostle is simple: “Making this week meaningful can be a challenge when we cannot come together as community.  Liturgy is the public prayer of the Church and by its very definition is communal, so it can feel awkward and lonely celebrating apart – yet together.  Participation in Mass looks and feels very different when you are watching on a computer, so create a space that is special – with candles and a tablecloth and your computer.  Watching Mass is unlike watching a video, so participate with your mind, your body and your voice!”

Easter Sunday: April 12 — 10am

United Methodist Church Westlake Village
On Zoom or on YouTube Open In New Page

Celebrating Easter Sunday without uplifting music and a beautiful display of lilies will be unlike any Easter Sunday we have experienced. But there is a perspective that can make this particular Easter special in its own way. Pastor Walt Dilg of the United Methodist Church Westlake Village says, “Staying at home has caused us to evaluate what we have, what we need, and where our dependence should be directed. Our focus should be on God’s generous blessings in our lives and reducing the consumption of material possessions that we do not really need. We are evaluating how we use our time and money, as well as what our priorities are. As we walk through Holy Week, we recognize the sacrifices that Jesus made for us so that we could be transformed. This year in particular, our lives are being reset. We are learning new patterns for living and being in the world.”