In the last few months, many people online have been posting their videos of the Beyoncé concert. I’m not a Beyoncé superfan, so I haven’t seen her perform on tour, but I’ve been impressed by her show, specifically her use of technology to enhance concert goers’ experience. It’s amazing. Google it for yourself so you can get an idea of what I’m talking about. When I reflect on some of the best concerts I’ve attended, they, too, have incorporated and made the best use of technology. This made me wonder. If many of us recognize how technology enhances our experience, why are so many of us resistant to incorporate it when it comes to church?
I recently preached at St. Paul UMC in Oxon Hill, and one of the things that impressed me about the service was their creative use of technology. Their pastor, the Rev. Daryl Williams, was on vacation so when it was time for the church announcements and introduction of the preacher, the worship leader directed our attention to the screen. Two members creatively delivered the announcements and then in a pre-recorded video, Rev. Williams greeted me and introduced me to the congregation. I loved it. His personal touch was still present although he was not. I also like their use of technology during the order of service because it streamlined the service. We’ve all been in those churches in which the announcements seem eternal because the person making them couldn’t wait for their time on the mic. The use of technology was a great way to control the flow of the service and make sure that the announcements, or other parts of the service, didn’t drag. This wasn’t the first time that I’ve seen pre-recorded announcements. I spent 15 years serving in a megachurch, but I appreciated the pastor’s personal touch added to the recordings. They found a way to enhance their worship service by making creative use of technology. One thing that Covid did for us is it forced us to get creative and make use of the technology available to us. We started online children’s ministries, Bible studies, and worship services. We found a way to creatively incorporate technology so that we wouldn’t lose touch with our members. We enhanced our accessibility for sick-and-shut-in members. However, now that we’ve resumed gathering together in person, many of our churches are slipping back into what we did pre-Covid. In many cases, what we were doing wasn’t working. A worship service is not a concert. It isn’t a show. It’s a time for us to collectively acknowledge and worship the great “I am.” But we can learn some lessons from secular gatherings and creative pastors when it comes to making good use of technology. The Lead Pastor website talks about the benefits of technology in worship.
What are your thoughts? Do you feel the pull to go back to church as usual? How has the pandemic made you revamp your service?