Staying Connected: Part Two

So…we’re 25 weeks into virtual worship and programming with Zoom as our primary platform. Here’s the first in a series of random thoughts about Zoom-a-zoom-zooming:

The Theological Crux of Password Protection

We seek to be a welcoming community. For in-person worship, or any activity, all persons are welcome, not only to be seated, but to partake in our table, and to be fully-vested participants. We wanted to model that hospitality virtually.

When we began Zoom worship we didn’t use a password or enact a waiting room. And we made our links visible on social media. Yes, we were aware that left us susceptible to trouble-makers. But honestly, we’re not that big, and we wanted to make things as easy as possible. We determined we wouldn’t enact security measure until we had to.

And yes, predictably, we were Zoom-bombed (a jarring experience for anyone!). Since then, we only share our meeting credentials in secure emails, and we ask everyone to identify themselves before granting access.

We grieve these actions, because while it has helped to increase internal participation, it has significantly decreased our ability to reach out to new neighbors. We hold out hope that new ideas will help make us more accessible and welcoming in this disruptive time.

Singing and Speaking in Unison

There is deep comfort in hearing kindred behind and in front of you, as you gather together to say and sing sacred words. Zoom is great, but it isn’t conducive to call and response.

We’ve persevered. Sometimes, we just delight in the chaos! Have you ever heard forty people try to sing Happy Birthday to you over Zoom? There’s something divine in such disorder!

But we’ve also adapted. Some weeks our accompanist plays the hymn, and we mute participants, and we watch each other mouth the words, knowing that somehow, someway God hears our collective voices in unison. Other weeks, choir members sing each verse in rounds; there’s something beautiful in getting to hear the unique pieces that we usually hear as a whole. Still other times, we prerecord music and hymns. It’s different, but the spirit is there. We pray that God will keep helping us find new ways to harmonize.

Worship as Pastoral Care

I suppose that some of the time I am profound, but worship is a whole lot more important than a sermon. For a church like ours, worship is a regular opportunity to tend to and be aware of the needs of our church family. It’s a chance to be present with people we don’t get to see throughout the week.

By using Zoom, we can see the faces of our church (at least the ones who want to be seen!). We can use the chat window to receive real-time prayers of intercession (both privately and publicly). We’ve even had a couple formalize their membership virtually. We’ve used breakout rooms to allow small groups to pass the Peace of Christ in a more intimate way, and to have small fellowship groups at the conclusion of worship. We’re also able to speak words of benediction to a Zoom grid full of love.

No, it’s not the same as being with one another in person, but it sure beats the alternative of doing nothing at all. And yes, it is far from perfect. While the great majority of our congregation has been able to adapt to new technology, there are still a few for whom this platform is prohibitive. We are continuing to explore ways to reach our most isolated community members. But we believe in a God who helps us discover ever-evolving methods of connection.

Stay tuned for more thoughts!