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Ministering in the virtual world -Avatars in search of virtual congregations (Christian... |
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If all goes well, the naked lady won't show up this morning when Pastor Craig Groeschel preaches his Sunday service. But several cats will probably drop in. A horned dragon might perch on the crimson seats. There could even, perhaps, be an emu strolling in. Groeschel will deliver his sermon in an Oklahoma City church. It will also be streamed over the Internet to the virtual world called Second Life — a world populated by 5 million pixilated characters of every description. In this three-dimensional metaverse — a vivid, ever-changing universe created by gamers — characters can buy virtual clothes from real-world manufacturers, hold virtual rallies for flesh-and-blood politicians, and now, increasingly, worship in sync with the congregations in bricks-and-mortar churches. The fast-growing world of Second Life has developed a rich spiritual dimension in the last year, welcoming congregations of Buddhists, Jews, Muslims and numerous Christian denominations. Groeschel's evangelical LifeChurch.tv is the latest entrant. Gamers who teleport their Second Life characters (known as avatars) to the church's virtual campus can use mouse clicks to manipulate their alter egos into kneeling, swaying or raising palms to the heavens as Groeschel's fast-paced, MTV-style sermon flickers across the computer screen.
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