MegaChurch or Catholic Church?

taylormarshall.com ^ | August 26, 2013 | Dr. Taylor Marshall

[NYer]

Megachurch. Two young ladies. Both had left the Catholic Church. Both were now attending “megachurches.” We had a good chat together. I wanted to understand their reasons for why they left the Catholic Church for a megachurch.

Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Megachurch
43,500 weekly attendance

I was at the bank and somehow I got into a spiritual conversation with two Hispanic executives that worked there.

Why the Megachurch?

When I asked why they exchanged the Catholic Church for the megachurch, they gave me a number of reasons:

1. “My new church has an iPhone app. I can go on my iPhone and get Bible studies, sermons (video and audio). When I travel I can still watch the sermon, either live or later. I feel apart of the community.”
2. “The preaching is dynamic and speaks to my life. I find practical encouragement.”
3. “I felt judged at the Catholic Church.”
4. “People were not friendly or welcoming at the Catholic Church. The first time I went to my new church, I was welcomed by so many people.”
5. “My new church has classes and courses that are interesting and helpful.”
6. “The music is better.”
7. “In the Catholic Church, they use a lot of words that I did not understand.”
8. “People pray for each other and know each other (in the megachurch).”

Although these two ladies didn’t articulate it explicitly to me, I could tell that they were very proud of their new churches. I could also discern in them a surprise that I am so “spiritual” and yet I am very excited about being Catholic. They assumed the “with it” people were leaving Catholicism for the bigger and better and deal.

I asked them what they miss about being Catholic. They replied with two answers:

1. “There are not any crosses in my new church. I know it makes some people feel uncomfortable, but I wish we had crosses.”
2. “What will I do when I die?” They were both unclear about whether they could get anything like Last Rites at the megachurch.

What About the Eucharist?

I asked both about the Eucharist: “Don’t you miss the Eucharist?”

This question didn’t phase them one bit. “Oh we still have communion. They pass out little crackers and cups of juice. I like this better because I thought drinking from one big cup is icky. Spreads germs.”

“But in the Catholic Church,” I replied, “we believe that the Eucharist is the real Body and Blood of Jesus?”

I may as well have said, “Don’t you know that there are Martians in my back pocket.” She was unaware that the Catholic Church taught this. No idea.

The Problem

This, my brothers and sisters, is the crux of the problem. These girls were raised as Catholics, but did not know about the Eucharist. They did not know that the Eucharist is God. They did not understand the Holy Eucharist is the center of the Catholic tradition.

So when they compare our ho-hum Catholic music and pedestrian sermons to snazzy well produced musical productions and highly polished bulleted sermons from handsome professional speakers…where are they going to go?

If they had believed that the Holy Eucharist is truly the Lord Jesus Christ, then they would have stayed. This is the task of the New Evangelization if there is going to be one. Can we communicate the mystery of Eucharist. If we fail in that, everyone is leaving the building.

Godspeed,
Taylor

PS: I don’t mean to suggest that having the Holy Eucharist is an excuse for bad music, bad vestments, bad architecture, and bad sermons. The Eucharist is like a precious diamond. It deserves a platinum setting…not a plastic setting. We can’t say, “Well, we have the Eucharist – so you’re forced to stay and have a miserable experience every Sunday.” We can’t keep the sacraments hostage to mediocracy.

PPS: With 1 billion strong, the Catholic Church is the real megachurch!

Pope Francis at Rio de Janeiro
3 million people

[HiTech RedNeck]

I am making a personal testimony. You had polio. I fought out from under a mountain of sin and in such a way that it was clear at the end the Holy Spirit was leading me on that fight. No man, no philosophy won it. The Holy Spirit did.

You seem to be haunted by a spirit of accusation, incidentally, to come away with what you just came away with.

[CynicalBear]

>>without having to commit to a “EEK!<<

So you think God’s warnings in Revelation was an EEK? Scripture is written for our understanding if we but will. He didn’t include those prophesies to just make the writings more extensive.

[HiTech RedNeck]

And you beg the question and presume.

[CynicalBear]

>> My spiritual philosophy used to be “trace the shadows.” Now it is “trace the light.”<<

Understanding scripture is light not shadows.

[HiTech RedNeck]

If you bring eyes riddled with darkness to it, you won’t see nearly as much light as you would otherwise. “Renewing of your mind” is not woofing....

[CynicalBear]

>>And you beg the question and presume.<<

Presume? I back up all my beliefs with scripture.

[HiTech RedNeck]

With scripture viewed through darkened eyes I fear.

I trace the work of Christ and view Christ as conqueror wherever He is. Hardly unbiblical, but it puts the rest of the bible in context.

You are in “Oh, fear the shadows!” mode. I am in “Bring the light in!” mode. Christ is doing more than you are giving Him credit for. Christ cannot turn sin into non-sin, but Christ can take RESOURCES used by sin and turn them to righteousness.

[CynicalBear]

Ah! I didn’t realize you were still talking about your personal struggle as it followed my post about my having polio and was preceded by your statement “more polio. I thought you were suggesting my “more polio” was because I was wrestling with “deep sin”. My bad if I understood that wrong.

[CynicalBear]

>> With scripture viewed through darkened eyes I fear.<<

Darkened eyes? Are you kidding? My eyes have been opened.

>> You are in “Oh, fear the shadows!” mode.<<

No way is understanding prophesy “fear the shadows”. I fear nothing because I understand prophesy. >> Christ is doing more than you are giving Him credit for.<<

Christ is doing exactly as was prophesied.

[HiTech RedNeck]

No, no... your case looks to me like one “so that God might be glorified.” Not accusing you of having sinned to make it happen. Sometimes I am clumsy and do look for ways to be less clumsy.

Anyhow I was a royal screw up in ways I would never tell in public. But that was a matter of my resources having gone to the service of sin. I root for Christ now and for all Christ’s capabilities, having SEEN what they did for me. And when someone sells Christ’s capabilities short I get really, really peeved! Those years were not wasted.

[HiTech RedNeck]

You continue to beg the question here. People sometimes talk the bible more than they walk the bible. I walk it. God forced me to... I can’t brag on myself here! It was a life line I finally grabbed to the maximum not being able to tolerate the alternative. And voila! THE WORD WORKS!!!

[metmom]

It is not human efforts that keep your salvation going. But God gives you a range of choice in the quality of the results.

What a GREAT way to put it. Very succinct.

That was inspired.

[terycarl]

By 500 AD the Bible had been translated into over 500 languages. Just one century later, by 600 AD, it has been restricted to only one language: the Latin Vulgate!

who was doing these 500 translations? who was hand copying the thousands of books that must have existed. How were they getting into the hands of the VERY FEW who could read whatever language? What percentage of the people on Earth in the year 500A.D. had any idea at all of what thebible was and why they should be interested in it......and, if there were people who were, indeed, knowledgeable about the teachings of Christ, wouldn't they have been educated by Catholics....there were no other Christians on the planet.

as the teachings spread, don't you think that the church, at thaat time, felt a major obligation to insure that it was done correctly, ...according to "official" interpretation?? Perhaps you think that they should have accepted anyones interpretations, anyones teachings, anyones concepts.....wouldn't that have made early church leaders (Catholics) irresponsibly when it came to the protection and preservation of the true word of God????? Doesn't that sound a little like the problems with the Protestant revolution???

[metmom]

I could do that on a golf course, no sense wasting time at Mass any longer.

I did it at work.

I have a friend who did it at home, alone in his living room.

[metmom]

Don’t underestimate the trial physical affliction can be.

That often, or perhaps I should say always, has a spiritual component that is difficult to over come as well, in addition to overcoming the daily struggle with the physical affliction.

It’s different than dealing with gross sin, but Satan is an equal opportunity attacker and will kick us when we’re down, using that affliction against us.

[metmom]

There was a misunderstanding.

HTRN said *mere*, not *more*.....

[boatbums]

You say “vague” i say “succinct”. I don’t need you to teach me anything (and you haven’t) and the Orthodox don’t need you to speak for them.

Toe-MAY-toe, toe-MAH-toe? Your "succinctness" was not even vaguely concise and omitted the very MAJOR dogmas that continues - after a thousand years - to separate them. It is futile to think they will ever come over to Rome's view of the faith.

As for your need for further education WRT the Orthodox faith, it was apparent that, whatever you say you know about them, you DID need a better resource from which to learn. The Eastern Orthodox caucus on the Religion Forum is seldom heard from, I just didn't want others reading your words to come away thinking what you spouted was the actual truth.

[metmom]

How were they getting into the hands of the VERY FEW who could read whatever language?

How do you know what the literacy rates were back then?

Why do so many people presume so much illiteracy in the old days?

[terycarl]

OK, To start with, show me the chapter and verse where it says that Satan expresses belief that Jesus is Lord and Savior.

you have to be kidding....you would ssuggest for one moment that Satan does not know that Jesus Christ is God.....his creator, savior of mankind from his temptations...please

[terycarl]

I could do that on a golf course, no sense wasting time at Mass any longer. I did it at work. I have a friend who did it at home, alone in his living room.

good luck with that