What do you think of church on-line?

[joanne guarnieri]

Just watched this CNN video about the new wave of church on-line and wondered what you all think about it.

[Marv]

What's next? Discussing theology on line???!!!

[Ryan]

This is similar to the satellite churches thread a few months back.

As a new Catholic I've been learning more about the physical and spiritual efficacy of the sacraments. The Church has even written about this issue in a document called The Church and the Internet.

The Internet is relevant to many activities and programs of the Church— evangelization, including both re-evangelization and new evangelization and the traditional missionary work ad gentes, catechesis and other kinds of education, news and information, apologetics, governance and administration, and some forms of pastoral counseling and spiritual direction. Although the virtual reality of cyberspace cannot substitute for real interpersonal community, the incarnational reality of the sacraments and the liturgy, or the immediate and direct proclamation of the gospel, it can complement them, attract people to a fuller experience of the life of faith, and enrich the religious lives of users. It also provides the Church with a means for communicating with particular groups—young people and young adults, the elderly and home-bound, persons living in remote areas, the members of other religious bodies—who otherwise may be difficult to reach.

A tangible example of how virtual can complement physical is how the Catholic Church cares for those that cannot make it to Mass due to illness. A priest will bring the Blessed Sacrament directly to those in hospitals, or at home. People in this condition may watch Mass on television (or online). But these are exceptions to the normative practice.

As a Protestant, this question intrigued me as well. Especially for those Protestants where the sacraments are purely symbols (as it appears LifeChurch.tv counts themselves). For them, it seems, juice and crackers and a computer is a valid sacrament.

But I don't know enough about LifeChurch.tv's mission (other than their fantastic Bible app on the iPhone), to know if their end goal is really seeing a virtual church or in evangelization or re-evangelization with the end goal of seeing their congregants in local communities. If it's the former, then I might see great agreement in using the web to inform those questioning faith. Though, providing merely a caricature of the sacraments is still bothersome.

[Otsukafan]

I think there is no such thing.

[Marv]

I agree. "Church" online is no substitute for the time-honored drive-in church.

Otsukafan said:

I think there is no such thing.

[joanne guarnieri]

HAAAA! Sides are aching; what a crack-up :o)

Marv said:

What's next? Discussing theology on line???!!!

[Harry]

Just another TV show.

[joanne guarnieri]

I can't tell if you're smiling when you say that :o)

love4theword said:

tool of the devil.

[joanne guarnieri]

When I saw this vid on CNN this morning, my initial, unchecked, reaction was an inward groan. Talk about isolating!! Not even worship together? Really?

But Ryan's right, if there are people who can't get away from their bed, or their room, and there is no one who will bring together some believers to worship with them, then the on-line thing must actually offer them some solace, like water on a desert. I also thought about the vid's claim that this is a great way for people who wouldn't go to real church, "bring a church to them."

Now you all know my bent on this. That actually gave me a little bit of a shudder. It was a little bit too "Fahrenheit 459" for me. I think it would be way better for believers to gather round the bed-ridden, the sick, the incarcerated, and worship in real life together, encouraging each other, teaching and admonishing each other, praying for each other, all real-time. Same with people who are uncomfortable with the whole organized church thing. Don't need a church.

There's no reason why it has to be a church building with vestments and special furniture and so on. Every believer is a temple, and believers gathered together are the temple. Christ is the High Priest, and He needs no physical trappings to be wherever He is, to minister and to pray.

But if a vacuum is truly being left (shame on us, if that's true), then I wonder if the on-line thing is better than nothing??

[Marv]

Click on his avatar and you get a bigger view. I did. Not smiling. And there's a strange glow in his eyes...

joanne guarnieri said:

I can't tell if you're smiling when you say that :o)

love4theword said:

tool of the devil.

[Marv]

You're eight degrees too hot.

joanne guarnieri said:

When I saw this vid on CNN this morning, my initial, unchecked, reaction was an inward groan. Talk about isolating!! Not even worship together? Really?

But Ryan's right, if there are people who can't get away from their bed, or their room, and there is no one who will bring together some believers to worship with them, then the on-line thing must actually offer them some solace, like water on a desert. I also thought about the vid's claim that this is a great way for people who wouldn't go to real church, "bring a church to them."

Now you all know my bent on this. That actually gave me a little bit of a shudder. It was a little bit too "Fahrenheit 459" for me. I think it would be way better for believers to gather round the bed-ridden, the sick, the incarcerated, and worship in real life together, encouraging each other, teaching and admonishing each other, praying for each other, all real-time. Same with people who are uncomfortable with the whole organized church thing. Don't need a church.

There's no reason why it has to be a church building with vestments and special furniture and so on. Every believer is a temple, and believers gathered together are the temple. Christ is the High Priest, and He needs no physical trappings to be wherever He is, to minister and to pray.

But if a vacuum is truly being left (shame on us, if that's true), then I wonder if the on-line thing is better than nothing??

[Michael Ballai]

Back when I was really too sick to go to church, I would tune in to various services online. It's not really any different than what's been on television for years. It's OK and it has a way of keeping people connected with the church in general and their church in particular if they should offer it online.

The problem with it is that it really doesn't fully connect a person with the church. I want to talk to my pastor and other brothers and sisters. It's family. Can't do that on the web.

[joanne guarnieri]

*tee hee* oops. Thanks Marv

Marv said:

You're eight degrees too hot.

joanne guarnieri said:

When I saw this vid on CNN this morning, my initial, unchecked, reaction was an inward groan. Talk about isolating!! Not even worship together? Really?

But Ryan's right, if there are people who can't get away from their bed, or their room, and there is no one who will bring together some believers to worship with them, then the on-line thing must actually offer them some solace, like water on a desert. I also thought about the vid's claim that this is a great way for people who wouldn't go to real church, "bring a church to them."

Now you all know my bent on this. That actually gave me a little bit of a shudder. It was a little bit too "Fahrenheit 459" for me. I think it would be way better for believers to gather round the bed-ridden, the sick, the incarcerated, and worship in real life together, encouraging each other, teaching and admonishing each other, praying for each other, all real-time. Same with people who are uncomfortable with the whole organized church thing. Don't need a church.

There's no reason why it has to be a church building with vestments and special furniture and so on. Every believer is a temple, and believers gathered together are the temple. Christ is the High Priest, and He needs no physical trappings to be wherever He is, to minister and to pray.

But if a vacuum is truly being left (shame on us, if that's true), then I wonder if the on-line thing is better than nothing??