Today is January 11th.
Today is the 64th anniversary of the first "networked" television broadcasts anywhere. They took place at KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. No I was not there to remember it.
It was 1949. A bit before my time.
But then again I do know (from those who told me long ago) that KDKA Radio was the first to broadcast anywhere, and that KDKA was also the first to carry regular radio broadcasts of worship services--which happened to be Presbyterian Worship services, from Shadyside Presbyterian Church, a congregation that is dear to my heart.
But back or forward if you prefer to 1949.
KDKA TV went on the air connecting the east coast and mid-west programming. Something we take for granted and give not even a passing thought today. But to link the coasts was a big, big deal, then.
You know, Wekiva has something in common with Shadyside. They were the first church anywhere to inaugurate radio broadcasts of their Sunday worship. Wekiva is the first church anywhere to inaugurate live Sunday morning webcasts of our worship services. That was in January of 2005. So right now we are celebrating an anniversary, as well--eight years of continuous worship webcasts.
I am told that more than 1000 people link to and watch our worship every week. That is a goodly number.
Some of these folks, I know. They are our members who happen to be home bound, or travelling for business, or out of town on vacation, but they are with us in spirit and via the wonders of technology. Others I know about because the send us emails or notes to say that this or that aspect of one of our worship services touched their hearts. Others of these folks I do not know. But that is Okay.
When KDKA did their coast-to-coast broadcast in 1949, they could not have told you who all tuned in. But they knew that they were reaching people they had not reached before. That is what we do, too, every Sunday at 11 a.m. Be here if you can. Worship with us via the web if you cannot. Here is the link:
Wekiva Website
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