The Virtual Community

I did something this morning I had never done.  For a couple of different reasons, it was not practical to attend worship this morning so I turned on the computer to make sure they were having worship at the church normally attended even though I was absent.  And, they were.  Without me.  So, I had a brief word with my ego and settled down on the sofa to worship via live streaming.  It was a first.  Worship is not meant to be a spectator sport and it always seemed that worship on line was more about watching than worshiping.    

One of the obvious takeaways is that live streaming worship is a good alternative for those unable to make it to the sanctuary,  It is much more professional than the cable television programming we provided back at the Vidalia Church in the dark ages.  It really does provide a visible connection to a church and a community which would be very important to someone who had attended for a long period of years to suddenly be unable to do so.  It also was nice for the worship leaders to acknowledge the online community from time to time during the service.   

Of course, it might be regarded as a convenience by some, but I would always choose a pew instead of the sofa.  I immediately noticed the distractions in the room.  There was the temptation to talk about what was happening instead of quietly experiencing it.  There was the empty coffee cup which called for a re-fill and the still to be eaten breakfast food.  I guess I am just a bit too old fashioned.  As long as I can walk in the doors to the sanctuary, I will be going so that I can be immersed in the worship happening all around me instead of seeing it happen before me.  But, make no mistake.  It is a good thing particularly if the church will take seriously the pastoral needs of the people out there in the virtual community.