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

[Elsie]

The God of the Jews, as they understood Him to be was not one God in three persons, so when I say that Scripture does not call Jesus God, it is this God that I am referring to.

Next time it comes up; please be a bit more specific.

We will avoid a lot of wasted time if you do.

[Jvette]

NO wiggle.

I did not say what was attributed to me.

I say without ambiguity or hesitation that we can know from the Bible that Jesus is God.

[daniel1212]

Those who believe in Sola Scriptura disagree amongst themselves.

Those who believe in the alternative Sola Ecclesia (the church is supreme, as it authoritatively defines what Divine revelation consists of and its meaning) disagree amongst themselves.

So either: 1. Truth is unknowable and God is the author of chaos Or 2. God left us a teaching church, with the authority to settle disputes.

Incomplete, you mean without an assuredly infallible church, that being Rome, truth is unknowable and God is the author of chaos. But which is a false conclusion and dilemma. The lack of an infallible church does not mean truth is unknowable and God is the author of chaos, for if that was the case then no one could know or have assurance of truth prior to church of Rome.

And if the magisterium before that was infallible then no church would be legit.

Nor does disagreement on matters of truth mean is God to be blamed, any more copyists errors in Bibles. Moreover, not only has comprehensive doctrinal unity remained a goal not yet realized, nor is that what unity Jn. 17 refers to, but Romanism itself abounds with things they can disagree on (even as to which teachings are infallible and forbid dissent), even beyond her paper unity, and fosters more liberalism and less unity on many core issues than evangelicalism, and substantially disagrees with the Byzantine rite on what Tradition, Scripture and history teaches.

The Roman premise than an assuredly infallible ecclesiastical magisterium is necessary to define and preserve truth and for unity, and that being the steward of Divine revelation and inheritor of promises of God's presence and preservation, and having historical descent requires of means such is infallible, is manifestly false .

[Elsie]

You got 200 more to read before you find out that is not EXACTLY what she meant...

[Jvette]

True, I am not very good at putting my thoughts into words.

[Elsie]

Yee haw!

[Elsie]

They come from years and years of study and debate and prayer upon what is written in Scripture.

Just Like I said: It ain't in the bible.

[Iscool]

God gave NO ONE (including you) an infallible ability to know positively what every last word, phrase and section of Scripture says; nor did He give anyone an infallible ability to know positively how any given Greek or Hebrew word/phrase/idiom translates best into any other language (which will always lose something in the translation, anyway). God gave us a limited understanding by which we can know, with reasonable certainty, many of the easier and clearer meanings of various Scripture passages--but to assume more than that would be foolish... and unbiblical:

God said he would preserve his words forever...Do you believe he did???

[HiTech RedNeck]

That wasn’t the question of course!

[Elsie]

I did not say what was attributed to me.

Oh?

It looked pretty clear to me.

Maybe you didn't MEAN it...

[HiTech RedNeck]

That’s a different affair than the matter of whether we as people can tell what the correct version is when there is a doubt.

In practice our best copies of bible texts are robust enough that scribal differences don’t impact the overall meaning any. It at most becomes a question of WHERE in the scripture a particular doctrine is found, not WHETHER.

[Iscool]

No modern pope has "lived in opulence"... and only ignorance could lead someone to say otherwise.

It is well known that your modern popes lived in opulance...Gorgeous papal palace...Servants at his beck and call...He even used three forks to eat lunch with...

And then we have the pope's 'summer cottage'

And what a home it is. The complex, which overlooks Lake Albano and what's left of the enormous villa of the first-century Roman Emperor Domitian, actually dwarfs Vatican City by almost 400,000 square feet. It comes complete with landscaped gardens, an arboretum, natural conservatories, museums and fish ponds.

I think it is only in deceit that someone could claim that modern popes don't live in opulance...

[Iscool]

Ooops. I guess Jesus forgot about Rome, eh?

They're going to have to get on Jesus for leaving Rome out...

[Iscool]

Quite convenient For a Church that has NEVER erred on... what is it again?

And never changes...

[Iscool]

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

And not the flesh...

[boatbums]

Betcha them sheets is 2000 thread ct. 100% Egyptian cotton! ;o)

[boatbums]

I cannot believe we are arguing THIS again. Who cares if the Pope is only "borrowing" the regalia of the office. The real question should be, where did the Roman Catholic Church get the billions and billions in property and money in the first place? Did Jesus not instruct his disciples to take no thought for their clothes and food and to trust God to provide? Did he not tell them to store up treasure in heaven and NOT on earth? For an idea how the RCC became so wealthy, see The Vatican Billions - Two Thousand Years of Wealth Accumulation.

[Iscool]

If i follow Sola Scriptura i can shop around and find a local congregation and a Scripture interpretation that obliges my wishes.

Or, you can stay where you are at, pretend you didn't have a valid marriage to begin with and get it annulled...Even if you have a dozen kids...

[Iscool]

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

I am dumbfounded that a person who claims to be a Class A (Catholic) Christian would ask that question...

[Iscool]

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.

HuH??? There is no information to study about her...Outside of the scriptures, everything credited to Mary by your religion is made up...

Mary's relatives and neighbors looked at her as a normal mother with a husband and family...

Besides, you have no confirmation on who Jesus was outside of Faith...