interesting article…
Posted by: erin on: October 9, 2008
- In: intersting | web links
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So, I was browsing the national Episcopal website and I found this very interesting article. “Worshiping online: Is it really church?” After reading the article I was very surprised to learn about the Second Life cathedral with 400 to 500 members, with the oppurtunity to worship online, attend Bible studies, and discussion groups. On one hand I thought it was a wonderful idea, reaching out to people who might not attend church otherwise; yet at the same time, is the internet really taking over our lives that much that we need to offer the oppurtunity to worship online? As I type that I think of the Facebook profile I recently created in order to stay in touch with the youth on a daily basis. We have a wonderful community, something that you can not recreate online, yet our ability to make that community stronger through the internet is a blessing.
So, my question to you is this- where do we draw the line? Is there even a line to draw? Maybe, maybe not. I believe that the only line we can draw on this issue has to be personal. We are unable to define this for every person. The largest drawback I see to this is the fact that people attending these online services do not have the ability to partake in the sacraments. How much does that take away from the experiene these ‘avatars’ are having compared to your experience on Sunday mornings?
Read the article, think about what it would be like to worship online, and share your thoughts.
I have to admit, I am very curious about the Second Life cathedral! I wonder how the worship services, Bible studies, and discussion groups work. Do people really feel like they have been to church?
Peace,
erin
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October 10, 2008 at 12:22 pm
hi erin!
I am the chair of the Leadership Team of the Anglican Cathedral in Second Life (SL). Thanks so much for writing a post on our SL ministry! I’d be happy to try and answer some of your questions, and any others that are posted
First off, let me say that our intention is not to replace Real Life (RL) church, but to supplement it for those of us who have a church home, and to provide an accessible introduction to the Christian life for those who do not. That said, there are some who, due to geographic, physical or other challenges are not able to attend church in RL, and having access to a faith community has been a real blessing to them. And yes, we do have a very strong community here on Epiphany Island, with all the joys and challenges that entails in RL
Yes, I really do feel like I have been to church after attending a worship service in SL. The SL experience is really hard to explain to someone who has not experienced it, but you do have a very real sense of “presence” there. The services we hold are mainly taken from the Daily Office, and typically include a sermon (in text chat, voice or both) and a time of open prayer. The bible study and discussion groups are held at the same time every week, and are mostly conducted in text chat. One of the most exciting things about these gatherings is the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. The person sitting next to me in worship, or a discussion group, might very well be thousands of miles away in RL, which provides a fabulous opportunity to share perspectives from a wide variety of people!
I’d love to show you around the Cathedral sometime! I do see that this blog is for a teen group, so I should mention that access to the main SL grid is restricted to those 18 years old and above (though there IS a Teen SL Grid – http://teen.secondlife.com/). So, stop by if you can, or let me know if you have any further questions!
Blessings,
Cady Enoch (SL name)