Mega churches do the brainwashing technique with the music and the crowds and the charismatic speaker....think Jim Jones...
Interesting article on the music element here:
https://academic.oup.com/shm/article/25/2/271/1739124
This article attempts to attack the notion of brainwashing by music, unsuccessfully imho—and has a lot of interesting history.
I don’t know - I was raised in the Presbyterian church, and I recall ‘losing myself’ and experiencing euphoria at times during certain hymns - but the old hymns were inspired by deep thought and consisted of real poetry.
I’ll have to read the paper, but the abstract suggests overthinking to me.
As far as I am concerned the best churches are the ones that have congregations that number in the hundreds. When you get to the size of a congregation that the minister or pastor does not recognize active members you are no longer able to function as a religious comunity that is looking out for each other and you end up leaving the door open for predator’s that look at the devout and religious as the perfect victims to take advantage of.
Yeah, just... stop.
I warn you as a Brother: DO NOT court the curse of Michal, daughter of Saul. She scorned the zealous worship of David before the Ark, and went to her grave BARREN.
EVERY church format can be abused.
I can get a bunch of blue hairs in for an old-time hymn sing and a sermon and abuse the sheep.
Don’t fall for the lie that ONLY certain formats are abusive; that’s laying a trap for your soul, prepping you to think you’ve got a legitimate basis of criticism, when you haven’t.
God’s not built His Church “one size fits all”; He’s built it “all sizes fit One.” To the extent that a congregation is bent on exalting The One, and preaching His Living Word, THAT congregation will bear fruit for The Kingdom whether or not there’s drums, smoke machines, colored lights, and a worship pastor with purple hair.
Well do the scriptures ask, “Who are you to judge another man’s servant? Before his own Master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the power of God will make him stand.”
And again, “You. Why do you judge your brother? Yes, you. Why do you despise your brother? You, he, and everyone else wull surely stand before the judgement seat of Messiah.”
.
Romans 14. Read it as if for the first time.