A Megachurch and Worldly Influence

It turns out, I kind of go to a mega-church. Did anyone gag a little just now? That term has such a negative connotation for me. Like, thousands of mindless idiots gather together because their friends do and sing hip music with a stage and lights and then listen to a feel good sermon about being moralistic. Some of that is a little bit true about my church. Thousands of people do attend there. They do play hip music on a stage with lights. They also play traditional hymns. There has never been smoke, so that's a really good thing. I think that might cross some line for me. We do listen to really good sermons, but they are gospel centered. We do have ipads for childcare check-in. We do watch movies in our church. Then we have a discussion that helps us understand how we can draw parallels to life/topics portrayed in art and how we should act/feel/respond as Christians.

I have seen those church services that are aired on television and I've seen books published by pastors, and I get to wondering at what point the minister is pursuing a calling and when they might cross over to seek fame, fortune, etc. It's not for me to judge, but I am trying to be a discerning member of my church and always be certain that I belong to a church body that is ultimately worshiping God with every decision made. So are ipads necessary for childcare check-in? No, of course not. But they make things pretty efficient, and you can buy a lot more ipads than computers. They're small and quick, and touchscreen. And certainly, it appeals to someone who walks in off the street to see the things they would see in their everyday world. Of course, there is a balance there as well.

There are dozens of things I could say really, but ultimately, I think my point is that my issues with going to a large church stem from what the world has to say about a large church. The Bible tells us that the original church grew daily. That it went from 100 to 1000 in a blink. People are drawn to Jesus. They are drawn to the gospel. So perhaps a large church, at least sometimes, can be a sign that God is working in people's lives. I need to adjust my thinking to be thankful for the people God is bringing to the Crossing, so that they can hear His Word and be brought into a community of (imperfect) believers.