In Theory: Can religious ceremonies work online?
The Church of Scotland will be looking into the possibility of conducting baptisms, Communion and other Christian sacraments online.
A committee of the church, which has seen attendance drop by nearly a third in an 11-year period, is pushing for “a wide-ranging review of practice and procedure which is impacted by the use of new technology in church life.”
David Robertson, moderator of the Free Church of Scotland, called the church’s possible move a “cheap gimmick” that could be seen as a “desperate attempt” to grow its congregation.
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Q: What do you think about online religious ceremonies? Can these traditionally physical activities of the spiritual translate to the digital realm?
The Church of Scotland recently clarified its position, saying that online baptism actually is not one of the Web-based services under consideration. But the discussion around the church’s online initiative provides an opportunity to consider what elements of worship are appropriate for the Web.
The LDS church hasn’t taken a position on the Scottish church’s plan to discuss possible options for online offerings. Certain LDS meetings, such as sessions of General Conference, are available for online viewing. Worship services also has been made available through cable and Web-based television, such as KBYU at Brigham Young University, but they are for viewing only.
LDS baptisms and other sacred ordinances such as the sacrament, must be performed or administered by those who are ordained to the priesthood. In my personal view, this doctrinal requirement of physical priesthood presence and participation would preclude ordinances from being offered via the Web. If no member with appropriate priesthood authority is physically present where the baptism is to take place, the baptism cannot be performed. If a priesthood holder is present there would, of course, be no need for the online element.
I am speculating, but online options might become a means for far-flung family members or close friends to observe a baptism, but to my knowledge, that is not done today.
Michael White
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
La Crescenta
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One hates to be an old fuddy-duddy, and many, many times have I proclaimed from the pulpit that if we believe in a living God, then this God is not trapped in the past but is always on the move.
However, it seems to me that part of the meaning of being the church is that one needs to meet with others physically, in the same space, “where two or three are gathered together,” etc., in order to be the church. Now there is nothing wrong with religious stuff online, and I’m especially all for reaching out to all those we can, especially those who are homebound or who cannot attend services someplace.
But in the last analysis, there really needs to be a physical space where the church meets. I may be wrong, but that’s what I think. The church should reach out in any way it can, but I still believe that we need to come together physically in the same space.
Rev. Skip Lindeman
La Cañada Congregational Church
La Cañada
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As commanded by Jesus Christ and practiced by the early church the sacraments (some of us would call them ordinances) of baptism and Communion are both physical in nature, and are to be done in the context of the church gathered.
This means that they cannot be correctly practiced by a person alone at home in front of a computer screen. Certainly any person can be saved, born again and reconciled to God while he is alone by himself. Salvation is ultimately a matter that concerns the individual and God alone.
It says in 1 John 5:1 that “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” No one else’s presence is required. But baptism is a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ, with the God-ordained physical symbolism of immersion in water in the presence of others.
Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, was initiated in the context of Jesus’ Passover meal with his disciples. In 1 Corinthians chapter 11 Paul describes the church’s practice of Communion in the context of the church gathered. God wants us, his people, to live in fellowship with each other. We have not been given the option of redefining the meaning or the practice of our Lord’s commands. When we obey them we enjoy the beautiful outcomes of connection with him and with others.
Pastor Jon Barta
Burbank
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The Church of Scotland is a Protestant entity, so much of the extra-mystical aura surrounding these sacraments (as in the Roman Catholic Church) would not be quite the worrisome factor here. In fact, the further you follow the line out from Catholicism toward contemporary American Evangelicalism, the more feasible online sacraments, or “ordinances” become.
Protestants hold a reduced view of priestly powers, and the further down history you come from the initial Reformation-era denominations, the less “Catholicky” things feel.
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That said, the Church of Scotland is more sacramental, and the idea of doing baptisms online is not one that they claim. I’ve read where they think it absurd that news agencies have extrapolated from the Church’s discussions about reaching immobile parishioners online, that it’s considering Internet baptisms. Imagine someone staying at home in their PJs and dunking their head in a bowl of water, while a pastor somewhere across the Web gives his thumbs up. It would seem not only crass, but contrary to its point.
One of the things the sacraments (or ordinances) do is enrich the community of faith. The reason Communion is called such is because it’s a communal rite: one practiced in community. However, I can imagine this to be electronically possible in circumstances where, say, a televised communion service takes place, and a convalescing Christian participates in solitary with the greater community on display. It would be an exception and a concession, and just that. Never should people think it unnecessary to socialize their faith, as the whole thing is about building a spiritual family, not making an invisible network of hermits.
And baptism is a very visceral experience for worshipers: both for the candidate, and for those that witness. While some churches baptize infants, most baptize believing adults, and this serves as their outward profession of inner faith. It’s a rite of passage into full membership, and it would be odd for this particular ritual to be done in isolation.
I’m reminded of that movie “The Apostle” where Robert Duvall just jumps into a river and privately baptizes himself, but like communion, it’s supposed to be a community affair, where one person puts their hands upon another conferring a lineage that cannot be felt sans hands.
I do think there are ways churches may better use social media to reach those so engaged, but hopefully we do not get to the place where we simply push a button on an app and Uber-Sac shows up in four-minutes-or-less and sprinkles us with water or delivers a wafer, and does it for $4. That would be a day when the imagined future of “Wall-E” will have truly come to pass for the church.
Rev. Bryan A. Griem
Tujunga