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

[smvoice]

It may not be comforting, but it’s true. Why do you think they’re called the “little flock” and not the “huge flock”??

[CynicalBear]

>>OK. Which post was that?<<

I’ll make it easy for you.

Let’s take the prayer of Prayer of Pope Pius XII. [http://catholicism.about.com/od/tothevirginmary/qt/Honor_Immacula.htm]

I’ll use just the bolded excerpts from the prayer.

we cast ourselves into your arms

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (When did we need to replace God with Mary?)

confident of finding in your most loving heart appeasement of our ardent desires, and a safe harbor from the tempests which beset us on every side.

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (once again Catholics replacing Christ with Mary)

O crystal fountain of faith

Romans 12:3 according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. or "a measure of faith." (but Mary is the “fountain of faith” for Catholics)

Lily of all holiness

1 Samuel 2:2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. (for Catholics however, “all holiness” is given to Mary)

Conqueress of evil and death

Hosea 13:14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes. (but Catholics claim it was Mary who conquered death)

Convert the wicked

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; (Catholics have even replaced the Holy Spirit with Mary)

Statement by catholic Bishop Liqouri “.......We often more quickly obtain what we ask by calling on the name of Mary than by invoking that of Jesus.....” She...is our Salvation, our Life, our Hope, our Counsel, our Refuge, our Help”

Need I go on? Catholics have replaced virtually every attribute and working of God and given that to Mary in their worship.

[terycarl]

>>yes...if you claim to be a Christian, and are not a Catholic, you are a Protestant<< How utterly naïve.

choose another name if you please....the world knows you as a protestant.

[Jvette]

Actually, the Marian doctrines started from an attack on the person of Christ. As His mother, she certainly was pertinent when studying and confirming who He was and is still.

The way in which the Church reached a conclusive understanding of those doctrines can be found in Acts. The Council of Jerusalem set the formula that has been used through 20 centuries to come to know the truth and to share that truth with the Body of Christ.

[terycarl]

.....Catholics are true Christians.... The "Beam us up" guy was a True Scotsman; too.

Catholics were the ONLY Christians for about one thousand six hundred years until someone thought they could do it beyyer!!

[bkaycee]

There is only one church

Offcourse, and that church is the Orthodox Church. ;)

[CynicalBear]

That’s what you got from my post 417? Are you kidding me? Is reading comprehension a struggle for you?

>> Do you understand what you are saying?<<

It’s clearly obvious to me that you do not.

[terycarl]

That people were SHOCKED that a pope should carry his own bag. ASTONDING

my wife doesn't carry her own bag and believe me, she doesn't live an opulent lifestyle.....it is common courtesy to assist a person who has some stature...mayor, governor, king, pope, congressman...teacher....whatever

[BipolarBob]

I responded to the wrong person again. Oops.

[CynicalBear]

>>Please ... you tell me, what is the soldier doing in that photo?<<

I have no idea nor will I speculate. It is however ludicrous to compare that to people kneeling before the image of Mary knowing what they have published about praying to her.

[CynicalBear]

Which He followed with.

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

But alas, the Catholics still insist, contrary to Jesus words, it is the flesh.

[CynicalBear]

No, you were making sport of Jesus words. Those that are contained in the Greek text, not some erroneous translation.

[terycarl]

Offcourse, and that church is the Orthodox Church. ;)

close, but no cigar...the Orthodox church, certainly is part of the true church, but their denial of the Pope as the vicar of Christ on Earth presents a minor problem.....minor, but a problem.

[CynicalBear]

>> The point is that Scripture never calls Jesus God.<<

Acts 20:28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

Who does scripture say shed His blood on the cross?

Hebrews 1:8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

Who is the “son” and who does that verse of scripture say He is?

[Mrs. Don-o]

Elsie, my friend, despite all the glee this display of papal sinfulness may provoke, it proves nothing, since I reckon anybody who took European History in the 9th or 10th grade would know that there have been terribly sinful popes (and sinful kings, and sinful mothers, and even sinful reformers.) Someone once defined History as "One Damned Thing After Another."

When I was about that age --- 9th grade --- I was determined to get the whole dose of BAD at once, so i camped out with the Encyclopedia Britannica and, sorting through men who were merely mediocre, incompetent, compromised, weak or stupid, I compiled my own roster of Really Crappy Popes. I think my list was probably pretty similar to yours, except I see you missed the misnamed Pope Innocent III, who was a biggie.

Here's an interesting item about Innocent III. On the very day that he died (in Rome), he appeared to St. Lutgarda (an abbess in Belgium), totally in flames. He told her that, for three crimes of his, he would burn in Purgatory for centuries --in fact, until the end of time -- unless helped by the prayers of Christians. He begged her to have her nuns pray for his soul. Then he disappeared.

So yeah, Mega-Baddies, some 8 or, I would say, 9 of them out of 266, some of the rest being mediocre men, some brilliant, some saints.

But what does that prove? None of them have been sinless, starting with Peter the Triple-Denier. We all know that.

And I don't think any of them, by the way, slept in that bed. None of them stayed at the guest hostel, Domus Sanctae Marthe, until Francis: he was the first.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"Zombies" for receiving Christ?

I assume you have a chapter and verse?

[Mrs. Don-o]

Scripture is (of course) quite right that He knew they wouldn't believe. That was their problem: that they didn't believe what He said about eating His Body and drinking His Blood.

Which He said about 5 or 6 times, so they couldn't miss it.

[CynicalBear]

>>it is just that only a small minority are actually led to truth.<<

Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

>>That’s not comforting.<<

Stop trusting the RCC and sincerely ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.

[Truth2012]

Hmm.. I am thinking that you haven’t actually read the Bible, but that you are cutting and pasting to make it look like you are an expert.

And you aren’t. Here let me help you, the God I was referring to, who you questioned, is the God of Genesis (for starters). I suspect you are unfamiliar with the God of Ester.

In both those books it is very clear where someone would get the idea of a wedding ring, for their Christian wedding ceremony- (based on Jewish customs).

I am going to guess this is all a depth to which you have not chosen to find, because you would have to do a little leg work and not be spoon fed like a little baby.

And my reading comp scores are generally in the 98% range. Thanks. :)

[CynicalBear]

>>If Jesus’ flesh is “no help at all” why did he bother becoming Incarnate?<<

Ask Him. But you will actually find the answer in the Old Testament if you ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to that truth.