Live-streaming church services is nothing new, and churches have been making and selling recordings of their sermons ever since the advent of cassette tapes. The intention behind live-streaming services — to make church, and its attendant benefits of community, prayer and worship, available to everyone with a smartphone — is a good one. In his letters to early Christian communities, the Apostle Paul describes the church as a body comprising different but equally necessary members. (Live-streaming services are of course important for the homebound.) Studies show that regular attendance at religious services correlates with better sleep, lower blood pressure in older adults and a reduced risk of suicide.

Source: New York Times December 15, 2018 19:30 UTC