Funerals and memorial services are a special case. The American Church yesterday memorialized the life a 79-year-old congregant, Jerrie Tisserant who would have died alone, apparently of Covid according to different sources. I saw Jerrie being imprudent in her practices. Should Jerrie have attended services (and I am led to believe that we do not know if she had), she would have seen what I qualify imprudent examples : situations where congregants were unduly ^10 exposed to the risk of Covid contagion. This example of carelessness is more contagious than Covid. Such an example in the American Church, if present as I think I saw it, could have reinforced Jerrie's lack caution outside of church.
Jerrie's memorial was filmed and I will watch it and lay this memory to rest in peace. I am immensely grateful for the filming of the memorial by the American Church because I personally have decided to no longer attend any religious gatherings until similar cultural events are permitted. I would not have been able to benefit from a religious honoring of Jerrie's life otherwise. This is how the Church was able to tend to Jerrie, and to me, during the Covid pandemic. Perhaps I am a "left-hand" sin, and Jerrie a "right-hand."
Funerals are not a sacrament, but still perhaps an important function of augmented worship in tending to the congregation in COVID-19. I attended another virtual funeral of a soul passing because of Covid. He belonged to the AFCU (American Foreign Christian Union). This was a broadcast event with mixed live and pre-recorded components. Technically organized by the senior pastor of a major Los Angeles Presbyterian church, there was mastery and caution. Invited speakers were able to speak, and that was the extent of audio and video in.
I personally witnessed a horrible "super-spreader" funeral out my own window far20210129funeral. Over one hundred persons loudly mourning inside and outside a Roman-Catholic church in close proximity ^11.