After Compline, the cathedral is hushed. Some kneel in shafts of light tinted by stained glass. Others leave quietly, a few stopping to light a candle on the way out.
In the courtyard, the mood is lighter. “Nice outfit. How did you get it?” “How did you get it? Shouldn’t the question be where?”
This is the Anglican Church in Second Life’s virtual cathedral, so the answer involves computer keys and Internet links. And those who’ve stopped to chat do so in the form of animated characters — many elaborately costumed — they’ve created to represent themselves on the computer screen.
I had a look at this last semester, it came up during a unit on Liturgy my wife was doing. It is a most artificial experience. (leaving aside the obvious question of how can you have a Cathedral without a Bishop.) The interactions left me feeling very uneasy, there is no way of knowing, who you are really talking to. I feel much more a part of ‘Songs of Praise” on TV, than the service in this ‘virtual’ world.
regards,
Jon R
The feeling can indeed be “artificial.” One needs to sort of look past the visual presentation and think about what’s happening, and that can help the feeling to become a bit more “realistic,” just realizing that something’s happening in a particular medium, and to understand that thing that’s happening. In a worship service, what’s happening is people coming together for corporate prayer and to hear a sermon – the people are together mostly just in the fact that they’re communicating with each other, exchanging words – the medium helps a sense of proximity.
The cathedral is currently being overseen by a bishop in NZ, the bishop who oversees Mark Brown.
People in SL are a lot more free to look around, talk, and explore spiritual issues than they are in “real life” because of the anonymity – you can ask someone what they think about faith, without anyone in your town knowing that you did so. You can talk about your problems in anonymity.
At some point, that anonymity is somewhat broken when people get to know each other further and create bonds of friendship.
One of the most powerful aspects of SL ministry is praying with people. It astonishes people. I suppose they feel more free to pray since they aren’t standing next to a physical person who in some ways can make them uncomfortable, and whom in “real life” people would want to feel very, very intimate with, before they can get past the odd feeling of the presence of that other person. In SL, the only other presence is that other person’s avatar (not terribly compelling or noteworthy), their words in prayer to God, and of course, God himself.
People come back and come back for prayer. People come to Christ, after meeting multiple times, building up trust, and lots of prayer together. The responsible thing to do then, of course, is to motivate them to find a good real life church. This is one of the challenges of building ministry in SL: it does have a good function in teaching and corporate worship, and offers possibilities of like-minded people coming together to do things, but it is no substitute for real life worship and community. So many who come, will later choose to leave, giving their time to real-life corporate service and worship. However, an important need has been met; and one more of God’s precious sheep has come to be part of a real-life congregation and ministry.
Two people I’ve been praying with have come to Christ in the last ten months or so. That’s not an astounding number, but then again evangelism isn’t the main thing I do in SL either.
The Cathedral has a very real need for Anglicans and Episcopalians with a knowledge of doctrine and a commitment to reformed catholic theology to take part. This is what informs the sermons, but a good portion of the leadership of the sim isn’t very theologically stable or informed of basic church teaching. Most Episcopalians who come also have no idea of what is going on in their church, and are quite shocked when they are informed of some things which don’t get into ENS.
There is a lot of ‘nasty’ stuff in SL, many broken people in SL, many people out for anonymous intimate encounters. If you are tempted by porn or sexy talk, you shouldn’t come to SL.
If though, you are up for a challenge (many things about SL ministry are very challenging indeed), and can take the time to learn the ropes, your could make a very important difference if you are knowledgeable of, and committed to, Biblical teaching. IM me if interested, I can help you out.
I personally believe that when our Lord referred to being in the midst of two or three person who have gathered in His name he was not talking about AOL, CBS, ABC, NBC, etc., etc.
For my take on my experience at the Anglican Cathedral in Second Life, check out my article here [url=http://slangcath.wordpress.com/2008/07/17/karin-rosner-reflects/]Karin Rosner Reflects[/url].
I wrote this quite a few months ago. I can honestly say that being part of a “virtual church” has helped me better appreciate the idea that we all are [b]church[/b], no matter wether we’re in a specific building, worshipping together… or not.
So it’s similar to the idea of the Communion of Saints, that if we all pray, we are praying together as the Church.
Or inviting the prayers of the Saints who have gone before.
Or listening to a CD of morning/Evening prayer.
Or watching the recitation of the rosary or Chaplet of Divine Mercy on TV.
I see nothing wrong with it, but feel that it shouldn’t be a substitute for ‘gathering yourselves together’ in an actual church or home setting for worship.
In His Peace
Jim E. <><
I have had this discussion with friends many times. Most of them believe meeting fellow Christians online is another form of the church. I VERY strongly disagree. Sure, meeting in chat rooms and the like to discuss theology is very edifying. However, the tradition of the Church is clear on this issue.
The Sunday assembly we call church is the total gathering of believers/saints of a local community in one spot to celebrate the Eucharist. As Paul says in 1 Cor 11:18 – 20, “For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. [b] [u] Therefore when you come together in one place, [/b] [/u] it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper.†Also in 1 Cor 14: 23, 26 Paul says, “ Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place……Whenever you come together……..†Actually, the word ‘church’ in these passages could be translated as ‘assembly.’ Also Paul’s phase of ‘whole church’ is the foundation of the term ‘catholic church.’ But, that’s a topic for another discussion. Believers would meet in various homes for the agape or fellowship meals; however, they would meet in ONE place for the Sunday Eucharist. Also, in the first century, many of the believers were still worshipping at the temple or in Jewish synagogues. It appears that central to the Sunday assembly of believers is the celebration of the Eucharist.
If people are meeting online as a ‘church,’ how can they celebrate the Eucharist? Is meeting online nothing more than a fellowship group?
Vincent
Vincent,
No sacraments are offered at the cathedral and none will be as long as I am a part of it.
“Church” in Second Life is indeed a different kind of experience than “church” in real life. It is no substitute. Nonetheless, it is very good for gathering believers together in Second Life for prayer and worship. Yes, you would certainly do better to compare it to a “fellowship group” that might do evening prayer together with a short reflection.
Real life churches frequently, for periods of time, offer impoverished fellowship due to disagreements, people not having time, etc.. SL churches can provide good places to meet people, develop bonds, discuss the Bible, and pray together in a way that, for example, is not possible in the Catholic church I usually attend here – and I don’t attend the Baptist church since I would have to sit through half an hour of home-made praise music.
The “real experience” in Second Life spirituality is praying together with people. For various reasons, this can be a powerful experience. I do think that the 2 or 3 passage here also applies to corporate prayer in Second Life, especially in small groups of 2-5 people. There is a strange intensity to it. Note the warning in #2 above though about going into Second Life in the first place. If you do go, please send me an IM via the standfirm site, you will need to get acquainted with people and to save some time learning stuff.
Just to point out something that maybe j.m.c. didn’t make explicitly clear, the Anglican Cathedral in SL is not just about being a clique for the “churched” but an evangelistic outreach to people who wouldn’t dare darken the doorway of their neighborhood church. I think that the leadership knows that bringing people into a relationship with Jesus through a local church community is really the goal of online churches.
It’s much easier to pay for electrons on a screen than for an empty building that still has a roof to keep from leaking, plumbing, paint…All the problems you have with dwindling congregations. The people who leave just make their own website and scatter their own electrons.
In the deepest and most catholic sense: no.