The heart of Meeting for Worship, though, is
worship. We may have
different ideas about what that means, but most would agree on coming
together in silence, waiting on the Spirit (or whatever we might call
it), and hearing the ministry that we hope will come from its
inspiration. It is not merely being together in a space and being
quiet. It is a silence not of the absence of noise, but of quieting
the self to be open to Light. We do it together because we have
generally found it more effective than doing it alone. It is an
active passivity, and a shared endeavour that usually involves no
visible effort.
Doing it together
may be essential to true and effective worship, but do we need to be
together to worship
together? I have heard some say that it is, expressing
dissatisfaction with meeting through any sort of telepresence. This
is my response.
Whatever you may
think the Spirit is, do you think it so limited that it has a range
measured in metres or yards? Whether we think it is a social
phenomenon, a psychic one, metaphysical in some way, mediated by the
power of a deity, or a physical phenomenon that we do not understand,
do you really believe that proximity is essential?
Perhaps you’ve
tried it and found it didn’t work for you. Think about the possible
reasons for that. It has worked for many, albeit usually with a sense
that it was not as good a meeting in person. Why does it not work for
you? Perhaps your expectations are too high. Perhaps you feel it
‘works’ only when you have the other parts of the experience you
are used to, the social interaction, the warmth of a community
physically surrounding you. Perhaps it is just strange and new.
When there’s a
good reason that some or all of us cannot meet together, try to
adjust your expectations. Try to challenge yourself, move beyond your
comfort zone. Open your mind
and put yourself into new experiences, setting your scepticism aside.
Times change.
Sometimes they change back, sometimes they don’t. Be open, and let
love in and out by whatever channels are available. Don’t
circumscribe the Divine with your own limitations.
Written March 2020
