Religious communities turn to online e-sermons

The religious communities are feeling the pinch of the restrictions imposed by the government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus as celebrations of important days in the calendars of various religions are disrupted.

Jews are unable to gather for the Pesach, Christians will not mark Easter and already their revered Palm Sunday went without celebrations, while Muslims have not been able to go to mosques.

They have all switched to technology to reach to their members and are doing it all online.

Christians are preparing to use technology to preach Seven Words of Christ for Easter.

The Hope Restoration Ministries, based at Chloorkop near Kempton Park, had begun to celebrate Easter by doing live streaming to its members via YouTube, Facebook and the church website from yesterday, until Sunday at 9am and at 6pm. The sessions are hosted by church head Rev Siphiwe Mathebula, and his wife, Pastor Pindi Mathebula.

Various other churches, such as the Methodist Church, had been preaching via social media, including Skype.

Explaining the Pesach or Passover, SA Zionist Federation’s Rowan Polovin marked the Exodus where Jews were required to imagine transitioning as Jews from slavery into freedom.

Pesach begins at the synagogue with an evening prayer service. It is then celebrated at home over “seder” (meaning “order” in Hebrew), where Jewish families gather over a meal and together recount the story of Exodus through prayer, discussion, symbolism and, of course, food.

Wendy Kahn, national director of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies, said the Pesach under lockdown would be different, especially since it is a family-orientated festival.

“The separation of families is a painful situation,” Kahn said.

Muslims also sacrificed their “Special Friday” congregational prayer at the mosque involving a sermon and prayer by the Imam (priest) and two rituals. Muslims pray five times a day but with the lockdown they have to do this at home with no sermon.