• The Beatitudes of Livestreaming

    Blessed are they who livestream their church services
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs to share with others and they know it.

    Blessed are the sick and the dying in churches which livestream
    for they shall be comforted by still being able to be part of their congregations
    in addition to receiving the personal and pastoral care of their friends and clergy.

    Blessed are those who are meek enough to know that audio matters more than video
    for they will inherit the online audience.

    Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for life-changing worship both online and in-person
    for their love of God will be counted as righteousness.

    Blessed are the joyful
    for their joy online will light up the world.

    Blessed are the purposeful
    for they will make their livestreaming easy to find and they will ensure that
    no-one needs to download a hymnsheet, a liturgy book and a pdf version of the notices.

    Blessed are the livestream makers
    for they are counted amongst the evangelists of today.

    Blessed are the congregations who rejoice in the technical and digital skills of those who are often overlooked
    for they shall reap a harvest of plenty.

    Blessed are those who know that their worship would be better not livestreamed yet
    for they know that they need to concentrate on renewing their in-person worship first.

    Blessed are you when people make snarky comments about your livestream
    for they are telling you they want it to be better for the honour and the glory of the Lord our God.

15 responses to “Crunch time for the Church of England”

  1. Emlyn Williams Avatar
    Emlyn Williams

    Dear Rosemary et al,

    What is happening in our world-wide church is about sex and the expression thereof. For far too many, anything other than a man and woman together in missionary position is an abomination that cannot be tolerated. Anything else is seen as against the norm and so not worthy of affection by the Almighty. Now who are we to know the Almighty’s mind? I am not prepared to put myself in that category; I’ll let Him do any judging that is required of His creatures. He made us as we are; I’ll let Him do the balancing.

    On the subject of Lay-Presidency, if we are Anglicans, we have some concept of order within the Church. I have tried without joy to put myself forward for consideration for selection, having had a number of clergy recommend me. Until such time as HMC (Holy Mother Church) sees fit to put me along that path, the last thing I would want is to suspend the Church’s historic view on discernment and ordination. [The reader in my congregation said awhile ago that she thought I was even more of a “priest” than she herself. If somehow we were removed from any normality and there was no priest at all, perhaps then in that extremis, I would consider presiding but only with the support of all those in that situation and on the understanding of all that any celebration was deficient of ultimate authority.] If we are to be Anglicans, then authority (power) has a source and that is the Church itself.

  2. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
    Rosemary Hannah

    You miss my point Ross. I don’t want to be anything … other than the author I am.

    But to say somebody cannot be something just because she is a woman, demeans all women. Plenty of Rectors are male.

  3. Rosie Bates Avatar
    Rosie Bates

    The Church of England has been prevented from carrying toxic baggage by those who represent Wisdom. It is beyond argument that Wisdom was manifest in opposing sexual identity terms as the decision was arrived at faithfully by many thoughtful and well informed souls. We have continued reason to call ourselves a people Holy to the Lord as we have respected our eternal DNA. Thia cannot be removed from our mouths or shoved in an amendment or a cupboard forever and I am laughing and rejoicing at this thought. Alleluia!

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