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

[SoothingDave]

So, it is bowing down that we are not to do? The point of this commandment is to ensure proper posture?

That’s preposterous.

People make idols of many things. Fame, power, wealth. But, as i understand you, that is all fine. As long as they don’t make a statue of their false god and bow before it.

Is it possible that the commandment is about what you worship and not about literally making and bowing?

[SoothingDave]

You said it.

An image is not an idol.

Because you see an idol in what others consider to be images does not make them idolators.

[Jvette]

*****I’m glad that you realize that non-Catholics can be Brothers and Sisters in Christ with you, for that is not the official Catholic Doctrine, as expressed by numerous posters on this thread******

OH PLEASE. This one is just over the top. That is not the official Catholic teaching. If anything, the EXACT opposite is the case.

[Heart-Rest]

"God said not to make them to bow down to them. Surely you aren’t insinuating that there are now 11 commandments are you?"

CynicalBear, you added that word "to" to that Bible text -- it is not in the Bible.

That word you added of course changes the whole meaning of that text completely.

Why did you add that word to the Bible text, CynicalBear?    Do you make a habit of doctoring up Bible texts like that, to make them agree with your viewpoint?    Do you think God wants you to change the Bible like that?

[metmom]

Why do you think God said *or*?

[Iscool]

Jesus Christ told us to pray and we're told to pray for one another.

Yes...TO HIM...Not Mary...

[metmom]

Because people are bowing down before the images, makes them idols.

[Jvette]

The prideful here will never, never agree to such a thing.

[johngrace]

Sad? I guess you do not want to answer the Questions? Have a Good evening.

[Coleus]

that’s why the church would be better if the faithful stayed and those who don’t know the faith or practice it, leave.

[Jvette]

Where does Jesus tell us to pray to Him?

[Iscool]

And secondly, it is no longer wine, it is the Blood of Jesus Christ and I am protected when I drink from the cup?

Protected from what???

Don’t they know that drinking from the one cup first of all is not necessary for the Body and Blood of Christ are both in the consecrated host?

That is contrary to what Jesus taught...Can you show us where your relgion got the authority to change what Jesus clearly taught???

[metmom]

If you go back to post 110, the one to which iscool is responding, you’ll see that the antecedent for *HIM, is referring to God.

[CynicalBear]

>>CynicalBear, you added that word "to" to that Bible text -- it is not in the Bible.

Dude, you need to check before you make statements. Makes you look bad when you don’t.

>>Why did you add that word to the Bible text, CynicalBear?<<

Wow! You think I did all these versions plus others I didn’t include? You give me much too much credit son.

Exodus 20:5

New International Version
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

New Living Translation
You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected--even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.

English Standard Version
You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,

King James Bible
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers' sin, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

International Standard Version
You are not to bow down to them in worship or serve them, because I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the iniquity of the parents to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me,

NET Bible
You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children to the third and fourth generations of those who reject me,

King James 2000 Bible
You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

American Standard Version
Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them, for I Jehovah thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me,

Young's Literal Translation
Thou dost not bow thyself to them, nor serve them: for I, Jehovah thy God, am a zealous God, charging iniquity of fathers on sons, on the third generation, and on the fourth, of those hating Me,

[terycarl]

things like "consubstantial". The Vatican is full of people who are REALLY out of touch on this.

Good grief....the word consubstantial was in the old latin Mass....there's nothing new about it at all......when we sang the "Credo" in Latin...."consubstantianum Patri" was a line in the song...

[CynicalBear]

>>I guess you do not want to answer the Questions?<<

Nah, not much sense in it. To honor and what Catholics do is so far removed from each other as to not deserve answers to those types of questions.

[johngrace]

So you can’t answer? okay. Have a good evening.

[terycarl]

those are beautiful pictures of Catholics praying to God asking Mary to intercede on their behalf....I do that too

[terycarl]

If “consubstantial” is that difficult, one could seek out assistance.

Consubstantial is not the "new" language, it is a return to what the creed was in Latin....Consubstantialum Patri ....were words in the Credo sung in Latin.

[Heart-Rest]

"The Hebrew word that is sometimes translated *image* is also the word for *idol*. An image is not by default an idol....bowing is bowing"

And that first link you provided says that what is translated "bow down" can also be translated "worship them or serve them", not just "bow down" -- see the top right of the page in your first link you provided, "http://biblehub.com/exodus/20-4.htm".

Also, please not that every single example from the Bible translations shown on your link adds words "or likeness" to "image" or to the word "idol" (or the equivalent), just like the King James Version says "image OR likeness", not just "image".

The word shown in your Hebrew reference link you provided there for "likeness" is "temunah" ( http://biblesuite.com/hebrew/temunah_8544.htm ), and is plainly shown in your reference there as meaning "likeness" -- NOT "idol" -- look again at your links.

(A "likeness" is a "likeness"...)

The true, official teaching of the Catholic Church is that we only worship God, no one or nothing else.    Anyone who claims otherwise is simply not speaking the truth.