A member of my family started a new business during the pandemic. In my very limited and somewhat ignorant description, he plays video games online and people watch and sometimes collaborate in playing the game. The business has done quite well financially.
Some responses that can be received upon hearing about such a thing can be:
“What a waste of time.”
“I can’t believe that people would watch someone else play a video game, let alone pay to do so.”
“What? He makes HOW MUCH money?”
“Sounds good to me.”
“I don’t get it, but good for him. It’s not easy to build a business.”
Generally, the responses, particularly from people who are not young, include a kind of bewilderment. The phenomenon of online video games, watching and paying and competing is often called “Esports”. The market is huge and growing. Noah Feldman has a podcast called “Deep Background” which is part of Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries media group. A recent episode featured an interview with Nicole Lapointe Jameson, a 27 year old woman who is CEO of “Evil Geniuses” an Esports company based in Seattle. Feldman and Jameson speak about the history of Esports and some of the cultural considerations. They point out that it was not that long ago when the idea of watching other people play a sport was bewildering. Why would anyone WATCH someone play baseball when they could play baseball themselves?
We have seen that spectator sports have become multi-billion dollar industries, and in many cases, identifying with particular teams has become significant for very many people.
It can be argued, in fact, that Esports is more collaborative than traditional spectator sports. Those watching can often communicate with other players and even participate in the games. The product is part play, part entertainment as those generating large followings are entertainers who know how to engage their audience.
As I listened to the podcast, I thought of the new business of my family member. Maybe he is entering on the ground floor of a burgeoning industry. Of course, I also thought of church. How has church become a spectator sport? The church I attend most regularly is quite “churchy” in its set up. There are pews. The seating is all on one level (not theatre style). The front of the church is the platform, the altar, but not so much “the stage”. The set-up assumes an engagement of the congregation.
For many newer churches it seems that big screens, darkened rooms, and lit up stages have become the norm. Is church becoming more and more something that those attending watch? What are the implications of this? What are the differences between a congregation and an audience? There are some interesting trends in church right now. On one end of the spectrum, churches that are trying to gather large crowds seem to be moving more and more to worship services as spectacle. On the other end of the spectrum churches are re-organizing in smaller groups, micro-churches and house churches that meet regularly in homes, in small groups and only occasionally gather in a larger group.
What does it mean to be part of a church?
What does it mean to be part of the Church?
In what ways are we spectators and in what ways are we participants?
Maybe watching someone else play video games actually makes more sense than watching people perform a church service.
I, also, have a family member who watches others play video games and for him the “career” has become quite profitable. Apparently there is a kind of hierarchy and he has advanced to where he only watches an elite class of players. As well he is able to “engage new watchers” and by doing this he earns “bonuses”. I have no idea how it works but it all sounds intriguing.
I thought I knew what it meant to be part of the Church but frankly I don’t know that I even recognize “Church”. Whatever I thought I knew doesn’t exist any more.
Maybe church was a “habit”. I rather liked that it was the same time every Sunday.
Recently I have visited four churches. They were all at different times.
Whatever I was looking for, I didn’t find.
If church is just about performance, I haven’t found my role.
Being just a spectator isn’t enough.
I feel as if I need to keep looking…
Haha, this is awesome!!! I love what your family member is doing, I think it's very impressive, and not easy to penetrate this market. (10 thumbs up for him!!!)