A little taste of a megachurch
Those of you who don't live in an area with a "megachurch" really can't appreciate the local weirdness they produce. Here in Houston we have three huge Baptist megachurches that each hold several services every Sunday and seat over 10,000 at each service.
Just as an idea, take a look at this. Second Baptist in Houston, the biggest and richest of the Houston megachurches, is taking their Easter services out of the amphitheater-like church and holding services in Minute Maid Park, the 40,000+ capacity baseball stadium that is home to the Houston Astros. (admission is free)
This things gonna have freaking Clay Walker and CeCe Winans performing. (at half time?)
They have been running these TV ads promoting this thing which features the two pastors in Astros jerseys holding baseball bats telling everybody to come on out to Minute Maid Park for "Resurrection Day." (I haven't found a picture yet on the web.)
Second Baptist, like most megachurches in Houston, was closed on Christmas in 2005.
Just as an idea, take a look at this. Second Baptist in Houston, the biggest and richest of the Houston megachurches, is taking their Easter services out of the amphitheater-like church and holding services in Minute Maid Park, the 40,000+ capacity baseball stadium that is home to the Houston Astros. (admission is free)
This things gonna have freaking Clay Walker and CeCe Winans performing. (at half time?)
They have been running these TV ads promoting this thing which features the two pastors in Astros jerseys holding baseball bats telling everybody to come on out to Minute Maid Park for "Resurrection Day." (I haven't found a picture yet on the web.)
Second Baptist, like most megachurches in Houston, was closed on Christmas in 2005.
posted by mikevotes at
2:18 PM
4 Comments:
For some, church is not so much a time for prayerful reflection and self-examination... it's more like an entertainment extravaganza for the self-congratulatory self-righteous.
By
-epm, at 9:53 PM
Alot of these megachurches are like that.
If you can imagine a ridiculously extravagant self help seminar with the figure of adoration flanked on one side by the choir, his adoring wife on the other and a giant 50' video screen behind him.
It's really weird.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 10:15 PM
Just passing through.
A.) Have any of you been to Second?
B.) We have plenty of "prayerful reflection" and "self-examination," and when you refer to the "self-congratulatory self-righteous" churches, I believe you refer to Lakewood Church, a non-Biblical "self-help seminar" that made the hugest deal out of moving to the Toyota Center. We, on the other hand, use actual Bible verses that don't always make us feel too good, though some do. We also don't make a big deal out of the fact that we've got more people than Lakewood, and have a Bible study at Minute Maid.
C.) Speaking of a "self-help seminar," Dr. Young is one of the most challenging and non-wussy preachers that is more than willing to receive death threats and risk persecution (i.e. unfounded hate blogs) for what God stands for. How many preachers do you know that promised the burners of the slough of black churches a few years ago that he would build them back up again, twice as big, and deliver on that promise.
D.) A "giant 50' video screen" sure is nice for the hundreds of people that can't see Dr. Youngs face in the back rows, and helps a little with Powerpoint slides and videos. No, these aren't distracting anymore than stained glass or an organ is distracting. And at least his "adoring wife" hasn't been escorted off a plane by Federal Marshals.
E.) We don't "seat over 10,00 at each service," not that we shouldn't. Great research.
F.) Only the West campus at Second is "amphitheater-like," and it's actually kind of cool. Like what a Greek church might have been like. Great research.
G.) Perhaps Second was closed on Christmas in 2005 because WE WERE AT THE TOYOTA CENTER? Again, great research.
H.) "freaking Clay Walker and CeCe Winans" will be performing, Jealous. And if you think it's wasteful to spend money on performing artists (although Clay Walker and most of the soloists attend our churches), consider these simple equations:
major event=people=changed lives
good music=more people=more changed lives
more people+more changed lives=more money
(this is where the independent auditors come in, mind you)
more money=major events+more service+more changed lives
I'm pretty bad at math, but that makes sense to me, especially if you look at all the businesses that follow that same formula with some big hoopla over something. Not that the single most decisive event in history is important.
I.) You didn't mention that the "self-righteous" Baptists are singing real gospel music with a a real gospel church. Yes, that's a mainly white church combining with a mainly black church of a different denomination. Not like it made the front page of the Houston Chronicle or anything.
J.) I don't see any "abuse of power, deception, corruption, and just plain bad ideas in government and corporations" inherent in the way that we do church. Also, it might be interesting to note that while smaller chuches that restrict themselves to either traditional or contemporary music and preaching are growing, we're growing faster because we blend these two. Lakewood Church, however, is weird. You looked like you needed something to talk about.
By
Anonymous, at 1:15 AM
All Second Baptist Campuses had services Christmas morning, even after the big Christmas Eve service the night before at Toyota Center.
By
Anonymous, at 2:48 PM
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