Virtual gardening

As I’ve reported in an earlier post, spring has already arrived to the east coast – of Heterocera, that is.

 Wild flowers are already in full bloom, but I needed to plant some seeds as well.

It took me some time to find gardening tools and pots from last year in my inventory. Not everything has been salvaged from that big pile of mess, but I managed to do some work with what little I’d found.

Resting afterwards on the porch, I was thinking about my RL and how exciting it was for me as a kid to spend time watching the seeds sprout and grow in our large garden.

Who would have thought back then that one day I would be doing gardening in a virtual world?

Visiting November, the next stop on my journey across the Second Life continent of Heterocera. For the full story, follow this link: http://abinoamsjournal.blogspot.com/2015/02/heterocera-travelogue-9-november.html

Beauties of underwater Berlin… (part of the sim’s 5th anniversary celebration)

Chapel Island

About two months ago I wrote about an addition to my land – a small island which I envisioned as a quiet spot for meditation (http://abinoam-sl.tumblr.com/post/81572459319/chapel). Earlier today I added a few more details, set it apart as a separate parcel, changed the music stream etc. At the end, I took a few pics in the morning fog.

It’s a work in progress (like everything in SL), but if you ever need a quiet moment, you’re welcome to escape here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Triphosa/237/230/22

Artful Eternal at Galeria Mexico

Currently on display at Galeria Mexico are pieces of art with an interesting and inspiring background story. The artist, Artful Eternal, has been near-blind since the age of 3. Second Life has given her a chance to indulge her artistic impulses and create paintings, woodcarvings and other forms of artwork that she wouldn’t be able to in RL.

This is how she put it in her promotional material: “I have no 3 dimensional information through my eyes. […]  My world has always been like jumping into the middle of Monets painting […] When I got into SL I found a world, that when I looked at it – wow, I am home now, this is the way I have always seen, all flat and you need to guess how far things are, are they round, is there fall down or not… this looks how I see in RL!!! But I cannot fly or TP in RL, and there I cannot edit like here.”

She adds that her art carries an inspirational message, especially for the disabled. “I am sure there are myriad of hidden talents – and don’t say you can’t – you can if you really want, what ever it is. Maybe you will be a singer, a book writer, or a photographer, or what all this virtual world gives. Think [about] that and scratch your head, asking "what shall I start….”

Her art can be seen here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ometeotl/26/229/23

NOTE: Quotes slightly edited for syntax and punctuation.

First United Church of Christ, SL

About six months ago, in September 2013, SL became richer for another vibrant Christian community. When you TP to the First UCC Island sim, one of the first things you notice are the church flags, among them also the rainbow flag. Both in RL and SL, United Church of Christ (UCC) is a voice for social justice and human rights, including its clear message of inclusion and affirmation of sexual minorities.

Originally conceived as an inworld experimental ministry, its members think of it as a real congregation, albeit in a virtual world. While its members may come from different backgrounds, there is a strong sense of mutual respect and open exchange of ideas.

Becca Kellstrom, one of the church board members, was kind to answer a couple of questions for this post.

Just like in RL, in SL there are also various active Christian communities. What would you single out as the unique contribution of the First UCC in SL?

Becca: Everyone is truly welcome. Visitors are usually delighted to learn we accept people across the whole spectrum of gender identity and sexual orientation. This extends to people of various abilities, beliefs, and so on.

What are some of the regular activities organized by the 1st UCC?

Becca: Sunday worship with Pastor Jerome, Thursdays with Pastor Josh. A unique Bible study on Tuesdays led by staff members YoYo and Luci. Regular Psalters (Psalm mediation) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and whenever else Jer feels like it! Plus DJ’d dances and concerts whenever we’re able to schedule musicians. Dancing also happens spontaneously whenever a bunch of people happen to gather, using the music stream in our Comma Café!

SL is often stereotyped as a virtual world where so much is about physical appearance and unbridled sexuality. Clearly a lot more is going on there. What are your thoughts on virtual reality and spirituality?

Becca: While people join SL for a variety of reasons, we still carry the essence of our real selves with us, including a longing for God and community. Many residents seek a well-rounded life, and are delighted to participate in this real, progressive body of Christ in the virtual world.

Has SL been a positive experience for your ministry?

We dealt with some challenges in our initial six months. What keeps us going are people who find us, are glad we’re here, and then join in with their time and gifts! Our goal this Fall is to have the Conference [in RL] remove our “experimental” tag and simply recognize us as another congregation.

To find out more about this progressive Christian community, visit their website at http://www.firstuccsl.org/index.html

To visit inworld, click http://snipr.com/280qy3l

To stay informed about the church activities, you can like the FB page www.facebook.com/firstUCCsecondlife or follow the Twitter account @FirstUCC_SL.

Feeling queasy today…