When I told my adult daughter we were working on an article about creating a Theology of Technology, she replied, “Well, that should be easy! There’s no technology in the Bible!”
I know what she was thinking. Christian scripture has no mention of computers, cell phones or streaming devices.
Yet, if we think of technology simply as humans using tools to shape our world, scripture is full of technology. Think of the earliest tools used for tilling, enslaved Hebrews making bricks in Egypt, artisans creating the Tabernacle and stonemasons the Temple, and of course, the writing that captured all the histories, accounts and letters that comprise our Bible.
When long-awaited, in person communion was not possible, papyrus, stylus, ink and ships helped us connect over long distances–and centuries: “Although I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink; instead I hope to come to you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete” (Second John 12).
Since the nineteenth century, technology has advanced at breakneck speed. Humans adapt as quickly as we can, incorporating new applications until they seem to have always been with us.
Livestreaming During and After COVID-19
In the pandemic, congregations that had never engaged with video equipment or the internet had to pivot quickly, learning on the fly how to use Facebook Live on an iPhone or set up cameras in the sanctuary—not to mention helping at-home worshippers connect to the livestream. When in-person communion was not possible, internet streaming helped us connect over short and long distances.
When we began worshipping in person again, many congregations kept the livestream option, further learning how to utilize that medium. What many didn’t expect was the number of folks whom we had reached through the livestream and who wanted to keep it going: former members who had moved away, family and friends of congregants, people living with mobility issues or chronic illness and their caregivers, members away for short term crisis or travel as well as those who happened upon our page and chose to stay connected.
Some people fretted that formerly active members were staying home to watch online when they could come in person. But the neighbors near and far, blessed by the opportunity to worship from wherever and however they happened to be, deserved to be intentionally considered.
Perhaps this is a case in point of John Dyer’s observation in From the Garden to the City: The Redeeming and Corruptive Power of Technology: “God seems to always be at the forefront of technological usage. There is no wait and see policy–instead God is always working through the tools of the day as God accomplishes God’s redemptive program.”
Good Samaritans Online
Believing this is the case, what are the next steps in loving our online neighbors? How are we enabling them not just to “watch” but to participate and engage in worship? Is one camera rolling while everything else stays the same, participating actively with “God’s redemptive program” and our call to love God and our neighbor as ourselves?
We find guidance for our use of all forms of technology in Jesus’ response to a lawyer who asked him, “Who is my neighbor?” In the story of the Good Samaritan, two people came upon a man who had been robbed, beaten, and left in a ditch. Having come upon the man “by chance,” something they had not anticipated, they passed him by and went on their way.
A third person—a Samaritan—also came upon the wounded man “by chance,” but was intentional in his response. With compassion, he went to the man, bandaged his wounds, put him on his donkey, took him to a place of shelter, cared for him overnight, and even made arrangements with the innkeeper the following morning to provide for the man’s needs while he was away.
Loving our neighbors is not something we do “by chance.” It involves intentionality.
A long-established city church livestreams its services every Sunday. An elderly couple who had moved to their area from out of state began joining their services online. This couple had been very involved in their former church, from teaching Sunday school to singing in the choir, etc.
But the combination of age and unfamiliarity with their new city made them uncomfortable with driving to church. Their participation in the new church had been limited to online worship, which they enjoyed very much. They had even filled out a visitor form online, but had not heard from anyone at the church.
Everything was fine until one of them had a health crisis. Suddenly, they realized that they needed a pastoral presence. Their daughter-in-law contacted the church to let them know about the couple’s situation and one of the ministers quickly reached out to support them.
Up until that point of contact, the church was inadvertently acting “by chance,” not with intentionality toward their online neighbors. This is not uncommon.
Many of us, with the best of intentions, can accidentally pass by a neighbor in need, especially an online neighbor we do not see in person. Addressing this kind of gap requires loving intentionality. It requires our congregations to intentionally notice and care for our digital neighbors, much like the Samaritan did for the wounded man in the ditch.
What Now?
So what does this look like? Here are some practical options for intentionally connecting with and loving our neighbors through the particular technology of streaming.
- A first step is to acknowledge and welcome online worshippers. If your congregation greets one another as part of the service, you might invite online worshippers to say hello in the chat or comment section.
- Create connections with people worshipping online, especially those we may not have ever met in person. One possibility is to have deacons interact with online worshippers during or after the service. On YouTube, a chat feature can be enabled to allow you to engage with people during the service. This might include asking people to sign a “friendship register” or inviting them to share prayer requests. Such conversations require real-time moderation by a trained church member to prevent inappropriate comments from being posted in the chat by individuals acting in bad faith.
- Ensure closed captioning is available for online worshippers. Display scripture passages and song lyrics in real time. Have online access to the bulletin and any promotional announcements for the day.
- Be mindful of and ready to assist with people’s ability to access livestreaming and issues around internet availability and connectivity.
- When possible, ensure that your local online worshippers also receive face-to-face visits. You might also offer online visits with a pastor, deacon or designated laity team for worshippers who live farther away.
- Consider providing small group connections like Bible studies, prayer groups, book clubs or dinner gatherings online.
- Find ways for online worshippers to participate in hands-on mission ministries. Those farther away may choose to serve in their community and share that online. Or they may want to contribute to the church’s local ministry financially or have something delivered to the church.
- In the weeks before communion or a special service like Ash Wednesday, invite online worshippers to sign up to have the church send or deliver worship elements, like communion cups and bread or ashes.
- If your church uses a special devotional for Lent or Advent, offer to mail those to online worshippers or create an electronic format.
- Remember that the people who worship with you online have the same spiritual needs as those who meet in person. For example, consider how to serve an online worshiper seeking baptism.
- Just as we value the safety of those in our building, we want to ensure the safety of those we engage with through streaming. What safety issues need to be addressed in your context?
Like any tool, technology can be used to draw us into deeper communion over distance or to further our isolation.
When we engage with streaming technology “by chance,” the likelihood is that we will welcome fewer people into deeper communion with God and one another. We may even add to a sense of alienation. Yet with intention and care, the use of technology can lead to deeper connection and inclusion for those willing and able to engage.
Our inability or refusal to use technology to bless won’t keep technology from advancing and shaping our world. It will, however, create an ever-widening gap between churches and this world God so loves.
According to Heidi A. Campbell and Stephen Gardner, just as Jesus “used the images of his time, we need to use the images of our time. When we create digitally, we are creating out of what God has given us.”
Together, we are called to use technology wisely to create connections that draw us closer to God and to one another–intentionally.
This article was written as part of The Compelling Preaching Initiative of Baptist Women in Ministry of North Carolina, funded by the Lilly Endowment. Contributors include Jonathan Boggs, Ka’thy Gore Chappell, LaTonya McIver Penny, Alicia Davis Portherfield, and Virginia Ross Taylor.
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Baptist Women in Ministry of North Carolina nurtures women in all areas of ministry, lay and ordained, through connection and empowerment. It also fosters dialogue among North Carolina Baptists to increase understanding of women’s vital role in serving the Gospel. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
