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Easter Vigil

iPad @ liturgy?

Easter VigilI am all in favour of appropriate technology.

I recently wrote about using the iPad at the Eucharist. There have been useful discussions about this here and elsewhere.

Some of the better points I have seen have been the suggestion that the cantor at the Easter Vigil use an iPad when chanting the Exsultet (Exultet). I’m sure many of us have seen various attempts to provide sufficient light – with torches, and other electronic means attempting to supplement insufficient candle light. The iPad, being backlit, sidesteps all that.

Others have (similarly) suggested the iPad can be used during other parts of the Vigil, for the readings, psalms, collects between readings…

Your thoughts?…

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13 thoughts on “iPad @ liturgy?”

  1. Laura Dejmek, OP

    Interesting…as someone who has cantored for many Easter Vigils, I think the idea of having the Exultet on the iPad an ingenous one! I would also be in favor of this for parishes that keeps the lights low / off for the O.T. readings. I have spent many parts of the liturgy trying to avoid wax candle drippings on my music / Scripture texts…as well as avoiding the flames of other worshippers to set my long hair a-flame! Would never want to eliminate candles at the Easter Vigil, but for lectors, cantors, musicians, I can see the iPad as a worthy addition–one of which St. Augustine would approve for the Mother of all Vigils.

  2. Leslianne Braunstein

    I’ve been using a teleprompt app on the iPad for preaching and the prayers of the people. It beats flipping pages if you are a manuscript preacher.

  3. I have an iPad but prefer to use my Kindle Keyboard with the led-lighted cover. It doesn’t illuminate the singer’s face, leaving that for candlelight.

    1. I was conscious as I wrote this about what the congregation has. Thanks for raising it. In my experience the congregation usually has a printed booklet. They can move this to see more easily. The last Vigil I attended the chanted psalm refrain was the same for each psalm. I thought that very effective. Blessings.

      1. Brother David

        Many of us would make a point of downloading the pdf of a booklet if it were made available a day or so prior to the service. Then they could print less booklets.

  4. All,

    Just yesterday I was considering what I think Brother David is suggesting. While we use a projector / screen at church, we do have the service (inc full readings and hymns) printed out in a large font each week for those use find the screen difficult. Why can’t we save a few trees and make this available via tablets (especially if the font size can be adjusted by the user). The biggest issue I could see was to stop the tablets from going missing.

    However your main post has got me thinking. A number of times (usually around Christmas) I’ve found myself trying to play music in half light (to the point where I keep a book reading light in my bag). A tablet with a back-light would rectify that.

    However one point with the back-light. A couple of years ago I did some research on e-readers (like the Kindle) v tablets. E-readers use a different technology for the display – one that does not require back-lighting but can be read in the same light as a normal book (including direct sun, in which most tablets will fail) – however like a book, it can not be read in the dark. Apparently using a back-lit display places more strain on your eyes when you are reading from it for extended periods (I have no idea how long an “extended period” is). This is something to be aware of if you are planning to buy a tablet for a lot of reading – consider an e-reader with a “e-ink” display instead.

    Dave

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