Lockdown Conversations
Plans for this year's popular Salisbury Conversations, where a panel discusses the important topics of our time, had to be curtailed due to the pandemic. But instead the Cathedral is offering online conversations.
Courtesy Sarum College
And, as part of the Salisbury 800 celebrations, the Cathedral’s Precentor Canon Anna Macham, who oversees all worship and Karen O’Donnell, from Sarum College’s Centre for Contemporary Spirituality, discuss the challenges and sense of loss clergy and worshipers alike have felt being separated from each other and from their sacred spaces,
Anna and Karen also explore whether there is something to be learnt from worshipping online as part of their Salisbury 800 Celebrations.
Long before lockdown, Karen had begun to write a book due to be published next year that considers the Church in a virtual space.
The past weeks of closed churches and social distancing have brought that research into sharp focus.
In worship, where not just colour, sound, the written word and gesture are highly symbolic and touch, smell and joint enterprise are also significant elements, remote worship has presented great challenges.
Does the idea of sharing together in “one bread” and “the cup of blessing”, an essential feature of the Lord’s Supper, really work remotely? Without the opportunity to lay on hands, are moments in worship diminished?
You can listen to their conversation here.
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