Online community

 I needed somewhere to stick this so here will do.

Due to COVID there has been a lot more rubbishing of online communication technology by theological folks yearning for coming back together for face to face church. 

I get that. I really do. For those folks face to face is what they know of how to connect. And to learn other ways, while under stress (that does not make for easier learning curves), and en masse, (which is always hard at the best of times), is just not something they want to do, or feel able to do, or even know that it is something that is possible to do.

But *real* community *is* possible online. The question then becomes is *real* church possible online? And then it is the responsible thing would be to thoughtfully think through what is lost and what is gained when community is done this way; for a time, simultaneously or instead of.

So a few posts over the next bit I can be bothered (like, anyone is going to read this or care lol. I'm doing this to clarify my own thoughts mostly. I guess instead of just snarking at people I could link them here. Which most likely they still won't read but it will be more thoughtful than a snark and at least I've said something to at least try to point people to where I hope people are greater loved?)

1. The different types of online community. And ways in which the different formats affect the way they are going to feel - not all communities are in 'social media'. Social media often makes for poor online community. If you want to make good online communities you need to think about this. There can be much better tools for online community.

2. My personal expectations of what community should feel like. My story of what 'family' in church has meant is of course tainted by my own personal history. So over my life I've spent a lot of time thinking about and observing and experiencing communities.

3.  Online community is real. Personal examples of how online and offline are still both very human.

4.  What is church. Ok. So this one is just going to be personal rant mostly. Mostly begging for compassion for the people on the edges. But guess what, Jesus one on one totally connected to people on the edges. Online communities contain a lot of edge people.

5. Liturgy. Can we do really do church online? What can we embody online? What do we miss and what do we gain? Thoughts and questions. I revel (as it seems does God) that we're all so different and that a lot of people are going to come to different conclusions with this. Mostly I want to emphasise that if you do *community* poorly, you will do *church* poorly - both online or face to face.