**Yes, I am using a FOXNews article. I still despise any network stupid deluded enough to put people like Ann Coulter, Bill O’Reilly, and Hannity/Colmes on the air. It does, however, show some of the fallacies of the megachurch movement.**

I suggest reading the article before reading my comments. (Article via Theosebes)

Don’t get me wrong — it’s good that churches are growing and all. The problem is that the churches are glossing over the whole message of sin to “give people a boost for the week.” According to Joel Osteen who pastors Lakewood Church (whose website is in deep need of the ministry provided by the good folks at HealYourChurchWebsite.Com):

“…for years there’s been a lot of hellfire and damnation. You go to church to figure out what you’re doing wrong and you leave feeling bad like you’re not going to make it. We believe in focusing on the goodness of God.”

Ummm… can we say “forgetting the Gospel”? Apparently, Osteen is forgetting that Christ was sent to save us from our sins, not to make us feel all warm and fuzzy. Sin is a serious issue. We can’t gloss over it just because it makes people feel bad. Jesus was not about giving people warm fuzzies. Jesus was all about reconciling people with God — a process that is not full of happy and joyous occasions but instead is gut-wrenching and emotional in many cases. A church that merely gives its people warm fuzzies is doing more to hinder their spiritual development than promote it.

A re-iteration of the problem:

“It’s not a churchy feel. We don’t have crosses up there. We believe in all that, but I like to take the barriers down that have kept people from coming. A lot of people who come now are people that haven’t been to church in 20 to 30 years.”

Maybe it’s the Lutheran in me, but… ISN’T IT ALL ABOUT THE CROSS?!?!?!?!?!?!? Yes, the crosses make people feel uncomfortable — THEY SHOULD!!!! Someone endured pain and suffering and agony for their sins — it shouldn’t be simply a warm fuzzy feeling!!!! If the crosses are a barrier to people coming to church, I’d say these people have more barriers that need to be taken down before they can even talk about the crosses. These churches are places where people can go and hide, not face the issues that are barriers to reconciliation with the Lord.

Another completely grating thought:

Some Lakewood qualities that appeal to a younger set are “the best lighting and the best sound system,” a youth ministry program that attracts hundreds, and every service kicks off with 30 minutes of upbeat contemporary music — not hymns — played by a live band.

If you’re going to choose a church based on their sound and lighting system, I’d really reconsider your motives for even attending church. “Entertainment evangelism” (a term coined by the pastor of a church that falsely claims to be Lutheran) is doing more harm than good to the faith. We’ve got a generation that wants to be entertained and churches are bending over backwards to do that. Newsflash: that’s not the Gospel.

My confirmation kids have to do two sermon notes a month (which is more relaxed than I’d be — if it was my call, it would be *EVERY* Sunday) and the music questions are “of the hymns we sang today, which one did you like best?” and “what did you like best about it?” I do get answers like “it was the only one that was familiar” but much of the time, the kids give me some pretty interesting reflections on the words. Their favorite by far is “Amazing Grace” (not unexpected) but they also like some of the more unique ones like “Built on a Rock” and “Thy Strong Word” and the ideas conveyed by them. Compared to some of the worship music out today that is insipid at best and could best be described as “Jesus is my boyfriend” music, the older hymns are theological masterpieces. They convey messages of faith succinctly and poetically and are a form of evangelism in themselves. I’m not saying that all contemporary worship music is bad — there are some good ones out there and I have served on many worship teams where we sing them. It’s just that a lot of the worship music coming out has the “rah rah Jesus” feel to it and that’s not the way Christ was. That kind of music would have been more appropriate if Christ had ridden into Jerusalem as the triumphant conquering king and kicked the Romans out. Praise the Lord that His mission was something else!

Apparently Lakewood is striving to be the first church in America to see 35,000 people and have bought the Compaq Center, a former sports stadium. While there are probably some people who genuinely *do* get something out of worship on Sunday, I have to say that their goal is based on popularity — something that Jesus preached against. If He wanted us to be popular, would He have included Matthew 5:11 in the Beatitudes? Was the Church popular for the first 300 years of its existence? We are not called to be like the world — we are called to be above it. I’m not saying that 35,000 people worshipping the Lord would be a bad thing — I’d just like to know that they’re doing it with a heart that is reconciled to the Lord and not with some Gospel of warm fuzziness.

In a move completely unlike FOXNews, the author of the article provides a perspective from the other side. They quote Richard Wise, a member of a United Methodist Church in Indiana, who speaks out against it. Some of the better soundbites are these:

“Sin is in life and sin is everywhere. We are all sinners. If you just leave church feeling good you are missing the whole point. The point is you need a purpose in life.” (referring to Osteen’s comment on Lakewood focusing on the goodness of God)

“We call on a lot of individuals from our church because we know them. We visit them when they are sick or take communion or flowers to them.” (talking about how being part of a smaller church means that there is a community feel)

“I don’t see how you could put God first in your life if all you’re going to do is go to church and feel good about being there. I enjoy good music and a good sermon, but what did you really get out of the message?” (referring to the whole “feel good” approach)

The biggest church I have been part of was my college church in Santa Cruz. We probably worshipped 500+ per Sunday (probably much more than that) and it was definitely worship and preaching that moved people’s hearts instead of making them feel good. My husband pastors a two-point parish that gets maybe 150 people (both churches combined) on Sunday morning and I think that situation feeds the people more than going to a church which might be popular but gives them a very superficial taste of Jesus. Yes, we have fraction of the people worshipping at Lakewood; but the population of the county is smaller than the supposed membership at Lakewood and we’re in a heavily churched area. (Rick Warren doesn’t know jack about rural ministry, so preaching the Gospel of a purpose-driven life will get you nowhere with me.) Members have told me that being in a smaller church gives them a chance to be involved in ways that they couldn’t be involved in a megachurch setting. Yes, megachurches provide small groups but what percentage of people actually attend them? They’re a spiritual filling station for Winnebago Christians!

I should probably close by saying that I’m not criticizing the fact that Lakewood and other megachurches want to spread the Gospel. There are people who have benefitted from their ministries and I’m not denying that. Rather, I’m criticizing the way they are doing church and the attitudes that they are conveying by what they do. Church should not be about feeling good and churches should not be into the numbers game with their members. A church where people are nourished spiritually is a better indicator of a church’s effectivness than a large population is.