Mega Churches - Hearing the Word of Jesus!

Mega Churches  -  hearing the Word of Jesus!

In the bible belt of the South there were many itinerant preachers in the early 20’s and 30’s; men who knew somehow the need for people hearing about Jesus, with hope for a word to soothe their lonely souls.  From town to town they set up tents and with fire and brimstone preaching they gathered many who turned their lives over to Christ through baptism of the spirit.

Today we find that there also is a need for souls filled with everything but the spirit of the Lord.  The term mega churches ring a loud growth of giant arenas that hold thousands of people who applaud these charismatic preachers for their tireless messages using the holy bible, teaching the Holy Word of salvation, and bringing many to an altar call, souls turning their lives over to God through Jesus Christ.

Somehow, the common Christian adherence of all main-line denominations, including Roman Catholic, are experiencing a drastic loss in attendance by the drifting away of too many staunch members of their congregations.  We find that quite a few that have left are now supporting these mega churches.  The question is why?  What have we either pushed them out, or neglected to present to them an approach to hold the flock together?

We may blame the Covid-19 panic that encompassed the entire world, especially the Church, where God has been blamed, as is the usual case when mankind blames everything they cannot explain, on God.  Hence, the perfect reason to search for a new way to satisfy their spiritual needs without the traditions and hierarchical regulations found in main-line worship.

There is a theme where a movie was made called; “The field of dreams'' where the title says “Build it and they will come.”  A baseball dream that opened a dramatic path to enhance the sport and the world opened the opportunity to reach the many who found  it all encompassing and worthwhile.  

These mega churches have done the same.  People are hungry for Christ.  Look at the intense extremes that are offering this hunger a plate for what many have lost due to so much clutter of things they have grown tired of.  Why has the initial attraction to old-time church themes become so out of reach?  

It is not easy thinking about the different elements that have pulled the most active Christians away from the standard way of worship, the preaching, the music we grew up with, and the subdued manner in which we have fellowship with one another.  The basic theme of Catholicism is adherence to what Lent, the suffering of Jesus, and the ultimate Sunday Morning Christ arose promising us the same resurrection.  If these prime themes are not preached we will have missed the point.  

Here might very well be the key to what we worship without the clutter of a lot of loud music, a promise of receiving everything we pray for and no more need to think bad things, especially a man of sorrows carrying our sins upon his back on the way to Calvary.  We preach Christ crucified.  What is the focal point for those who have left and found a way different from the church they left behind?  The main focus of worship is not to feel good when leaving the service but to evangelize the many who are not attending either the main-line denominations or the mega churches that may not be able to fulfill their charismatic flair.  In either case those who should be there are not.  The pleasures of life and the exultant feelings we get when leaving our worship arena are not what Christ is waiting for.  It is the mandate to search the world and preach to the poor.  Hear the message of the Word of Jesus and preach it as like listening to it .

Ralph B. Hathaway