We had church today again on Zoom. Which is sort of like waving to the kids through the closed window. It makes me happy.
More people attended this time, which meant a lot of reminders to mute the audio and instructions on how to, and that there more of us looking at each other at home, and more closely than Episcopalians normally do. Anglicans probably invented social distancing. I averted my eyes so I wouldn’t see right up a nose or stare at that place where the neck meets the chin. I was a tad anxious that is was so informal, and intimate, and kind of awkward. (And honestly, my anxiety level has way more to do with wnat is happening outside of church services than in. ) But the familiar prayers and responses from The Book of Common Prayer, Morning Prayer, Rite 1, steadied me. I’ve been saying them since I could read. The lessons seemed to be written just for these virus times and not, as they were, part of the standard bi-yearly rotation. I was asked to read Romans 8:6-11, which begins, “To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
I went to a Quaker school, and was taught their belief that there is a little bit of God in everyone. It’s that spirit that moves them to do good and be kind. It’s why they are pacifists.
Part way through the service the priest recieved the ten minute warning from Zoom, she had started the clock too early by mistake, and so cut her sermon short. Then Nancy, the pianist, unmuted and asked if we could please hurry up so we can still sing hymn 665, All My Hope on God is Founded. We went through the remaining prayers for mercy, and world peace, health among all nations, justice and truth and not forgetting the poor, at a brisker pace, but not too quickly as they are important. I thought we were home free when we began the hymn, but then the screen went blank. I was flabbergasted. What a terrible omen. We ran out of time for church.
I looked at my screen, then out the window. It’s cold and sunny out there. I could try to re-connect. I could. But I just don’t want to type in another meeting ID.
Spirits don’t need Zoom to connect. It’s nice, but not an essential service. “I’ve got this,” I said, waking the sleeping dogs. When I stood up and began singing that hymn at the top of my lungs, they stood too, and we remained standing as I sang, just like in real church, right through the final verse.
