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As a body in Christ, we are [inter]connected

Church of the Holy Spirit, Verona's Sunday morning "Virch." MONICA VINCENT PHOTO
By: 
Renee Charney
Church of the Holy Spirit, Verona's Sunday morning "Virch." MONICA VINCENT PHOTO

Last Sunday as we sipped our morning coffee, my husband asked me if I was going to attend “Virch.” Anyone who knows my husband knows his love for language and, especially, humor. So, it wasn’t surprising to me that, even before the caffeine had time to kick in, he was able to offer up a tongue-in-cheek portmanteau that described our new normal for worshipping.

Virtual church: Virch.

Who would have thought that, as quickly as our clocks changed just a few short weeks ago, our worship lives would shift so dramatically—and even more quickly?

And, yet, have our worship lives really changed?

One might respond with a resounding YES and point out that we can no longer physically gather in our sanctuaries. That our passing of the Peace has been limited to nods, smiles, and waves. That, as we come to the table to share in the Eucharist, we’re caught in the frequencies of bandwidth and airwaves while we reach virtually for bread and wine.

And yet, little, if anything, has really changed.

At Church of the Holy Spirit in Verona we have been coming together to worship over the last three Sundays using Zoom, a technology that allows a group to gather through video and audio from our phones or laptops. Our first week, though at times a bit clunky, was a success; our 8 AM service, for example, which typically sees light attendance, had quite a few more than usual join in. Our 10 AM was also well-attended. Our second week of Virch ran more fluidly (we assigned a dedicated “tech” person to manage the screen transitions, allowing the rest of us to follow along with the text while still focusing on our priest). We sang and prayed together. At our 10 AM service, we unmuted Zoom so that, during Prayers of the People, everyone’s voices could be heard as they offered our prayers and concerns. When it came time for the Eucharist, we collectively “approached” the table to receive. Our worship and prayer were lifted in community of voice and movement, even as we met through technology.

Coffee-hour was shared virtually, as well!

We, Episcopalians, hold dear the when and the where we spend together; the physicalities of how we worship are quite evident. Now, during this time of adjusting to the Covid-19 outbreak, we have elegantly found a new way of coming together, of keeping our congregant body nourished, whole, and [inter]connected by gathering by virtual means, and by continuing to hold each other up in prayer and thanksgiving.

We will get through this; I have no doubt. Will the coronavirus force us to change how we live and work? I hope so! There is real opportunity for us to consider new ways in how we gather and worship, in how we meet and serve each other “where we are”, and how we can deepen our [inter]connectedness as a body in Christ. I look forward to what might emerge through this experience.

For now, I’ll see you at Virch!