Virtual Worship is Still Worship

Before the pandemic, the idea of virtual worship was unfamiliar and seen as unorthodox. Today, virtual worship is quickly becoming the new norm. Christian leaders and bloggers have written extensively about the importance of virtual ministry and why churches need to keep developing an online presence even after the pandemic is over.

I agree with the importance of online church and the need for churches to develop an online presence. If doing hybrid services (i.e. both in-person and streamed live) allows churches to provide more options and reach more people, by all means we ought to do it (1 Cor. 9:22). I also agree with the idea of growing churches through micro group gatherings where one person invites a few others to watch the virtual worship service in their home. This can be an effective way of inviting non-Christians to the church who wouldn't otherwise be open to going to a physical church service.

But online ministry isn't all puppies and sunshine. There are potential problems and dangers lurking within its virtual corners, one of which is the effect it has on the heart-posture of the worshiper. Convenience is a double-edged sword; it can either cut down the barriers preventing non-Christians from entering in, or chip away at the foundations of our reverence and devotion to God.

A Revealing Image

Several months ago, I saw an image posted on Facebook on a Sunday morning. It was an image of someone's slippered feet propped up on a coffee table next to a laptop with a virtual service playing, and a glass of wine in the person's hand. The caption read, "Getting ready for Sunday worship. Yes!" or something to that effect. I discerned that the intention of the image was to encourage viewers to partake of the goodness of Sunday worship through their own online channels, and to highlight the blessing of even having the option to worship virtually through modern technology.

Good intentions aside, I felt that the image sent a subtle yet potentially damaging message as well, one centered on comfort and convenience. Ostensibly, the person in the photo is getting ready to worship God, but the person is in a bathrobe, wearing slippers and sipping wine. That posture seems more appropriate for a lazy binge session on Netflix than it does for worship.

“That posture seems more appropriate for a lazy binge session on Netflix than it does for worship.”

The photo probably takes comfort and convenience to a level beyond what most people actually aim for in their online worship viewing practices. But I think the image is helpful in illustrating the heart-posture that many of us take in our virtual worship. From the little anecdotal evidence I have gathered, it seems that people approach virtual worship either as a chore/box to check off, or as a convenient way to squeeze in their weekly dose of praise and the Word while they do other things (e.g. eat lunch, fold laundry, shop on Amazon).

While I appreciate the potential of online ministry (our church having been 100% virtual since March 2020), I fear that to some degree, many Christians have traded in reverence and devotion for comfort and convenience. In the end, how beneficial will that trade be?

The Lost Aspect of Worship

The very first instance of the word worship in most English translations of the Bible is in Genesis 22:5. There, Abraham tells his servants that he and his son Isaac would go up the mountain to worship and then return. However, Abraham's actual intent was to obey God's command to sacrifice his son to the Lord. To Abraham, and to all the Old Testament saints, worship was synonymous with sacrifice.

A sacrifice is a costly thing. By definition, sacrifice involves pain, both for the giver and for the animal being given. In 2 Samuel 24:24, King David insists on paying the farmer Araunah for his plot of land on which to build God's temple. "I will not offer a sacrifice that costs me nothing," David wisely says.

“To Abraham, and to all the Old Testament saints, worship was synonymous with sacrifice.”

Where is the sacrifice in Christian worship today, especially in the era of Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook Live? Where is the sense of awe and wonder, or reverence and devotion, in our online ministry?

The danger of watching anything on a screen is that whatever we see on it becomes a show. We become passive spectators rather than active participants who not only offer heartfelt worship, but who become the very sacrifice offered in our worship. The spectator mentality was already a problem pre-pandemic, but the explosion of online ministry has made it much worse.

Final Encouragement

I know it's difficult to worship virtually, especially after doing it for over a year. I feel the strain too: the awkwardness of singing alone in front of a laptop, the poor audio and video, the lack of an immersive atmosphere and energy that you can only get from a crowd.

But worship was never about us. It was never for us. Worship is for God, and it's a sacrifice that we are to give to Him with joy, gratitude, reverence, and devotion.

My challenge and encouragement to all believers is to give God the kind of worship He seeks and deserves, even if it's virtual. Put aside other chores and activities while the worship is going on. Pay attention. Enter in as much as possible. Sing out loud and lift your hands even at your desk or table. Kneel if you have to. Dress up if it helps; for some people, putting on their "Sunday best" is part of worship. No reason not to make that a part of your virtual worship as well.

Let's remember what worship is. The form doesn't matter; the substance does.