Monday, June 11, 2012

Does it need to be Internet versus Traditional Church?

Is there such a thing as Traditional Church, probably not - but mention Internet Church and folk jump to defend their perception of church as it should be done, a more 'traditional' idea.
Some say quality of church is more meaningfull if we are present with each other physically, I think that physical is an observance only of the outward body. We can equally display our inward selves, emotions, scars, love, delight, faith etc on as offline.
In seeking out and reading this blog or any other online blog or article you are entertaining the discussion as real.

But what about eliminating physical presence, being able to touch or smell people around you? Does online community take away a vital element?
Would a priest not give communion to a dying person in issolation whom he could not touch? Would he not consider giving it remotely?
Touch and smell are just two of our senses which feed our reactions to what's around us. Removing them, you see this in blind or deaf folk, will often heighten use of other avaiable senses - as also loss of a limb will often heighten useof other limbs.

I certainly perceive online church to be as 'real' as offline, when assembling in online church I am assembling as much with my friends as when I move my body from my house to a church building. In some ways more so, because I can join in with all the conversation and fellowship, not just that heard by and spoken to those close around me. The feeling of being 'gathered' with people worldwide is awesome, in the same way as sharing a meal with someone the other side of the world via Skype. I will sit down in the UK to eat breakfast in front of my camera and microphone whilst my freinds in Japan eat supper. Our sharing is very real, I hear about their day and their news - they hear about my yesterday.

We may use the journey from home to church preparing ourselves spiritually and mentally for worship. In the case of going to church through your laptop, puter, tablet... praparation can equally so be done on the way home from work, walking in the park, sitting in the armchair, reading the bible, praying... Surely it is how we approach God, unseen but ever present, than the physical journey, though of course it can be equally important we have a hook on which to hang our preparation.  If people are not going to prepare themselves before worship, they can be equally unprepared however they decide to worship.
If we believe in an omni-present God, everywhere, he will surely be with us where we individually go online as when we gather in a church building.

Maybe we will be give less thought to our presentation, clothing, if we access church online. Pyjamas? Dress down days?The mindset of 'dressing up' for church has been crumbling for longer than the possibility of online worship. In some churches folk still dress in their Sunday Best - which I think is brilliant. Others find T'Shirt and Jeans equally acceptable. What is to stop though, people going online dressed up or down? There are times when I stay in all day, but dress in  collar and tie, honouring some special memory; likewise I may dress up to worship and recieve communion - or not...
But surely it is how I present my heart to God, not how I dress the Lion as a Lamb, or the Lion as a Lion...

Do we need to be physically present with other people to worship with others? Morning Worship and Songs of Praise have been a great place of worship for decades on the BBC.
Is peer pressure of those physically with us really important? Is it not peer pressure that gets us into trouble in the first place, acting as we perceive others think we should act, presenting ourselves to look perfect, rather than the grubby urchins we are, cleansed only in Gods grace.

In an online community you can hide your persona, many people try. But you can only do it for so long, after a while people see the more honest and grubby you.
Exactly the same can be said for an offline community.
But in either place, it is impossible to hide from God, he sees through our disguises.

For me online church holds equal importance as offline, to me they are BOTH important.
I so look forward to being able to share Communion with an online community as much as I look forward to meals with my friends in Japan, or Communion with fellow believers in my or any other church I may physically be in.

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I have been involved with two online churches over the years, as well as going to local bricks and mortar based churches at the same time.