The way I see it, our duty is to be faithful to the Word of God, and a lot of the contemporary "worship" songs are nothing more than frothy feel-goodness, with NO Biblical and/or theological content. It becomes junk-food for the soul.
His word will go forth and not return void - it will accomplish what He purposes, but we need to be mindful that what we're putting forth is Truth, and not just what man wants to hear.
I've seen it happen first-hand where man, in his sin-soaked heart which is so easily drawn into emotion, gets "whipped up" into an emotional frenzy based on music and/or a dazzling light show or emotional power-point slideshow.
That entertainment becomes the center of his faith, and not Christ's atonement of our wretched state. It can easily become the only way he can "worship" - if he has that particular music. No prayer, no supplication, no humilty, no Godly sorrow for his sinful state - all because of some easy-to-sing songs.
I've seen this happen so often, especially in teens. The music and entertaining environment becomes their faith, because it appeals to their desire-driven nature. "What you win them with is what you win them to" - sort of thing. This can produce a lot of false conversion, and as such a lot of false assurance. It becomes a superficial faith. And when they eventually find out that nothing in their hearts have changed, they become embittered to anything resembling Church.
In the end, the seeker-sensitive flashy show can produce the exact opposite of what it intended.
I agree that this is not worship and, as you say, counterproductive.
But what would you say of a service that has all of these things (prayer, supplication, humility, repentance) AND simple-to-sing songs? There is no cause and effect between the two, in my opinion.
We pray, we confess, we praise, we read the Word, we hear a sermon on the word, we have a Baptist-style invitation (shhh, don't tell the other Methodists...) .
Anyway, I agree that seeker churches are empty calories, but I also believe that once someone is truly saved, they'll be moved by the spirit to leave for a deeper kind of worship.
"That entertainment becomes the center of his faith, and not Christ's atonement of our wretched state. It can easily become the only way he can "worship" - if he has that particular music. No prayer, no supplication, no humilty, no Godly sorrow for his sinful state - all because of some easy-to-sing songs."
This is SUCH an interesting discussion... strange "parody songs" and all...
On another board I frequent - my heart broke over a post a woman made... she HATES their Christmas Eve and Easter Services.. because... get this... it's ALL geared to Just the Christmas Story and Easter - and SHE prefers "worship". Her husband and children are involved in the music ministry and she doesn't know what to do because she feels like she HAS to be there - but the message isn't for her... (where's that eye popping smiley when I need it).
I have no idea whether her's is a "mega church" - but from the sounds of it it's a steady diet of "worship" .. no teaching to speak of.. certainly no gospel message... That has been my discomfort with mega churches... a lot of "worship" ... and not much teaching... a lot of dessert - but no meat.