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This reflection was written by Lorienne for the weekly St. Brigid's newsletter.

 

Dear Friends,

I have a love/hate relationship with Zoom and other online platforms. It’s awkward and exhausting to communicate and connect with each other virtually. Meeting up in that online space reminds me of why we can’t meet up in person right now. I miss seeing you at church, I miss the handshakes and hugs, I miss being able to talk and sing at the same time without our audio going glitchy.

The love part of the relationship is that I’m so grateful for the technology that allows us to stay connected, even awkwardly, during these long months we can’t meet in person. It also allows people who have moved away to stay part of the community. It means being able to show up at church with very little planning and no commute. Wake up from a nap at 5:26 pm on a Sunday? No problem, keep your video off if necessary while you wait for the pillow lines to fade.

I’m glad for the folks who show up. I’m touched by those who volunteer to do a reading or type their thoughts after the sermon into the chat. And I’m very very grateful for the check-ins we have in break-out groups during our virtual coffee hour after the service.

I also miss people I haven’t seen in a long time, people who would have stopped by once in a while in the “Before Times.” If that’s you, I encourage you to drop in on a Sunday evening to say hi and connect with the community. You can keep your video off, wear wireless headphones, and listen while doing chores in another room if you can’t bear the thought of looking at another screen. Or jump in both feet, offering to do a job, if you’re one of those people who needs a specific task to feel connected and focused. You can even show up at the end of the service (around 6:15) just to hang out and chat afterwards! Whatever and however you want to participate, I would love to see you one of these weeks. The link is provided in this email, so just click the link Sunday evening (look for where it says “Join Zoom Meeting” under the heading “More Awesome Things.”). 

 Hope to see you soon.

 Love, Lorienne