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Have you visited a large mega-church with a fancy sound system and rockin-type music? What do you think of that sort of setting? Do you like that more than a traditional, hymn-based music service? If you were to attend a church, would you prefer a quiet, traditional setting? Or a more contemporary, showy atmosphere?
Before I stopped attending church, I was a member at a pretty large church. Maybe not a mega church compared to some (1800 members) but one of the larger ones in my town. I've also attended services at many, many small country congregations, and in fact my father is a preacher at just such a church. Overall I prefered the larger church, mainly because I could slip in and out with ease. I'm definitely not a social person, which is probably one of the reasons I stopped attending church long before I stopped believing in God.
I have been to two 'mega churches', one in Tulsa and one in southern California. Both absolutely disgusted me. Alllll that money to get a fancy sound system, expensive flooring/seating/etc. tvs, video game consoles for the 'sunday school' and what not.....
They could have used all of that to help people... poor people, underpriveleged people, sick people... and instead they felt it would be best used on speakers.
My uncle is head of a Pagan group and they meet outside, or in peoples houses. To my Uncle Billy, a large building is the least useful thing you can have. I tend to be on his side of thoughts.
I am a Christian but do not attend church currently, except when I visit my parent's church when I visit them every month or so.
I was raised in a small church but have been to many mega-churches over the years and was even a choir member at a 6k member church in Oklahoma years ago.
I personally prefer a church somewhere in the middle...maybe a few hundred people or so. If it's too small then everyone is all up in each other's beeswax all the time; however, at a mega-church you sorta feel like your at some event rather than church and feel insignificant and ignored in a way. It feels impersonal.
You can find small churches with a rockin' worship service too...not all small churches are all about hymns. While some hymns are fine, I myself prefer a more lively and modern worship service. You can find modern and traditional at both mega-churches and small churches.
Last edited by daddythreepointoh; 08-02-2009 at 07:37 PM..
Reason: spelling
I would prefer a quiet setting. I've been to a few churches with nice sound systems and other fancy stuff and didn't care much for it. Don't even get me started on TBN. I suppose that doesn't mean much coming from me.
The reasons for having such things is to impress people and lure them in, according to a few of my church going relatives. One church I went to had an indoor basketball court.
The other reason, from what I understand, is to show how good God is. God wants all of us to be rich, according to the get-rich-quick televangelist such as Fred Price and Kenneth Copeland. Being poor is a curse. Why shouldn't a stage be fancy and full of bling bling. God deserves the best.
I am a Christian but do not attend church currently, except when I visit my parent's church when I visit them every month or so.
I was raised in a small church but have been to many mega-churches over the years and was even a choir member at a 6k member church in Oklahoma years ago.
I personally prefer a church somewhere in the middle...maybe a few hundred people or so. If it's too small then everyone is all up in each other's beeswax all the time; however, at a mega-church you sorta feel like your at some event rather than church and feel insignificant and ignored in a way. It feels impersonal.
You can find small churches with a rockin' worship service too...not all small churches are all about hymns. While some hymns are fine, I myself prefer a more lively and modern worship service. You can find modern and traditional at both mega-churches and small churches.
I'm sorry...didn't mean to imply all smaller churches were dry, hymn-singing churches. I go to one of a couple hundred people and we sing contemporary music.
I guess I'm just curious how many people really think about music when they decide to go to a church or not.
The churches I've attended were all Baptist type, 100 people or less, hymns and perhaps a special musical performance once in a while. No "worship bands" (and I hate who ever came up with THAT phrase) or theater performances.
My daughter attended a mini-megachurch (haha) with thousands of members and a high school youth group with a couple hundred kids. EVERYONE converted when she was in high school, to be part of that group. Then most deconverted upon graduation. I told her when I was in high school I used to go to youth groups too, but never actually converted. It was just a fun, safe place to socialize with people my age, and meet cute boys! Apparently I was a lot more sure of myself than kids today.
I used to go to a tiny church in Beltsville, Maryland. It was so perfect. Red votive candles, Stained glass, wood floor. The poor box. Holy water finger dips. I didn't "get" the Catholic ways, but I felt a beautiful connection to God, as I comprehended him at the time. The church was connected to the "Normal" Institute that burned down years back. The cemetery was nice, too. I love a good cemetery. I prefer a church like that. I can't stand ostentatious monster churches.
I've actually been to quite a few churches in my time. I've been to the oft-noted "megachurch" and I've been to the small (100 person or less) churches that sometimes still dominate the South. Most of the time, it was when I was dating girls in high school who wanted me to attend with them.
In all honesty, I still look back at the "megachurches" I went to as precisely indicative of the typical American society. The "megachurch" seems to cater to the mass-consumism and nameless society that we are. Everything we get arrives in bulk with no sentimental value attached to it. It's like going to the local Jesus Costco or the Sam's Club of God.
To be honest, it wouldn't surprise me if they had empty packaging boxes at the end of each aisle for you to dump your money into. Nothing like an empty box that once housed 500 rolls of toilet paper to make you feel as though you've just "Gone n' dun' some good worshippin'."
Even though I absolutely detested many of the sermons I went to at the small (typically Southern Baptist) churches that were filled with fire and brimstone hatred, at least they had a "Mom and Pop" familiarity to them. Despite the message being one I absolutely disagreed with, it still had a flair for personality in it. Surely, whoever it was giving the sermon spent all week postulating his rhythmic tones and incantations for the "pleasure" of his crowd. At the very least, I can respect that.
My guess is the "megachurch" just has the pastor download "This Week's Sermon" from the higher church authority's iTunes Podcasts and he just recites a pre-rehearsed sentiment of stupidity to his sheep.
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