Singing To Our Screens
“Thank you, Tech Teams!”
We find ourselves in a strange historical moment. We are at home doing church on the couch. More than ever we are ‘consuming’ church, rather than participating by virtue of our physical presence. Or so the skeptics will have us believe.
Yet oddly, and remarkably, I have sensed that the opposite may in fact be true.
I have noticed in myself that as I sit and ‘watch’ church on a Sunday, there is a stillness and calm at home that is allowing me to meditate upon each aspect of our gathering more than normal. Friends have hinted at the same.
The online chat and post-church Zooms do a good enough job at fostering community. None of this is a substitute for the real thing, of course.
But isn’t it interesting the way our hearts can be engaged in church in this new way? The gospel is endlessly compelling, and our hearts yearn for it, no matter what season we are in. Give me a dose of that gospel goodness and I’m going to pay attention.
That said, how weird is it singing to the screen? This is a moment when the work of singing is being called into action. We don’t have people around us to help us – we need to just start singing in our living rooms.
It’s like the dark nights when a mere whispered one sentence prayer is all we can muster. The important thing is not how perfect the prayer is, but that we pray.
God calls us to sing – many, many times. The Scriptures contain 400 references to singing, and 50 direct commands to sing. At its core, it’s an act of obedience more than it’s an act of enjoyment. (And yet it’s obedience that also happens to be enjoyable!)
And wonderfully, people are obeying and doing that work.
Further, it’s a moment when receiving the gift of song is also wonderfully at work. A gift that encourages our tired souls, and makes our joy even more joyful. A gift that is simply to be received with heartfelt thanks. That’s how it feels when you realise you’re 2 songs into the service and you’ve forgotten you’re singing to a screen.
This has all been enabled by incredible technology, and gifted, hard-working tech team members who have created solutions from nothing. We want to say a huge ‘thank you!’
Without you and your diligent, humble service, we simply wouldn’t have church right now. The only reason I can be encouraged by church on Sundays is because of a good online church production that is free of distraction. Sure, mistakes happen. But 95% of the time, things are great. And the joy of hearing clear audio and seeing good vision cannot be underestimated.
And of course, the great thing about excellent production is that you stop noticing it. You are able to focus on the content instead. Just like a great restaurant enables you to focus on the conversation and enjoy the ambiance, without worrying about that lopsided table or freezing air conditioning. Selfless and creative tech teams in churches everywhere are currently enabling people to hear God’s word and sing praises.
We know that production can be a thankless task – but may that end here. You are noticed, and you are deeply valued. Our sincere and heartfelt thanks for all you do!
Greg Cooper
Turramurra Music Church Training; Gatherings
Music Pastor at St Judes Anglican Church in Melbourne