Is online worship Destroying the Church?

 

Most of us, these days are familiar with live streaming or online worship. There's no doubt that it has changed the way we worship and attend Church for the better...or not

I'm talking mainly about the 'physical institution' of Church, the community, building and the Sunday services, meetings, whatever your particular Church calls them. 

In the days before Covid/The Pandemic/Lockdown forced us into finding ways of adapting and continuing 'Church' while distancing and isolating and following all the various government restrictions and guidelines, my Church, and I'm sure many others didn't really make live streaming a priority, it was thought about, flirted with, trialled etc but it was the pandemic that made it necessary to figure it out fairly rapidly and implement it or else there simply wouldn't be Church services or perhaps even a community as we know it.

The perfect way to attend Church?

To start with I thought it was brilliant, my antisocial & introverted side loved the idea. Church without having to get up early, no tedious bus ride to the city centre, I could turn up in pyjamas, eat my breakfast, skip boring parts, if I didn't feel like going or watching it I didn't have to, and no one would get mad or wonder where I was (or hold me accountable)

Perfection...of course there was a cost to that way of 'doing Church'. The lack of community, of real human contact and fellowship and so on, which was a serious problem and drawback...but it was necessary, the country and the world found us in the situation we were in, and we had to deal with it, whether we liked it or not. I thought I did...but I have since began to understand the real benefit of actually meeting in person, of experiencing the community of Church.

I did wonder, I suppose like many others, what would happen after the restrictions were lifted, could we ever go back to how things were? Would we want to? What would the Church, post-pandemic look like? Would live streaming become a way of life, or just a temporary measure...

The Post-pandemic Church

It's probably fair to say that the Church as a whole (and yes, I'm generalising) seems to have embraced online worship. It's become just a part of how things are done. Obviously I'm aware that this isn't universal, some Churches stopped recording after the pandemic, many, though have continued to do so. And it's been such a blessing for those unable to attend in person worship due to age, infirmity or ill health. It's long been established that an online presence is important for a Church, people these days like to visit a website before attending, or watch a video, maybe check out social media. It's a societal change that is probably here to stay.  And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Technology can help us reach so many more people than in the past. But as I said above there is a cost...

What is a Church service?

The use of technology, recording, live streaming etc makes me ask the question: what is Church? 

In the Salvation Army, Sunday services are often referred to as 'meetings' I once heard the phrase 'We call it a meeting, because service starts afterwards'. I can't remember where I heard it, but I really love that sentiment of a Sunday meeting being there to empower, equip and prepare us for going out from the physical building and serving others, and of course serving Christ.

In some Churches, the Sunday service is a celebration, music, dancing, loud cries to God. Others are reflective, focusing inwards, deep and prayerful experiences and there's every combination of those things, and various degrees of each. I'm not here to say which is right or wrong, but I suggest that whatever 'style' of worship we're used to, that our particular Church uses; the aim is always the same...to speak to God, to reach and to be reached by Him. Even in the loud, celebratory worship there is a desire and a hope for a personal moment, to experience God for ourselves, individually and express our love and adoration for God. Sometimes though, it's probably true to say that Church can feel like a performance; choirs, worship bands, organ music, brass bands are often a traditional feature in my denomination, we also have powerful speakers and preachers. But I would still maintain that it is the intimacy of being surrounded by God and our communities, shut off from the world for an hour or so to focus on and really worship God that is the main and most important purpose of a Church service.

Opening up to the world without losing the purpose and intimacy of corporate, community worship

My concern is that if we're not careful, opening up these personal and intimate celebrations to the world via the internet, is in danger of somehow lessening them, that even subconsciously we start thinking about how we look or sound online while we're worshipping, or putting on a show when our hearts and thoughts should be on higher things. And of course we have to think about the privacy of our members whose information or private (within the community) business that they might not want sharing...a bereavement, a birthday and so on...it could be argued that anyone could walk into a church and hear this information if it's is shared from the pulpit or platform or whatever. but in my opinion it takes it to another level if it happens to be plastered all over the internet. Church should be a place where we can be around friends, where we can be open and vulnerable...being filmed and ending up on YouTube is a legitimate concern...part of the process that goes on at my Church is sensitively editing announcements and personal moments which I'm grateful for...but some Churches that are live streaming there is no such process...which is potentially problematic.

Here's an example, not a big issue, but one that bothered me slightly. A few months ago before my Church service began, the cameras were running, and although it didn't appear online, I still felt a little uncomfortable having myself plastered on a big screen just in our main hall waiting for the meeting to start. Yes it's not a big issue, I wasn't exactly going to walk out over it, it wasn't online or anything like that, but if I felt uncomfortable like that during an ordinary moment, how much worse might some people feel during a vulnerable moment? Would it stop them being themselves, or being open? Even stop them wanting to attend? Or just make them feel uncomfortable, which in itself is a problem and if so, are we failing our members in favour of accessibility of our meetings, and is it a fair trade?

There's a lot of questions there, and I suppose to answer them we have to decide what the main focus of our corporate worship is. Is it outreach, to put on a show, is it empowering members, making them feel comfortable. Is it so we can all sing together, to feel part of something... essentially we need to decide if we're reaching inwards, or outwards, how do we find balance between the two?

I'm aware that I'm acting like a politician there and answering a question with another question. But these are things we need to think about.

I quite like the balance at my Church, filming, recording but editing before it is posted to YouTube or social media, particularly for those who are unable to physically attend corporate worship, but even that, measured approach has a drawback. It means that the services are posted a few days afterwards, meaning that those not able to attend in person are unable to watch/be involved with the meeting like those in attendance, in itself potentially damaging the community.

I am probably going round in circles, and I don't really have an answer to question I posed in the title:

"Has streaming/online worship destroyed the sanctity, intimacy and reverence of the Church?"

Perhaps there is no one size fits all answer or response...but there are concerns, questions to ask, and warnings to acknowledge...we can't go back to a time when the whole country stopped and went to Church, we must find ways of reaching out to people where they are. We must be accessible and relevant to survive and fulfill our calling. There are many benefits to online worship. I'm certainly not advocating scrapping it, far from it. But as discussed, there are drawbacks. I just think that we need to look inwards, as much as we look outwards, to be the Church for its members as well as for those outside our walls and above all to be a worshipping community, that puts God first before anything else.

Maintaining community, supporting each other and being truly present

The biggest danger I think of online/streaming in my opinion; is the convenience, the ease of and attractiveness of attending church that could lead to a slippery slope of losing the sense of community that only really comes with being physically together. Participating in community, a handshake, a hug, sometimes, the silly things like a joke or an in the moment comment, maybe even a smile or a brief moment of eye contact between friends, or a hundred other unplanned or unexpected brief moments that build rapport with each other, that show we're functioning and real human beings.

I suppose the most important thing we could potentially lose is the chance to welcome new people properly. Numbers on a YouTube watch count represent more than just a measure of popularity, or of success, each number could represent a new person, exploring the church and Christianity. Now obviously it's an easy and safe way to get to know a potential church before attending, but again with the convenience comes the danger that community becomes only surface deep, rather than the meaningful, intimate and trusting community that the Church must be.

To an extent I am talking from personal experience. As above I am naturally introverted, online worship is, on paper a perfect way of attending church for me. Mix that with being a shift worker and often unable to attend in person and I can confirm that it makes building real relationships really difficult. Going beyond the small talk and platitudes that church attendees often share during brief pre-service moments is not easy. It takes time, effort and vulnerability. 

If the day ever comes that the Church goes fully online, or distance worship, we lose something truly precious.

I'm not saying, by any stretch, that we should scrap online worship altogether. It certainly has an important place in today's world. It opens our buildings to a far wider audience, it allows members who are unable to attend to still be an active participants, to feel part of our churches as the internet often does it connects us. And it creates a worldwide borderless community. I certainly don't believe that it's destroying the Church... but the danger is that in this expansion, in the ease of access, without the effort of being physically present; dealing with alarms and traffic, late buses and having to make it on time (potentially really early) after a long week of work and deadlines, the danger is that our bonds and community and intimacy is lessened. That is something that we really have to make effort to guard against. We can use the tool of online worship/streaming to enhance our churches and communities, but we must not let it cheapen or lessen who we are, or who we can be... and who and what we are called to be.

Be present, physically but also emotionally. Whether you feel like it or not, the Church is far from just being a building, or a weekly service. It is a people, a community set apart, to love and support the world and spread the gospel. But it also a community that must love and support and build each other up. And whether you attend every week, in-person, front row centre, if you can only attend occasionally, if you only have access online always remember that you are the 'Church' part of the community, you and I have a responsibility to truly be part of that community and to guard against apathy and surface deep relationship.

The final word goes to Hebrews 10:25

"Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more"

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Disclaimer: the opinions and comments expressed in this blog are personal and do not necessarily represent the views and policies of the Salvation Army

The Gospel According to Mario Kart Part 2: A new perspective/Teamwork makes the dream work

 

Mario Kart 64 & Double Dash: a new perspective/teamwork makes the dream work

Welcome to part 2 of 4 of 'The Gospel according to Mario Kart' series

Click Here to read part 1.

Released on the Nintendo 64 in Japan in 1996 and worldwide in 1997, Mario Kart 64 was a total step up from Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo... don't get me wrong I love Super Mario Kart, but 64 took the frantic fun of the original and presented it in glorious (for the time) 3D. It added some great looking (and at times infuriating) tracks, the dreaded blue shell, that targets whoever happens to be in first place, often hitting right on the finish line, destroying any chance of victory...ruining friendships, and causing expletives to fly from even the most mild mannered player.

Mario Kart Double Dash, was released worldwide in 2003 on the Nintendo GameCube. Another step up, it took the 3D graphics and improved on them, new and exciting tracks (once again, occasionally infuriating). It also added a teamwork mechanic. The player picks 2 characters which effects weight, handling and more importantly the weapons and power-ups that are generated. It adds another layer of strategy to the game, and a great way to play with friends.

So what?

2 amazing games which have taken up far too much of my time, and caused me to have several rage induced adult tantrums...but what's the point? What exactly is there to learn about faith and Christianity from these video games?

The Church today is facing challenges. That's undeniable. These challenges are not going to be overcome by fancy buildings, music programs, the traditional 'trappings' of religion. They will be overcome by the 2 things I'm looking at in this post

I've split this post into 2 sections. There are 2 distinct lessons and reflections I've come up with; they're in the title, but here they are again:

1) A new perspective

2) Teamwork makes the dream work

A New Perspective

In 1996/1997 the original, epic, although sometimes kind of flat Mario Kart game was superceded by Mario 64. As above, it was the mid 90s version of glorious 3D graphics...it forced gamers to look at things from a new perspective...

It's vital that we start examining our preconceived ideas of what this world is and needs, and what the Church itself is or should be.

Essentially we need to break ourselves down and really take a deep introspective look at ourselves, what works, what doesn't. what we need, what we don't. That doesn't necessarily mean just doing away with traditions or centuries of experience, or any of that kind of thing. I would never usually find myself agreeing with Delores Umbrage from Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix...but she kind of has a point:

"Progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged"

I don't usually make a habit of taking advice from movie or literary villains...That being said, Sometimes they do seem to make a lot of sense. the things that don't work, or that get in the way of our relationship with God and our mission as the Church; we have to get rid of. So the advice from villain number 2; Alexander Pierce from the movie Captain America: Civil War (one of my favourites) is:

"to build a better world sometimes means tearing the old one down."

In the movie, the character then goes on to say that doing so, creates enemies... that's definitely true. Often it can seem like any form of change is resisted, some people resist for the sake of resisting, or simply hate change, I can totally understand that.

Change, even necessary change, often comes slowly, or not at all. But I get it, change can be difficult, painful even. The difficulty is knowing what changes we have to make. When to push for the necessary changes, when to fight back and cling to the foundations and traditions that the Church is built upon.

We live in times when inclusion is one of the obvious hot topics. I fully support inclusion, I make no secret of that. I don't believe that sexual orientation, race, gender, etc should in any way limit or suppress membership or activity within the Church and fellowship of God, I don't consider myself judge, jury and executioner for the Church. On the flip side of that, I will stand up for and speak out in defence of some of the rules, and tenets of the Church.

Being a Christian is something set apart. Prayer, baptism (by the spirit in particular), communion, holiness, teachings about the necessity of salvation, all these things are important, and make Christianity what it is, but above all, the most important thing is a belief in and striving towards Christ...I once had a strange conversation on an online forum with somebody who felt they were being discriminated against by others not considering them a Christian, despite having no belief, or interest in Christ or the Church, they simply considered themselves a good person and wanted to claim the label of Christian....that made no sense to me. Certainly, I accept that there are a myriad of ways of holding a personal belief in God and expressing that. Many religions, schools of thought etc, and of course in no way would I ever want to deny this person access to the Church. In any true Church, they would receive genuine welcome, love and prayerful, honest support; but a Christian is by its very definition and nature someone who follows, or at the very least tries to follow and have a relationship with Jesus. You obviously don't need to pass a test, or an interview to be a Christian, but we have to retain our sense of identity and not water down who we are or what we believe... and no, that doesn't however give us permission to be jerks, to deny people access to our churches, social aid where it's offered, or prayers etc, it doesn't give us the right to discriminate. But it does mean we have to be honest with ourselves and others, and to not shrink from being who we are.

Looking at the world and ourselves from this new perspective, isn't about watering ourselves down, denying who we are, or tearing down everything that has come before simply to do something different. "progress for the sake of progress". But it is about empathy with those we want to reach. Seeing them as whole people. Not just numbers, or as evangelism 'targets'. We have to start looking at ourselves through the eyes of those outside our fellowships, meeting people where they are, not where we expect or want them to be. People, particularly those outside our churches are not here for the Church's benefit, or to fill pews, keep the lights on or whatever...we exist for their benefit, to show the love of God, both in a spiritual/prayerful sense, and also a practical sense. 

We can be incredibly insular and get carried away with our own comings and goings, and trappings if we're not careful....this new perspective is vital for the Church's future and the fulfillment of its mission to seek, to save and to serve. 

As one of the Salvation Army's mission slogans puts it:

“Save souls, grow saints and serve suffering humanity”

I think that's one of the very best positional statements for any and every expression of the Church.

Teamwork makes the dream work

The second lesson that I've been reflecting on, from Mario Kart: double dash, on the GameCube is pretty simple... we're strong, we're better and we're just plain unbeatable when we work together.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 states:

"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

And that about sums it up.

We could stop there, but we all know it's not that simple...Christians do seem particularly good at fighting each other, arguing amongst ourselves and generally just sucking at working together.

I've been known to frequent online forums, and in the past get myself drawn into arguments... although I always tried my best to remain respectful. These days I just try and avoid them. But take a quick look on almost any Christian forum, or Facebook page and there seems to be no shortage of arguments, sometimes quite nasty. I don't think it's exactly the holy, contrite and pious image we like to attribute to ourselves. 

We can, and we must do better. That doesn't mean we have to agree of everything, we can discuss, debate and disagree. But let's try and do so while remembering that we are a brothers and sisters in Christ. We share and agree on so much more than we disagree. And if we could just focus primarily on what unites us, rather than divides us, we could do and be so much more...but that's not me telling you anything you don't already know, the tricky bit is putting it into practice.

That bit, I can't really help you with. It takes personal reflection, introspection, maturity and empathy. Not the easiest qualities, but we must practice and get better at those things. 

We can be a stronger whole, if we work together, and learn from each other. A quick example; my own denomination, the Salvation Army, is traditionally not great at discipleship, that's a huge and not overly fair oversimplification. Individual churches and groups do better or worse than others of course. But in general it's not something that necessarily comes easy for us...social work, organisation, practical stuff like that is part of our DNA...as with all denominations, and individual churches, we have our strengths and weaknesses. Through cooperation and understanding we have much that we can teach, and even more that we can learn from others. Not a single Church or denomination has all the answers. But by working together, we can all share and build on our strengths as well as get better at the areas we're weaker at.

It's not exactly rocket science. I'm not trying to fire up some deep theological truth here... we're stronger when we work together. It's that easy...and that difficult.

But linking this whole post together and maybe at the risk of repeating myself a bit, it takes a new perspective, to embrace each other, to find and celebrate our common ground, without watering ourselves down. It takes empathy, and introspection and compassion to really embrace a new perspective and make the dream work, through teamwork.

I would love to hear your feedback and comments on this blog, and of course feel free to sign up with your email address to avoid missing new posts (if viewing on a mobile device you may need to click on 'view web version')

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Disclaimer: the opinions and comments expressed in this blog are personal and do not necessarily represent the views and policies of the Salvation Army