March 23 – “The Maiden Voyage”

Well, yesterday was the maiden voyage of Seaside Online.  We joined thousands of other churches across the country in providing some kind of experience through the internet. 

Ours was pretty simple stuff.  Everyone was encouraged to discover their own music on YouTube or elsewhere.  We weren’t sure how the FaceBook copyright police looked at stuff looked like that.  And we did get some good recommendations. 

I did a Visual Verse (bowing to the demands of the thousands … well, maybe the five or six who actually let me know what they wanted to see).  It meant having to break the picture down into bite-sized chunks so they could be seen on the powerpoint as it was somehow miraculously thrown onto the TV by the technology of the computer talking to the TV monitor.  Extra work on the front end, but I think it was a needed extra step.  I also decide to stick with our regular teaching series on the Book of 1 Peter.  I prayed a lot about doing one of those crisis-type sermons, but I just couldn’t get away from doing this one.  Guess the Lord wanted somebody to hear it. 

I was really proud of my producer for the event.  Chris got the camera (AKA my phone) all set up and zeroed in.  She pushed the start button, too.  Even pointed at me and said, “Action.”  While I was teaching she occasionally jumped up and checked on the screen.  I found out later she was seeing all sorts of activity.  Apparently whenever there was a comment posted, it scrolled itself through the screen.  And she also said little hearts kept floating by.  Must have been fascinating.  Glad I couldn’t see them at the time, though.  It was nerve-wracking enough to try to focus on … no people.  Well, other than Chris and our dog Freddy (who, by the way, slept quietly the whole time.  Made me feel like I was back in the pulpit at church). 

I’ve had some feedback from the experience.  Thank you for that.  And keep it coming.  Looks like we may have to keep doing this a time or two or … more.  According to the FaceBook Live programmers who are apparently tasked with keeping track of such things, the post had numerous shares.  I was amazed to see the couple of hundred viewers.  And that number turned into over 700 by this morning.  My favorite statistic, though, is this: We had viewers from the Seasider Passons Family in Costa Rica to our Seasider missionaries, the Humphries Family in Alaska.  Quite the geographical spread for you Seasiders out there.  Is everybody ready to go again next Sunday?

Psalms 84:1-2 says, “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!  My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”

Father, thank you for the chance to connect with those dear folks at Seaside.  It was hard doing worship without everybody together.  Help them – us – to remember each other and be the Church for each other.  Amen.