A relatively new church plans to hold weekly worship services in an Oklahoma City movie theater.
Freedom Worship, led by the Rev. Rickey M. Thomas II and his wife, Brittany Carter-Thomas, will host grand opening services at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Feb. 28 at Cinemark Tinseltown, 6001 N Martin Luther King Ave. Those who attend the church's grand opening celebration will be treated to free food from Midwest City-based Brielle's Bistro.
The Thomases, who describe their church as nondenominational, began hosting virtual worship services in the fall of 2020. Rickey, 26, said they consider their new in-person worship services as "portable church" gatherings.
"We move in on Sunday and we move out on Sunday," he said.
"United in Prayer," Governor Kevin Stitt's virtual prayer event on Tuesday, was a video montage of Oklahomans in various cities and backgrounds discussing the importance of prayer and offering prayer for the state, elected leaders, health care "front line" workers, people facing COVID-19 challenges and other concerns.
The online prayer effort, which lasted about 35 minutes, was coordinated by Oklahoma Capitol Culture, a nonprofit led by the Rev. Joel Harder.
He said 1,520 people registered for the event, from 65 different counties across Oklahoma by his last count on Tuesday afternoon. He said he assumed that many of the registrations represented more than one person participating.
A civil rights activist who marched on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on "Bloody Sunday" will be the featured guest for Oklahoma Christian University's 2021 "History Speaks" event.
The free event will be virtual and available for viewing at 6 p.m. Sunday at oc.edu/live.
"History Speaks" is Oklahoma Christian's annual event highlighting civil rights activists. In an interview with OC's History Speaks founder Gary Jones, the 2021 featured speaker, JoAnne Bland, 68, will discuss her life as a leader fighting for equality. Among other things, Bland served as co-founder of the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute in Selma, Alabama, and she speaks and leads tours with Journeys for the Soul.
Ash Wednesday was more than a bit different as the pandemic and a winter storm brought some modifications to the Christian observance.
Many Catholic churches had already made changes to traditional portions of their services in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19. No crosses made of ashes were to be smudged on the foreheads at Archdiocese of Oklahoma City parishes. Instead, priests planned to sprinkle ashes on the person's head, avoiding person-to-person contact.
Then, snow-packed roadways and the threat of energy blackouts offered more complications.
Nevertheless, the faithful braved the snow and frigid temperatures to attend in-person church services on Wednesday in the Oklahoma City metro area.
During a solemn Ash Wednesday ritual, local Catholic priests rub ashes on the foreheads of the faithful to create a sign of the cross.
These ashes from palm branches, moistened with holy water, are placed on congregants' foreheads in the most recognized symbol of Christianity to symbolize penance and contrition.
That ritual will change this year to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The smudging of crosses on parishioners' foreheads won't be part of it, said Diane Clay, communications director for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.
Clay said the imposition of ashes will take place on Wednesday at archdiocese churches. Priests will sprinkle a small amount of ashes on top of each attendee's head, near their hairline.