following up on the last post what i was really saying is we need more imagination!i thought it worth following up with a few further thoughts and links reflecting on what happens when church is online.
this is actually not a very new conversation though it is a new experience for many. i was absolutely delighted to see that tallskinnykiwi has re-emerged online. he is someone who has pioneered, experimented and blogged about this for maybe 25 years? anyway he has started a series on transcoding church. after an intro the first post is zoombombing in historical perspective. he points out that radio broadcasting was innovative and with enforced separation in WW2 broadcasting services became a big thing. fast forward to new digital media and it's less about broadcasting and much more participative (or at least that's the theory!). i love this thought he has
the greater amount of interaction from participants, the greater the loss of control from those hosting the event.
on the subject of control i have seen what i consider to be absurd conversations online about communion and people sharing bread and wine in their own homes and what the rules might be. of course you can! get on with it - i wonder sometimes what on earth the church thinks it is doing. how has it morphed into this system of control? i think jesus was quizzed by religious authorities about his own practice which threatened their system of control and they asked 'by what authority do you do these things?' to which he gave a genius answer. so if someone says to you 'by what authority do you do these things?' you're in a good tradition! i think i'll come back to some ideas on this in a later post but the table in your own home is a wonderful location for it.
someone else who has reflected and published on faith, religion and spirituality online is heidi campbell so it was great to see an article pop up summarising her findings about building religious community and doing church online. it's well worth a read.
pete phillips who runs codec has also posted an article the church (has gone) online which is really helpful and a good reminder again that this is not that new actually.
We've just experimented with using Zoom to do the Palm Sunday dramatic reading of the passion gospel as a script recorded from 12 different locations with individuals, families and children. Not only gave us a chance to catch up with each other but was also a great way to engage with the reading in a different way to normal.
Posted by: MARTIN POOLE | April 04, 2020 at 12:01 PM
Thank goodness some common sense.What on earth did people do in concentration camps with HC ? They got on with it We are no longer in control any more than Jesus was when he called My God why have you forsaken me . lets lament and through that to a God of hope
Posted by: Jean kerr | April 04, 2020 at 01:21 PM
Someone asked me years ago if poor people in the far East cd celebrate Communion with rice and rice water.
The question affords its own answer. How cd anyone think they cdnt?
The mindset which needs questioning is the one that produced the question in the first place! And wd it have been any different for rich people? God save us, oh mercifully save us.
Posted by: Douglas Holt | April 04, 2020 at 04:29 PM
Absolutely love an affirmation of faith that I believe you constructed. May I have permission to use for a pretaped Easter Vigil service? It would be on video as well as paper. Let me know. Thanks for your inspiration.
We believe in the God of Life
The world maker, the starlighter,
The sun shiner, the beauty maker;
Provoking evolution from nothing but words of love.
We believe in Life.
We believe in the risen Jesus,
The cross bearer, the tomb raider.
The hell-harrower, the death defier;
Embracing resurrection as the first-born from death.
We believe in life.
We believe in the Easter Spirit,
The life-giver, the breath bringer,
The body lover, the church birther,
Enabling communion with Jesus the Living One.
We believe in life.
We believe in the God of life,
World-maker, cross bearer, life-giver
Trinity of hope leading creation to its liberation.
We believe in God.
Posted by: Brenda NP | April 04, 2020 at 06:41 PM