[church organ music]
- Pastor Dale Vlastnik: This is the day that the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
- Sunday usually means the pews are full at St. John's Lutheran
in Johnson Creek.
Lately, Pastor Dale Vlastnik
had to be happy with filling the parking lot,
since the Covid-19 pandemic has forced them to
shift to drive-in services.
We went right from traditional Sunday service
to outside.
Pastor Vlastnik says some members spend Sundays
watching a web stream of the service,
while others feel the need to be there in person.
At a time when our own emotions run so high
on account of the virus, the shutdown, and the isolation.
We are witnesses to all that he did.
For safety, Pastor Vlastnik
has his wife do all the lay readings,
while he has another family act as ushers.
After we sing together, I invite you to please
look to the ushers for directions on your way out.
There are two stations.
The first for your offering and the second for you to receive
an Easter blessing as you are comfortable.
[Hebrew being spoken]
In Madison, many of the synagogues
have moved their prayer services online.
Everything is online and via telephone and it's working.
Rabbi Betsy Forester leads prayer groups
from the Beth Israel Center twice a day, six days a week.
The fact that we can see people's faces and we can gather
with a group of people and see all of those present
is a game changer.
Right now, I am going to mute everybody and we will begin.
[singing] ♪ Lord prepare me ♪
She says the fear and uncertainty of the moment
are driving people to seek their religious community.
They say there are no atheists in a fox hole and
I am seeing some of that need for faith and groundedness.
Rabbi Forester says the words of comfort
were written long ago.
So people are identifying with prayers
in ways that they were not before.
Even prayers that are very familiar
are jumping off the page with new meaning and relevance.
With our sin upon himself.
Pastor Vlastnik is finding the same thing.
We are spending a lot of time with the good book these days.
One that comes to my mind, 2nd Timothy, Chapter 1, verse 7:
"God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but a spirit of power and love and self-discipline."
I'm actually spending a lot of time in the Book of Psalms.
"Tears may linger for a night, but joy comes with the dawn."
So on the one hand, we are in a time of grief, fear,
uncertainty, anxiety.
And on the other hand, we still hope and know in our hearts
that it will not always be like this.
A common theme for everybody is finding ways to cope.
These are trying times.
And leaning on their faith in the process.
Thank you for being together.
I hope to see you tomorrow.
- Reporting from Madison, I'm Zac Schultz, for "Here & Now."
- Good night, everybody.
Erev tov.
- Erev tov.
- Stay well. Take good care.