Thousands celebrate new Texas megachurch

[ClevelandSportsCurse]

HOUSTON - America's largest church celebrated its move into the former arena for the Houston Rockets with a capacity crowd of 16,000, an upbeat sermon from its televangelist pastor and a spirited welcome from the governor of Texas.

---(snip)
There were no vacant spots in the arena as Lakewood, which recently became the first church in the United States to average more than 30,000 worshippers weekly, held its first service there Saturday night. The service also was televised live.

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050717/ap_on_re_us/megachurch

[Cocoa]

1. a big one just opened on the South Side of Chicago

not as big as that one, but big. They're going to lend it out for basketball games (no joke).

[mitchtv]

2. tornado anyone?

where are they when you need them?

[Fenris]

5. In fairness, this is one of the least offensive churches in the US.

None of the fire and brimstone stuff. Osteen is one of the better preachers.

[mitchtv]

9. Sorry, but Megachurch, Texas

you can understand why I would retch. A better preacher? well , I suppose, if you say so. Perry present ? ugh!

[Pepperbelly]

31. Thomas Harris's Hannibal Lecter collected church collapses.

One he noted in Red Dragon, was as they "grovelled their way through a hymn."

Harris has a sharp tongue.

[Warren DeMontague]

3. I heard it contains an indoor rollercoaster and over 50 acres of bargains

oh, wait, that's the Mall of America.

[Straight Shooter]

4. Do they pass around a collection plate or a big garbage can?

30,000 people weekly, I assume that isn't at one sitting, but damn that's way too many people for me. Talk about getting lost in the shuffle.

[LiberalFighter]

17. How many loaves of bread and baskets of fish?

[Obamarama]

6. McJesus Mart

Religion packaged and shrinkwrapped for your praying pleasure.

[asjr]

16. Good description. And their Bible says go into your

closet and pray. How do that many brain-washed people reconcile that?

[bluestateguy]

7. Why would anybody want to be a member of a megachurch?

I ask this with no regard to the church's ideology or political leanings. It seems so impersonal. I'd rather be in a church where I had a chance to get to know all of the congregants and the pastors, so it would seem more like a family.

[Tweed]

11. Because of one preacher

If you really like what a preacher is saying (or the hype that goes around his preaching ability), you would sacrifice the intimacy for 'prestige'. Why do people go to Harvard when they can go to colleges that offer smaller classes?

[ugarte]

8. This preacher Joel Osteen is not as bad as some

he avoids politics pretty much, delivers a feel-good message.

[Kingshakabobo]

18. So does my bartender.

[blm]

25. I heard the Left Behind fundies hate Osteen. That helps me like him.

.

[donco6]

10. These make no sense to me.

Why would you want to go to one of these? Even if the guy is less offensive than most - what do you get out of sitting in a baseball stadium each week.

Hell, at least with baseball I can get a beer . . .

[Tweed]

12. Er...

It's not that he is "less offensive" it's that he is inspirational to some. I'm guessing you aren't Christian. Not that I have a problem with that, but I do take offense of you assuming that all Christian pastors are evil or the lesser of.

[donco6]

14. Well, *evil* - I dunno.

But I certainly do think Christianity is the root cause of most of our problems today. So, yeah, less-offensive is the best I can do.

[Burma Jones]

13. Isn't Texas just one huge Megachurch yet?

With a huge number of apostates........

[tibbir]

15. This church really screwed up my Sunday.

I wasn't thinking about it opening up today. I was driving down Richmond Ave. from my (Unitarian) church, minding my own business and enjoying the usually peaceful drive. I got caught in the WORST traffic jam you can imagine.

And - crap - it's going to be like that every Sunday from now on. :grr:

[cornermouse]

20. WORST traffic jam you can imagine

I've heard that statement from a lot of people about the one here as well. People living in their vicinity are not happy.

[bluestateguy]

21. Houston traffic is a nightmare

I dread it every time I have to go into that city.

[dogday]

22. Houston traffic is a mess and then some....

there is construction everywhere you go and your windshield always gets cracks in it because of the rocks.....

[Straight Shooter]

24. Houston traffic: movable parking lot

I remember all too well :)

[dogday]

19. Joel Olsteen Is Pretty Good

And I know I will get flamed for saying this but he has a good message. A positive message, he does not talk about anything bad like you are a sinner and you are going to hell.

He focuses on good only and the church is open to everyone, and contains members that are poor and rich and black and white and straight and gay. It may be one of the few churches that is actually focusing on the good of having Jesus in your life, instead of all the bad.

You will not see these people protest against anything, that is why the church is so successful, because it won't focus on the bad of life only the good...

[davekriss]

28. Osteen does have a positive public message

Does anyone know anything about what a mega-church like that does behind closed doors? I mean, Pat Robertson was spending millions from his religious doings to bolster murderous right-wing thugs in places like El Salvador in the eighties. I'd be shocked if Mr. Bunny Light (Osteen -- and I make lighthearted fun) does anything similar, but in these days of Dominionism and Christian Reconstructionists, I'd want to look carefully before tithing to such a massively influential church.

Having said that, I've only heard positive things about Lakewood.

(On edit, fixed dyslexic keystrokes...)

[dogday]

30. Lakewood started out a poor church from Joel's Father

it was a small poor church and the poor were basically the brunt of the congregation. As the message grew and people heard Joel, he has brought it to what it is today. He said he never wanted to be a preacher, he like business finance. Since his Dad died, he has really taken control and done a great job...

[bookman]

23. My first and last visit there...

..I saw the Dixie Chicks.

Something strange about that to me.

[Ready2Snap]

26. Do they have tailgate parties before services?

That seems to be the only thing missing to make it a real "Markan" tradition.

[karlrschneider]

27. Neo Fosterites? I read they have souvenir shops & snack bars...

How much does Osteen/Digby skim off this lucre-producing machine?

[Joanne98]

29. Let them keep drawing attention to theirselves.. Good!

[qanda]

32. I watched one of the services this morning on the internet

Joel Osteen is very good and he seems to have a wonderful heart for people.