Warrigal
SF VIP
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
During 2 years of Covid my little church was mostly closed for public services. All church activities including the playgroup for preschoolers, the knitting group, Sunday School, prayer and discussion groups, and Sunday Services.
I feared that we might end up losing our rather small congregation but the members went to extraordinary lengths to keep our mostly elderly congregation in touch and engaged. We went online, tentatively at first but as our efforts were appreciated we felt confident to keep going, getting better as we went.
The playgroup leaders (2 women) organised craft packs for the children on a monthly basis and delivered them to the homes to co-incide with a remote presentation - story and craft demonstration - that was available on U tube. The children, mother and the grandmothers were very appreciative and we are once again open in the flesh so to speak and everyone is delighted to be back together again.
Our minister, and a few amateur techies, worked together to keep things rolling for the adults. We had already experimented with Zoom bible discussion groups and branched out into filmed Sunday services where the only person being filmed was our minister. He experimented with remote communion, encouraging the viewers to provide for themselves some bread and fruit juice for the eucharist. I should mention that my denomination is an unorthodox one, having evolved from the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregationalist churches that were planted in Australia early on in our history of settlement. The Uniting Church in Australia, as it is so named, is uniquely Australian but could be compared with the United Church of Canada.
But I have been digressing. Using online techniques we discovered that there are a lot of people who value the unorthodox, experimental form of church that we are familiar with and instead of shrinking, our little community has doubled in size.
On Thursday of this week I tuned in for the Reflection on the events leading up to the execution of Jesus. It was nothing spectacular but it may be something new for people who are only familiar with 20th century styles of worship
Usually for Holy Thursday we host a Tenebrae service sitting at a long table in a church that is illuminated just by candles. Food is available on the table and guests are encouraged to eat and chat until the service, also known as a Service of Shadows, begins. It is nothing more than a series of readings about events of the last meal, the time in the garden, the arrest, scourging and sentencing of Jesus and so on until his death. After each reading there is a time of silent contemplation and one of the candles is extinguished. Finally, after the last reading the room is in darkness and people stay for as long as they want in meditation. Then one by one, we leave for home without the usual conversation.
Hard to film such a service without elaborate equipment, which we cannot afford, so this year was a bit different. It's not very long and can be accessed here - Thursday Meditation on Jesus Last Day - YouTube
For Good Friday the church was open but the online version was still available. The filmed section is not the whole service but is available to view as it occurs or viewed later when convenient.
I did the latter but I've had trouble with the sound. I don't know whether it is my computer or a technical glitch during filming. We are still learning and hopefully improving.
This service is also very reflective in a very simple way. Our minister is not usually this solemn but on this occasion upbeat doesn't seem appropriate. He challenges the congregation, in church or at home, or in my case in hospital, with several paradoxes without providing any answers.
If anyone is interested watching I would be interested in your reactions/responses. I will share them with the team. Don't worry, you won't end up on any mailing list.
April 15: Good Friday - YouTube
I feared that we might end up losing our rather small congregation but the members went to extraordinary lengths to keep our mostly elderly congregation in touch and engaged. We went online, tentatively at first but as our efforts were appreciated we felt confident to keep going, getting better as we went.
The playgroup leaders (2 women) organised craft packs for the children on a monthly basis and delivered them to the homes to co-incide with a remote presentation - story and craft demonstration - that was available on U tube. The children, mother and the grandmothers were very appreciative and we are once again open in the flesh so to speak and everyone is delighted to be back together again.
Our minister, and a few amateur techies, worked together to keep things rolling for the adults. We had already experimented with Zoom bible discussion groups and branched out into filmed Sunday services where the only person being filmed was our minister. He experimented with remote communion, encouraging the viewers to provide for themselves some bread and fruit juice for the eucharist. I should mention that my denomination is an unorthodox one, having evolved from the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregationalist churches that were planted in Australia early on in our history of settlement. The Uniting Church in Australia, as it is so named, is uniquely Australian but could be compared with the United Church of Canada.
But I have been digressing. Using online techniques we discovered that there are a lot of people who value the unorthodox, experimental form of church that we are familiar with and instead of shrinking, our little community has doubled in size.
On Thursday of this week I tuned in for the Reflection on the events leading up to the execution of Jesus. It was nothing spectacular but it may be something new for people who are only familiar with 20th century styles of worship
Usually for Holy Thursday we host a Tenebrae service sitting at a long table in a church that is illuminated just by candles. Food is available on the table and guests are encouraged to eat and chat until the service, also known as a Service of Shadows, begins. It is nothing more than a series of readings about events of the last meal, the time in the garden, the arrest, scourging and sentencing of Jesus and so on until his death. After each reading there is a time of silent contemplation and one of the candles is extinguished. Finally, after the last reading the room is in darkness and people stay for as long as they want in meditation. Then one by one, we leave for home without the usual conversation.
Hard to film such a service without elaborate equipment, which we cannot afford, so this year was a bit different. It's not very long and can be accessed here - Thursday Meditation on Jesus Last Day - YouTube
For Good Friday the church was open but the online version was still available. The filmed section is not the whole service but is available to view as it occurs or viewed later when convenient.
I did the latter but I've had trouble with the sound. I don't know whether it is my computer or a technical glitch during filming. We are still learning and hopefully improving.
This service is also very reflective in a very simple way. Our minister is not usually this solemn but on this occasion upbeat doesn't seem appropriate. He challenges the congregation, in church or at home, or in my case in hospital, with several paradoxes without providing any answers.
If anyone is interested watching I would be interested in your reactions/responses. I will share them with the team. Don't worry, you won't end up on any mailing list.
April 15: Good Friday - YouTube
