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

[Jvette]

The Council of Jerusalem

[Elsie]

...but from what we know about God and Jesus.

Maybe; but an AWFUL lot of ASSUMPTIONS about Mary are made!

[Elsie]

Who would walk away from the Presence of Christ?

Uh, those who believed THIS Scripture?

---

Ephesians 5:6-7

6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.

[Jvette]

*****That’s only a few, there ARE more and as you said all the many verses that speak about Jesus being the incarnate Almighty God, second person of the Trinity and Son of God - which, since we know there is ONLY one God, Jesus IS God in the flesh. *****

Very true, we do know that. But, did the Apostles fully understand that? How God is One, yet three distinct persons?

I don’t think so. I think that has been grappled with for centuries and even today, the concept is hard to explain fully.

As I said in my previous post, the God that we know and understand today is not the one of the Jews of Jesus’ time, the God of the OT.

[Elsie]

The early Church did not have that.

Oh?

Then just what CAUSED so many to join this new 'teaching' at Pentacost?

[Elsie]

As usual, you throw out a boneheaded question that on its face doesn’t deserve anything other than laughter.

I'll try to remember...

[Jvette]

I know that non Catholics choose not to believe what Catholics teach about Mary, but those teachings are not just assumptions made from whole cloth. They come from years and years of study and debate and prayer upon what is written in Scripture.

[Elsie]

And therein lies the heart of the matter. Pride.

I'll also try to remember this.

[Elsie]

I understand why there are those who feel that way, there have always been people outside the Church who thought they knew Truth yet didn’t. Pride.

I understand why there are those who feel that way, there have always been people INSIDE the Church who thought they ONLY knew Truth yet didn’t. Pride.

[bkaycee]

I’ve had a cradle Catholic who’s fallen away tell me “Catholics don’t read the Bible.” This was someone who heard the Bible read every Sunday at Mass and attended Catholic school where there were religion classes. How can such a disconnect be possible?

I was a cradle Catholic (27 years) and I don't recall every reading the Bible in 12 years of parochial school, St. Michaels. I assume the catechism had snippets of the scripture, but don't ever recall reading from a real bible.

It is true that Catholics who attend Mass, here the scriptures 3 to 4 minutes every Sunday.

[boatbums]

Oh, those tacky old things??? They’re just hand-me-downs! ;o)

[Jvette]

That is a very different question than that of the doctrine of the Trinity.

Of course, the Church has always had the Holy Spirit and as the years went on the writings of the Apostles.

At Pentecost and for many years there was only the verbal preaching of the Gospel. The first written words of the NT did not come for nearly two decades following Christ’s resurrection.

[metmom]

I know that non Catholics choose not to believe what Catholics teach about Mary, but those teachings are not just assumptions made from whole cloth. They come from years and years of study and debate and prayer upon what is written in Scripture.

And just where in Scripture does it even suggest or imply that Mary was perpetually virgin or that she was assumed to heaven?

[metmom]

LOL!!!

Pretty nice hand-me-downs.

That’s better living for not owning anything than most people I know who work for a living have.

[Elsie]

I think some dronees would beg to differ from wherever their souls went.

You're right; but they are NOT killed on our soil or in OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

(Yet...)

[Iscool]

Sola Scriptura claims that "if something isn't in the Bible, then don't trust it with matters of salvation". But sola Scriptura is nowhere to be found in the Bible.

It's all over the bible...Just because you guys refuse to acknowledge it doesn't make your claim true...Numerous scriptures have been posted on here countless times...Perhaps you guys have been blinded to the truth...

Third: sola Scriptura leaves all (I'll borrow the acronym from NYer!) "YOPIOS" (Your Own Personal Interpretation Of Scripture) users without any final guide for knowing whether their interpretation is RIGHT or not.

We've got the guide all right...And it's not a matter of interpretation...It's a matter of belief...

Nope...The question is why don't you believe that...Most of you guys claim you are still under the law...Seems like that would be right up your alley...

Again, it's a matter of believing 'all' of the scriptures...As with the Catholics, the Seventh Day Adventists have to leave out tons of scripture to come up with their theology...

[Elsie]

Thank you for at least posting what my actual words, yet never in any of those posts do I say that the Bible does not teach that Jesus is God.

Wiggle wiggle...

... I say that the Bible does not SAY that Jesus is God.

[Elsie]

Why do you suppose Simeon said that a sword would pierce her heart?

Cutting REAL flesh and shedding REAL blood - or a metaphor?

[Jvette]

Let me say this regarding your question.

When Peter stands to speak after the coming of the Holy Spirit he does not say that Jesus is God, the second person of the Holy Trinity. He says that God has made this Jesus, Lord and Messiah!

The Apostles did not know everything from the beginning. That is why Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to lead them to all truth. Not everything was perfectly clear as yet to them, just as when Jesus spoke of the Eucharist, it was not clear how He could give them His flesh to eat and His blood to drink.

[Iscool]

Secondly: anti-Catholic Protestants who appeal to "sola Scriptura" already have the Bible... but from where? They inherited it from the very Catholic Church Whom they attack and malign.

The Bible of the Reformation was the King James Bible...It is responsible for leading millions upon millions of sinners to Jesus Christ...

The KJV is not a Catholic bible...Never has been...Never will be...Your claim is false...