On the one hand it could be argued that the presently
available technology is a blessing as due to the medical emergency it would
seem (for a time) that churches are unable to congregate. If viewed strictly as
a temporary measure, I could see some benefit from it as a 'better than
nothing' but less than ideal (or adequate) alternative.
Live-streamed services/sermons are certainly a substandard
form of worship as it is not genuinely corporate and no sacraments can be
provided. Although in the long term I wouldn't be surprised if some
Evangelicals come up with a 'Lunchables'-type version of the Supper for people
to have at home. Such sacrilege is common enough in their circles. And no
surprise as their ecclesiology is neither high nor low.... but rather 'show', consumerist
and rooted in gimmickry. For many an absence of sacraments is no problem at all
as they are a little more than meaningless trifles, hollow and largely empty
little ceremonies that many a 'hip' pastor feels embarrassed in performing
anyway. I've certainly been witness to that.
Additionally I will grant there are genuine shut-ins and
invalids, people who physically cannot attend and so it's understandable that
they would want to 'watch' the meeting and be blessed by seeing the
congregation in worship, hearing the sermon etc. Of course in ancient times the
congregations would have brought them the Bread and Wine of the Supper after
the meeting, something most contemporary Evangelicals would deem as little more
than superstition.
What I am concerned about is the fact that for many worship
is indeed a performance and so watching the pastor and so-called worship team (Levite
would-be's) perform on screen in front of empty seats is perfectly
acceptable... just like watching a concert or some kind of musical show.
But this isn't proper worship (which includes communion and
fellowship) and we shouldn't view it as a performance. We are not the audience
but the participants in an act of devotion in which God Himself is the audience
so to speak. Facebook Church in that regard is just another expression of
Evangelical confusion regarding the Church. I am convinced that most in these
circles don't really understand what Church is and what it is we're doing on
Sunday morning. I have been gently pursuing and investigating this question for
years and I find most people have no clear idea or instead express something
they feel or have made up.
To be honest I'm not even entirely comfortable with such
things being recorded and I don't know about you but I always wince when I hear
prayer on audio... are we praying? Just what is happening as I listen to the
recording? It's kind of odd isn't it? I enjoy listening to recorded messages
when I can find a good one, but the idea of a 'video worship' meeting... rubs
me wrong.
But here's the real trend I don't like. I keep reading and
hearing about excited pastors that have noticed their online numbers are 3-4
times higher than their normal physically present congregations and so as a
consequence many seem to suggest that live-streaming should become the norm and
even after we're physically meeting again it will reach all those people out
there who will eagerly watch but won't attend.
And so for the sake of numbers and the potential 'influence'
and/or financial angle, the concept of Church risks being completely redefined,
expanded and watered down in order to accommodate people who are either
unregenerate or in defiant sin.... refusing to congregate as they ought. And
immediately I can think of many people in our congregation who only show up
casually, often very late and clearly struggle with being there on any kind of
consistent basis. They'll certainly love live-stream/Facebook church.
Of course the problem finds its solution in elders doing
their job. The answer isn't to create a membership bureaucracy along with made
up vows, ceremonies and the like... The God ordained rites of Baptism and the
Supper and a Biblically driven and obedient Eldership already take care of
these issues. If they're baptised they are obligated to be there. The elders
need to pursue it and make it very clear to people that Christ is either the
center of your life or you're deceiving yourself, you're in sin. Church is more
important than your job or your free time. If the elders do their job and if
the pulpit would faithfully preach the Word, these lackluster folks will either
become convicted and amend their behaviour or they will leave... in which case
keep pursuing them but ultimately let them go if need be. At that point the
Church needs to make it clear these are people have been shown to be
disobedient, they have been approached, challenged and exhorted in this regard
and have refused to repent and comply. They are to be treated as the world and
handed back over to it. We're not playing games here.
But instead, the gospel is watered down to accommodate those
who refuse to repent and follow Christ. Church is catered to their every
worldly whim and sin is tolerated. The sacraments are stripped of meaning and
are effectively replaced by various man-made rites, bureaucracies and other
emotionally based ritual experiences such as music performance. And money
drives it all because the machine being run requires a lot of it and so public
relations (PR) becomes a pretty major concern. You don't want to get a bad
reputation or be viewed as a church that's unloving because you hold people to
account. You need the people there and so in order to keep that machine
running, a series of endless compromises are made and the Church loses its
identity and purpose.
As a consequence people are so confused as to what we're even
doing or what we're about that suddenly Facebook church sounds like a real
winner, a real solution to problems... problems they've brought on themselves
and would solve not by rejecting error, but instead embracing it and accommodating
it. The American Church is clearly under judgment, a Jeremiah 5 scenario if
ever there was one.
Finally rather than accommodate Americans and their
proclivity to 'comfort' we need to start having real discussions about maybe
meeting up in smaller groups and perhaps outside if need be. Yes, people might
not be able to sit down. They might have to endure a little weather. The
international Church endures these things without question or complaint and yet
I wonder how many American Christians will happily skip church due to a little
inconvenience or discomfort? If this episode continues for months we will have
to find a way to meet. Facebook Church is not an acceptable answer or solution.
Again, the state in this case is not persecuting the Church,
at least not yet. This is not some anti-Christian measure but a question of
public health... even if it is perhaps a bit overblown and certainly
inconsistent in application. The pastors (such as our New Calvinist hireling) that
simply argue that state has told us to do this and therefore we do it... are
wrong.
But such sentiments are hardly a surprise as these
organisations have already compromised with the state in terms of their
finances, bureaucracy and for the sake of their institutions and buildings they
are already of a mindset in which they deal with government forms, reporting, building
and zoning codes and insurance agents who tell them where they have to put
handrails and the like. I consider this an outrage. This is already a perilous
form of compromise with the world and thus the groundwork is already laid for
capitulation to the state.
That said, there are those who are defiant toward the state
but on a Libertarian basis or for politicised reasons, both of which are sin...
reasons they would happily flip-flop on if it were the other party in power.
These are also leaders who are not to be trusted.
More than ever we need wisdom and discernment but instead
we're getting chaos, emotion and even amid crisis there are those who are still
angling for power. This has happened in God's time and wisdom and good may come
of it... or it may be used in providential terms as a form of judgment on this
wicked society and the wicked false Church that has wed itself to it.