Welcome To Church
Come on in...it's warm and cozy...the newest church building in Houston.*
I'm not opposed to mega-churches...admittedly they're not for me...but this one I find unimaginable. It's Lakewood Church which I believe now constitutes the largest church in America. The congregation has "bought" the Compaq Center, where the Houston Rockets used to play and converted it into a church. They plan to pack it with multiple services each weekend since it can only hold 16-thousand people at a time.
I watched some of the initial services on TV - the church opened its doors on Saturday. I tuned out when Pastor Joel Osteen told the throng it was time to pass the plate...I wasn't sure how long that would take.
He did mention that it cost the congregation some 90-95 million dollars for the building and renovations. They still had 60 million dollars in construction loans to repay.
60 million dollars.
God does indeed work in mysterious ways.
*photographs from the Houston Chronicle
posted by Michael
©The Main Point by Michael Main
11 Comments
11 Comments:
(pant, pant, pant)
Sorry...I was running so fast in the other direction.....
the only way you're getting me in there is tied to a pole, headed for the center nave...
and sacrifice.
Yeesh. And with all that room, I don't feel there would be any listening for the still small voice.
(takes off again)
That is so unreal. I don't like going into crowds like that for even super special occasions, much less weekly for church! The logistics would be mind boggling - what if your toddler in the two-year-old class needed you? Or if you had a sudden call of nature, and you were in the middle of all that during a prayer time? And the parking??? And that's not even getting into the relational and spiritual issues involved... Ugh!!
I saw the Ringling Brother's Greatest Show on Earth there when it was still called the Summit. I also saw Sting play there on tour for his second solo album.
Ironically they now have a circus that is "Nothing Like the Son..."
I'm sorry. No really. Everyone has to find the worship experience that works for them. Alpha state just isn't my thing, but when my heart and brain are working together, I can make room for lots of other folks' priorities. Unfortunately I'm still primarily a knee-jerk and self-centered enough to post the first part of this comment while claiming to apologize for it.
I wonder if they still charge for parking?
Incredible stuff.
Take Care
another Michael
If I attended there, when they passed the plate, they'd also have to pass the paper lunch bags. Just looking at the pics makes me hyperventilate!
We have a mega-church about ten minutes from here. They actually have police directing traffic into/out of the parking lot(s) on Sundays. I avoid that part of town at all costs if punctuality is a concern.
The disciples told Jesus to send the 5,000 (not counting the women and children) away. Jesus didn't worry about the size of the crowd. He felt sorry for them, healed everyone who was sick and fed them too. God bless those with the faith to care for so many.
How in the world can the pastor possibly minister to the needs of his congregation? The sick? "Well if you're still in the hospital a month and a half from Tuesday I'll be by." Just too much for me.
I wonder what Jesus could have done with 95 million dollars.
God bless those who are good stewards and invest their talents where they produce fruit.
The kingdom is also like what happened when a man went away and put his three servants in charge of all he owned. The man knew what each servant could do.....
"Wonderful!" his master replied. You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you in charge of MUCH more.......
hmm...my thoughts? Well, I think that a person could sure get "lost" in a crowd that size....
i do have to say, though, that pastor joel osteen gave us some good fodder to use at summer camp. at the beginning of services the congregation holds up their Bibles and repeats after him as he says (this is awesome stuff, and you have to say Cheesusssss instead of Jesus and fake a Texan accent):
This is my Bible
I am what it says I am
I can do what it says I can do
Today I will be taught the Word of God
I boldly profess:
my mind is alert
my heart is receptive
And I will never be the same
Never, never, never
In Jesus' name...
Amen.
Some real truth in that, and hey, how many pastors can say that their people bring their Bibles to church with them?
But scary stuff. And we know what Jesus would do with $95M: orphans, widows, feed poor...
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