Worship Service Observations

 

Prerecorded videos had more control than livestreams

I’ve been watching on-line worship services this week for various reasons, paying attention to both the service and the preaching. I watched an old classmate preach at University UMC – ah, his preaching is superb. His delivery was engaging, his humor was delightful (even though I’m not sure the congregation comprehended all of his “funnies.”), and his theology was thoughtful. None of the other preachers I watched came close, and I’m sure I don’t either. I love good preaching.

However, with the notable exception of the guest preacher, the adults who spoke or sang or played an instrument during the service there had stone faces – or worse – most of the time. It’s not a good look.

At the end of the service, Massey’s former vocalist sang what appeared to be OPERA with the stone-faced string ensemble. In another language! I wanted to bang my head on the table.

I watched a livestream of our future district superintendent preaching. Interestingly, her sermon is the only thing that gets recorded at First Church in Graham, so I couldn’t watch the rest of the service. After watching University’s service, I could guess why the sermon is all they record.

Before I watched the future DS, I watched the pastor I mistakenly thought was the future DS preach. The camera at that church wandered around the mostly empty sanctuary, and during the sermon, the camera stayed focused both on the pastor and on the deadest-looking choir I have ever seen. This can’t be our future DS, I thought. Indeed.

I watched some other churches, too, just because I was in the mood for learning what  livestreams reveal. 

Mostly no one can be seen (although they can be heard) in the background of Massey's livestreams. Our sanctuary is so small that people must sit all the way to the front, so the livestream makes it appear the sanctuary is full (of older people, which it is). My observations this week reinforced my opinion that most sermons, including my own, should be no more than 15 minutes. After watching Massey’s livestreams for a while, I have determined that I need to smile a lot more when I sing, so I try to remember this.

In general, I think that livestreams are much more boring than actual worship services. The camera flattens and deflates the experience somehow. It concerns me because God forbid I should ever give the impression that worship of the living God is boring or less than joyful!