After the Easter Sunday worship and well-wishes, along with prayers at certain points in the Order of Worship, a few reflections on the on-screen experience came to mind:
<>Briefly seeing and hearing church friends is very positive.
<>Perhaps (virtual) coffee hour, small group (book), or prayer would work to similar effect?
<>Music adds zest and ?intimacy (shyly vulnerable from feelings of Performance Anxiety), thereby inviting us to be players not spectators.
<>The kernel of the sermon, to know that God is there when times are uncertain, speaks loud and clear. It seems to be the Incarnation of what faith means, to go forward, even when uncomfortable or unsure.
The other subject is the presence of Christian-signifying words and images in the mostly secular Social Media.
This screenshot from the day after 2020 Easter shows the resurrection message: heavy stone rolled away from the tomb. The scene and story are familiar, but it seems out of place to see this on Facebook in the midst of the advertisEMENT, inane op/ed darts expressed by some postings, and the mix of business, non-profit, and personal photos and experiences. Following the old thought-provoker, "What Would Jesus Do" (wwjd), it is possible to see Jesus going to places where is people can be found. In the Internet Era, the place where many of his people can be found is online. So, yes, it should not feel incongruous or dissonant when a religious representation appears in the middle of the other things. It should not, yes, but nevertheless, it does stand out; if for no other reason than because of the historical and cultural clash of sandal-clad rabbi contrasting the shiny young stars that can be seen showcased on social media.
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