Every Sunday, just before 10 am, I click a button marked “Go Live” and hold my breath waiting for our live stream of The Forum to appear on Facebook and YouTube. If all goes according to plan, I can exhale about a minute later. Next, I pull out my phone and quickly send a text, “How is it?” My mother replies from her home in Sarasota, Florida “Looks good.” It’s a solid routine at this point – except when things don’t go according to plan, and Mom texts first, “Waiting on The Forum?”
What started as a casual interest in her daughter’s latest endeavor has now turned into a weekly ritual. While she’s only visited St. Bart’s once in person, my mother is now one of the hundreds of people joining us every Sunday online. I enjoy her running commentary via text each week:
“Smooth opening”
“Great sermon”
“Gorgeous music”
“Perfect. Like when you pan the choir.”
“That was a great shot of the inner dome. You’re getting more proficient at this.”
One night we were talking on the phone when she mentioned all the classes we offer at St. Bart’s, “I wish I could go to that opera class,” she said. “It looks really interesting.”
“Mom,” I urged, “everything is online now – it’s all on Zoom. You should sign up. I’ll send you a link.”
She dismissed the idea, “Oh I can’t go, I’m not a member.” I was stunned, “What do you mean? Of course, you can go. Anyone can go. Why would you think that?”
I was a little crushed. Mom had been watching our services every week for the past eighteen months, (with a direct line to the control room no less) and for some reason, she felt like an outsider. So, I responded with my favorite clergy quote, “Mom, you know what they say around here? 'A church doesn’t exist primarily for the benefit of its members.' You should go to the class.”
Just after Christmas, I had a chance to visit Mom in Florida and watch Sunday morning at St. Bart's from her side of the screen. The service looked pretty incredible on her giant HD TV, but I realized that so many of the wonderful ways we express “radical welcome” at St. Bart’s were missing. There was no usher to smile and hand her a leaflet, no friendly voices around us, or people nearby to pass the peace, our friendly online host moderating the chat on YouTube and Facebook was not visible on the TV app. I can see how it might be a hurdle for the online newcomer to feel truly invited into our parish.
So, I just want to take a moment here for all of you who discovered St. Bart’s online during this grueling pandemic. We are delighted you are with us. If there is anything that interests you at St. Bart’s, you are warmly invited to come (in person or online.) You do not need to be a New Yorker, a tri-state resident, a member of this parish, an Episcopalian, or even a Christian to participate in any of the opportunities we offer. And by all means, if you don’t have a daughter who works here to keep you in the loop, please fill out a welcome card so we can stay in touch.
And lastly, if you're out there watching when we "go live" on Sunday mornings, I invite you to send me your feedback, and share your experience from your side of the screen.
