What’s in My Digital Pew?

The Liberation of “My Schedule”
Before we open up my carpet bag of spiritual accessories, can we just take a moment to celebrate the radical flexibility of digital church?

Participating online has completely transformed my worship life because it honors the reality of my calendar. It allows me to show up more consistently simply because I can show up on my schedule. Digital worship frees us from the tyranny of the clock and the stress of the morning commute. It turns out that when you remove the wardrobe anxieties, the parking lot hassles, and the rush to get out the door, you unlock a brand-new headspace to receive a message of grace.

And because online church meets us wherever we are, it means our “pews” look a little different than the traditional, standard-issue oak benches. Over my weeks of church-hopping through cyberspace, I’ve realized my journey has naturally divided into two distinct, highly curated digital pews.

Digital Pew No. 1: The Commuter’s Sanctuary (a.k.a. My Car)
When my schedule is full to bursting, life demands that I take my four-church rotation on the road, the driver’s seat becomes my holy ground. Doing church in the car requires a very specific set of tools to ground me while the rest of the world is whizzing past my windshield. If you were to peek through my car window during a mid-week sermon stream, here is exactly what you would find in my mobile digital pew:

• Liquid Liturgies: Depending entirely on the weather and my soul’s immediate needs, this is either a crisp Iced Coffee, a velvety Chai Latte Protein Shake, or a perfectly bubbly, icy Coke Zero.
• Sacred Snacks: Almost always exactly one Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt Mini KIND Bar. It is the ultimate bite-sized fuel that feels just indulgent enough to keep me happy.
• Amen Accents: A handy tub of sugar-free peppermints tucked right into the side pocket of my bag. They keep me alert, focused, and refreshed while navigating both the Gospel and the traffic.

Digital Pew No. 2: The Living Room Sanctuary (a.k.a. My Couch)
When I am lucky enough to be stationary, my second, and admittedly favorite, digital pew is waiting for me right at home. Now, if I’m trying to multi-task, “Couch Church” sometimes morphs into “Straightening Up the House Church” or “Food Prepping Church,” with a sermon blasting through my speaker while I work through my to do list. But when I get to truly sit down? It’s pure, unadulterated comfort. I am a firm believer that being physically comfortable does not minimize reverence; if anything, settling our bodies allows our spirits to open up even wider. My couch sanctuary is a masterclass in cozy authority, consisting of:

• A Climate Paradox: A fan, pointed at me, at jet turbine levels – while wrapped in a plush blanket (shoulders covered, feet out).
• Pillow Mountain: More decorative throw pillows than I care to admit to publicly, stacked strategically to create the ultimate nest.
• A Fun Notebook: A notebook (likely covered in stickers) and a rose gold pen, sitting on the coffee table, ready to capture brilliant quotes on digital inclusion, scribbled thoughts for my weekly reviews, groceries to add to next week’s list, or other random, intrusive thoughts.
• A Fidget of Some Kind: I like Needoh cubes, silicone texture stones, and Goody Putty. It’s still hard to stay still in church at home.
• More Liquid Liturgies: A towering glass of iced tea or a steaming mug of hot coffee (almost white with creamer), cradled lovingly.

What’s in Your Pew?
As we continue to explore what it means to build a truly inclusive, radically welcoming digital church audience, we have to acknowledge these physical touchpoints.

The beauty of the digital pew is that it meets us exactly where we are—whether we are sipping a Coke Zero at a red light or buried under a mountain of pillows on a rainy Sunday afternoon. These items aren’t distractions from worship; they are the intentional contexts of our modern spiritual lives. Hybrid worship practices shouldn’t force us to pretend we’re sitting in a drafty 19th-century building; they should embrace the beautiful, comfortable reality of our 21st-century spaces.

So, fellow digital travelers, I turn the question over to you. As you log in to your favorite streams this week, take a look around your space. What’s in your digital pew? Drop your must-have drinks, snacks, and cozy setups in the comments below!

May your coffee be hot, your blankets cozy, and your streams buffering-free!