Quaker discernment around technology

Reader Responses

What do you do differently during meeting for worship on Zoom compared to worshiping in person? What do you like about it?

If I'm doing it right there is nothing that I do differently. I agree that worship involves our whole being, and we can bring our whole being to worship wherever and however that happens. 

My experience is that if I bring my whole being and my whole attention and focus to a meeting for worship, and I am with others who are doing the same, I can experience a gathered meeting. 

For me, the movement of the spirit between people is not constrained by distance. When we sit together and uphold a Friend who is unwell, or one who is undertaking a witness elsewhere, we do so with a hope that we are in some way present with them: that the spirit that is among us is also with them. 

Catherine B., Durham, UK

For me, online worship is a place to connect deeply with spirit, just as much as sitting together physically. It is different because you can't smile at a toddler who is quietly playing with their blanket, you can't move to comfort someone who is in distress, and you can't hug your friends at the end of worship. However, during the lonely times of the pandemic, it was a life-line for me as I lived alone. 

I am grateful that folks who are unable to physically attend in person can now have the gift of worship. It is different because you can see folks drinking tea and petting their furballs, but it is still worship. Any opportunity to deepen connection with that which is holy is good. 

Linda G., Charlottesville, VA, USA

Worshiping on Zoom means I can be physically comfortable and I can worship more often than possible at my local meeting house. Its lovely to see familiar faces pop up day after day, knowing they're there for the same reason I am. 

Jo M., Northampton, UK

I don’t love Zoom meetings (they feel too much like work) and it’s hard to stay centered but I do like being able to leave a MFW to go to the bathroom without needing to tiptoe out of a silent room of Friends. It’s also a privilege to be able to turn the sound off when a Friend is giving a particularly unseasoned message and I’m busy wondering uncharitably about whether the Spirit really led them to make it. Turning down the sound on my computer allows me to go back to holding them in the Light instead of feeling judgy.

Elizabeth A., Northampton, MA, USA

I've never had the opportunity to attend a Quaker meeting in person. My entire experience of Quakerism has been through Zoom meetings. I realize it may it may be different in some ways, but I have still found a deep sense of connection and spiritual nourishment.

During worship, I often find myself simply sitting in silence, sometimes closing my eyes, sometimes opening them, always trying to listen more deeply and explore the Inner Light within. What I appreciate most is that Zoom has made it possible for me to connect with Friends from different countries and backgrounds, despite the distance.

For me, the Spirit is not limited by geography. I live in eastern DR Congo and I regularly attend Meetings for Worship with Friends in France and the United States, which has allowed me to discover a truly global Quaker family, and that journey continues to enrich my life.

Olo B., South Kivu Province, DR Congo