A couple of months ago, a man made news headlines when he attended a traffic court hearing via Zoom. His license had been suspended so it wasn’t the wisest idea to take a video call with the judge presiding over your case while driving the car you were banned from driving for doing something else illegal while driving this car. While I don’t think the decision turned out well for him, it highlights that one of the legacies of COVID is the flexibility and understanding that any meeting can be done via Zoom. I love the idea of Zoom meetings - I can save on my commute. I can turn my screen off and work on other things. I can talk to people from all around the country or world instantly - but I hate attending Zoom meetings. Anyone else? Inevitably someone will try to talk while they are still muted. People have all sorts of crazy backgrounds and weird lighting. But really it just doesn’t feel the same as being with people face to face. Zoom meetings have their place in a world that needs efficiency, but when it comes to connecting with people, to knowing one another, they fall short.
Perhaps sometimes it feels like we are on a Zoom call with God. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things unseen.” In many ways that is the trouble with faith. There’s no physical interaction, nothing tangible to touch. Frequently we turn our screens off and get busy with other things or it seems like God is muted when we’ve asked for a response, or maybe the wifi goes out and we lose connection all together. Sometimes connecting with God is hard.
For the past month I have been on two and a half hour Zoom calls twice a week being trained as a leader in Stephen Ministry. As expressed, I am not a huge Zoom fan and the training has not always been fun. However, I am excited about Stephen Ministry at our church. Stephen Ministers are lay members of our congregation who have been trained to come alongside people who are hurting or grieving, who are overwhelmed or who just need someone to talk to. Stephen Ministers are spiritual companions offering emotional and spiritual support and encouragement - a physical presence helping us recognize and experience the presence of God. Though my training was all on Zoom, I was reminded again and again that God is present with us, but sometimes we need the church to help us see it. If you would like to hear more about Stephen Ministry, let me know! I’d love to get together and talk about it.
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