Zooming from your bubble
Words that may not have meant anything a few weeks ago, but how things have changed. Rev'd Dr Andrea McDougall, Allan Kirby, Jennifer Hopkins and Jonathan Wood report on new ways of connecting from individual "bubbles" to worship and pray together.
Andrea writes:
"Since late March our parish (Oamaru-Maheno) have had services online using the Zoom videoconferencing platform. The parishioners who attend really appreciate meeting up online, praying and reflecting on scripture together and connecting with each other. Over Holy Week we had morning and evening worship using Zoom each day; now we have 4 opportunities a week to connect for worship. We've held a range of services from the prayerbook, as well as a Taizé style service.
Using Zoom has worked well for us as it enables a wide range of people to take part - doing readings, leading prayers, or leading responses. People love joining together for worship with others from the parish (and beyond). We've also incorporated music, running a slide show so that lyrics appear on everyone's screens and people can sing along at home. I'm grateful to the musicians who've so kindly helped out by recording songs for us.
People appreciate the opportunity to have a brief chat before the service and a longer chat afterwards. Extra blessings include having some join us from further afield: parishioners who are in a bubble up in Cambridge; ex-parishioners living in Naseby; various friends from Queenstown or Dunedin. Several rural folk have said they're enjoying attending church services more regularly now as farm-work and/or distance normally made regular attendance difficult. A local rest-home has also joined us for two of our services.
It's taken a bit of effort helping those parishioners with less experience in using technology to use Zoom, but the effort was worth it. A few without computers/ smart phones have also phoned in. If you want to see what we get up to, you're welcome to join us - our service times are on our parish website. As vicar, I'm glad that we can gather on-line in Jesus' name, continuing to worship and meet as a community."
One of the parishioners in Oamaru-Maheno, Alan Kirby (retired people's Warden) writes:
"For a person that is lacking in technology skills, learning to use Zoom has opened up a whole new world for me. It filled what would have been a huge gap as we have been sharing in church services online, which I always look forward to, and it's great keeping in contact with the church family in this way during the time of the pandemic. Having learnt to use Zoom for the parish, I'm also enjoying using it to keep in contact with family around the world and will continue to use this in the future."
Another parishioner Jennifer Hopkinson reflects:
"Z may be the last letter in the alphabet, but is the first for connecting St Lukes parishioners. We log in ahead of time and have a few minutes to say hello to others and to hear how they are.
Currently, all our services take place through Zoom including our night prayer, and the Taize Services. When 'muted' for singing, we can warble away and no one except God can hear us. Although I am sure we feel we are all singing just like Kiri Te Kanawa.
Last week, Andrea started a Thursday Afternoon Chat on Zoom. A few of us logged in and talked about what we were dolng during Lockdown, from family matters, to our knitting and to chat about our crafts, The prayers for this time were especially thoughtful as we considered and reflected on our current world.
On a more, perhaps mundane note, it is pleasant to connect through Zoom from the warmth and comfort of our own homes.
I wonder if the use of Zoom may well alter how many parishioners will connect with their services? For instance, at our Sunday Morning Service, through Zoom, we now have the pleasure of greeting and jolning with residents from the Rest Home in Oamaru. Without Zoom, I would never have seen my fellow parishioners..."
Jonathan Wood is one of the "visitors" joining Oamaru-Maheno, and writes about his recent Zoom experiences:
"Connecting with God and with one another has had to happen in creative ways lately, and I have been appreciating how valuable it is to be able to do so. For the first two Sundays of lockdown I went "wandering" and ended up at Durham Street Methodist Church in Christchurch. Their cup of tea time happened in the middle of the service, so I got to meet some folk, and also appreciated the "breakout groups" where for around 7 minutes we shared thoughts on the Bible readings for the day in smaller groups before rejoining the service.
On Easter day I appreciated joining the St Martha's folk for their online service, and last Sunday participated in the St Luke's Oamaru service. Both were NZPB Eucharistic Liturgies with a prayer of spiritual communion, which I have come to appreciate as something as significant as receiving physical communion.
I enjoyed being able to sing hymns, and the cup of tea together after the service; the ability to interact as a group at this time is especially helpful. In fact, I arrived late for lunch (by Zoom) at All Saints Dunedin because of the cup of tea at Oamaru, but happily was able to travel rather quickly and safely from one to the other!
Again, I very much appreciated the opportunity at All Saints to be together as Christian family and hear how folk are doing. Mainly, however, I have participated (not entirely regularly) at Morning and Evening prayer via Zoom led by Bishop Steve and Katie Marcar, respectively.
One of the gifts this time has brought is the possibility of gathering as a community from all corners of the diocese. Zoom has also proved helpful for rest home visits, although there have been difficulties setting up this (or similar) technology in some instances. Two of my friends in a Dunedin rest home have disabilities that would make phone contact difficult, but being able to see as well as talk to each other has been a very positive experience. I am aware that other parishes are meeting in different ways, including home groups; links to opportunities to connect can be found at https://www.calledsouth.org.nz/on-line-worship/ "
