Many of us from the Pacific Mountain Region were transformed during our trip to Inhabit last year.
There we heard so many stories about 'coming alongside what God is doing in the neighbourhood'.
This article picks up similar calls to incarnation, to being rooted in place, and not merely re-creating Church an merely another attractional, or consumer choice.
This is important to recall when it comes to who we live into our present situation as a church in physical isolation. For, as the article notes, what we do now will shape our future as the post-pandemic Church.
If we now move to create virtual church, if we merely produce more polished product, more disembodied 'virtual' communities-of-consumption, do we risk missing the point of being the blessed, counter-cultural and incarnational (and, I would add, this Holy Week 'cruciform') community of Christ?
This writer warns us about leaning too heavily on our newly found technologies - lest we create patterns where we become 'passive consumers' of product and program instead of seeking God's reign by incarnating more deeply into each other's lives and the life of the world.
I spoke yesterday to a clergy friend, who told me that when their former congregation decided to livestream, they talked about doing a media-blackout for those who lived anywhere within driving distance. "Only those who absolutely can't attend should watch from home", was their posture.
I'm not sure we need to be so hard line as all that, not even when this is all 'over' (I'm not sure things will ever be the same - but that's another article!). But I do think we need this challenge - and we need it now - to sharpen our ways of being Church. We need to be conscious of we prayerfully adapt to the current situation.
Even as we use technology to keep us connected, and even to offer word, sacrament and pastoral care - what we will put in place now to challenge the potential for disembodiment and consumerism? How are we setting a foundation to be a distributed, connective, collaborative and high-participation Church?
What a beautiful challenge for us to discern at this time of crisis.
May we deepen our connections as we move into the Story of this Holy Week together.
- Rob
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(The Rev.) Rob Crosby-Shearer
LeaderShift Church Planting Project Regional Minister
The Emmaus Community and the Abbey Church
www.emmauscommunity.ca / www.abbeychurch.ca
text / confidential voicemail 778 977 7562
