Virtual church
 

So, it seems that approx. 92% of American Christians polled are going to have virtual church this weekend.

Got thinking of the word VIRTUAL.

(almost or nearly as described, but not completely or according to strict definition.)

In the computer world it is this.

not physically existing as such but made by software to appear to do so. See also virtual reality.
"a virtual computer"
carried out, accessed, or stored by means of a computer, especially over a network.
"a virtual library"

So we have seen church now be transformed to a concept of "Almost Real", "Not physically existing but being made to appear to do so Church". "Carried out by computer".

I am really having trouble seeing the concept of "Almost but not really Church".

Not for sure that was quite the meaning that Paul was writing in Hebrews 10 when he said... "Not forsaking the assembling..."

So what is next?

Virtual communion?

Or Virtual Altar calls?

Virtual laying on of hands for the sick? (Sounds a lot like the televangelist pitch... "Lay your hands upon your TV")

This makes me laugh when I think of how a major oneness organization used to cast men out of their fellowship for being on visual media (What was the guys name in Dallas years ago? It will come to me in a second... MARK HAMBY) and now have totally embraced it. They are all televangelists now!!!

How does virtual baptisms sound to you? (You almost got wet.... )

Do you instruct a person, in a virtual baptism, to get in their tub, put the phone or the laptop next to them on the sink, and submerse themselves in the name of Jesus? Is that how we do it now in the virtual world?

This current attack against the church is going to succeed where many have failed in the past. Many are going to get tricked by the "Virtual" mentality.

I absolutely abhor facebook although many of my friends and colleagues in the ministry have embraced it. It has grieved me on so many fronts including the control issue and the virtual reality issue. I am watching so many as they run blindly into the "Virtual" world.

Yes, I have heard the reasons that so many are going to the "Virtual " model of church. This fake pandemic has driven even more down the pathway. Yet I just can't buy into it.

Had a family member come to me last year and informed me how many more people would be able to be reached if we would just do facebook. Just couldn't hear from the Spirit to do it. Had to tell them, "No, not on my watch".

I guess I am to old and have seen the real too many times to be suckered into something virtual. Just can't get it.

Ponderings early in the morning.

Re: Virtual church
 

Virtual footwashing? How does that work? I put my foot up to the camera on my computer and you virtually wash it?

Praying for the sick...

Lay hands on the sick "Virtually" and they shall recover.... "Virtually?"

Re: Virtual church
 

Very true on so many levels.

Re: Virtual church
 

No one is "forsaking the assembling" as defined "abandon, renounce, give up."

Had you been alive in 1917-1918, you would have found churches closed to congregations. Or likely died.

Re: Virtual church
 

This ain’t 1917-1918...this so far has not proven to be any worse pandemic then the swine flu ( not saying it won’t or can’t just not yet ). They have shut Fresno county down in California until the 6th of May .. 2 people have died in that fairly large county... sounds like a lot of churches are forsaking and giving up.

Re: Virtual church
 

Had you been alive in 1318 you would have burned at the stake as a heretic. So your point is?

Besides, the Spanish Flu was a combination of things all attributed to a "flu": mass novel vaccinations of military personnel, introduction of electrification and radio frequency radiation, a swine flu outbreak with unhygienic disposal methods (open burning of pigs by the thousands), and the introduction of aspirin with doctors prescribing MASSIVE megadoses resulting in both aspirin poisoning and what we now call Reye's Syndrome. All lumped together and called "Spanish Flu". Kind of like how various pneumonias, cardiac problems, other co-morbitities, 5G and 60GHz radiation, various seasonal flus and colds, etc are all being lumped together and called "COVID-19". Even to the point doctors are being told to forge death certificates, and the CDC changed their medical coding guidelines to allow practically anything to be classed as SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), fueled by the fact hospitals have lost almost all their income due to the quarantines and lock downs EXCEPT for big mega bux for coronavirus diagnoses and treatments.

And that's not counting the people dying by iatrogenics due to intubated ventilator use which is largely unnecessary - but brings in the big $$.

Re: Virtual church
 

We had virtual communion tonight. I have to say that even though I felt the Spirit of the Lord, I missed being with the church family.

Re: Virtual church
 

Anything to get the numbers as high as possible to raise hysteria.

Re: Virtual church
 

Here is the deal, even if the bldg. is closed, since we are the church, there is nothing stopping up from joining with family and friends and "having" church.
If anything, this is a wake up call to realize that church is not the building.

Re: Virtual church
 

:highfive