EL PASO -- At CrossRoads Cowboy Church, the coronavirus closed the sanctuary but not the parking lot, which was swarmed on Easter Sunday by Chevrolet Silverados, Ford F-150s and other behemoths.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, members of the congregation no longer sit shoulder to shoulder; these days, they worship bumper to bumper instead, with 6 feet of space in between.
"I do miss the hugging and the handshaking, but it's so good to see everybody," George Crumbly, the church's associate pastor, told the crowd during a rainstorm Sunday morning.
Across Arkansas on Easter, Christians celebrated the death and resurrection of Jesus. But they were careful to keep their social distance while they did it.
Because of restrictions on large gatherings, Little Rock's Community Sunrise Service was canceled. So Luke Conway, pastor of Lakewood United Methodist Church, provided a short online service of his own from what appeared to be his home, strumming a guitar and staring out the window at the dawn.
"I think the clouds are breaking behind me somewhat, so maybe some folks in North Little Rock are going to see the sunrise," he told viewers. "Right here, there's still a few clouds, but we know the sun is going to shine."
Easter events continued throughout the day.
At 8 a.m., churches of all denominations began ringing their bells across Central Arkansas.
At Life Line Baptist Church in southwest Little Rock, Jeff Dial swung a bell that once hung in the congregation's original building a century ago.
The joyful sounds, echoing across the city, were a sign of solidarity and shared hope, the pastor suggested.
"Church is who we are, not where we go, so I just thought it was important for all Christians to hear in unity a reminder and a celebration of the resurrection of Christ," he said.
Sunday School continued in some places, although in an online format.
At mid-morning, a Lakewood United Methodist Church class was convening on Zoom.
From Protestant sanctuaries with vacant pews, ministers delivered sermons that were streamed online.
And from empty Catholic parishes, priests celebrated Mass -- in English and in Spanish.
U.S. Rep. French Hill, a member of St. Andrew Cathedral in Little Rock, stopped there to pray on Good Friday. On Sunday, the Little Rock Republican planned to take in an online Mass originating from New York City's St. Patrick's Cathedral.
His Democratic opponent in the November election, state Sen. Joyce Elliott of Little Rock, planned to watch online Easter services for Mosaic Church, where she worships.
At Pulaski Heights Christian Church, members were able to take communion together, thanks to the foresight of their pastor, the Rev. Carol Miles.
"I sent my members a two-month supply of these individually wrapped communion kits. They have the wafers on top with a cellophane wrapper. Beneath them is the juice," she said.
Since the health emergency was declared, she's had to switch to online worship.
"I'm not tech-savvy, so it was kind of a learn-as-you go experience. Believe me, this was like taking a crash course every step of the way."
At Beryl Baptist Church in Vilonia, Wade Lentz had planned to hold a drive-in service. With heavy rain forecast, that wasn't an option, the pastor said. So he preached online instead.
Reopening the doors at the church will be a wonderful thing, he said.
"We are thankful for online technology, but it can only go so far," he said. "There's nothing like the fellowship of the people of God being together."
Back at CrossRoads Cowboy Church, roughly 8 miles to the east, congregants were able to hold their outdoor service because they had a covered area to shelter the stage.
[Video not showing up above? Click here to watch » https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe-ijJAdd0Y]
More than 100 vehicles made the trip to Sunday's drive-in service, in the unincorporated community roughly 35 miles north of Little Rock.
Cowboy hat-wearing band members provided the music, complete with guitars, drums and a bass.
[Video not showing up above? Click here to watch » https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpZx1LZ_yAc]
Pastor Ron Riddle appeared briefly on horseback before taking to a makeshift stage, boots on his feet and Bible in his hand.
Those who rolled down their windows could hear him speaking over the loudspeaker, but most listened to the service on their FM radios.
Amid heavy rainfall and deafening blasts of thunder, many worshippers opted to stay home and watch the service on Facebook Live. Those needing prayer were invited to submit their requests electronically.
Before taking the offering, the associate pastor offered a prayer for parents "trying to make a living during these times, trying to take care of children and meet their obligations and bills."
He thanked God "for the front-line workers, those nurses, those doctors, that go into those hospitals and put themselves in harm's way each and every day."
He also remembered "those families that have sick ones today, those that are suffering from this virus, those that have lost loved ones."
During the sermon, Riddle portrayed Easter as a turning point in human history.
"With his death, Jesus bridged the gap between God and men; he bridged the gap between sin and redemption and between this temporary life and life eternal," Riddle said.
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CrossRoads Cowboy Church had ordered the individually wrapped communion servings, but they failed to arrive on time, so members were encouraged to have their own communion elements: "Water, juice and some form of Crackers," a Facebook post recommended.
After the sermon, Riddle stood in the parking lot, waving at each car that passed.
Finding a way to gather on Easter had been important to his congregation, he said.
"Nothing was going to keep them from celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ," he said.
Metro on 04/13/2020