Irregardless: Church or Self-Help Group?

Maybe I am one of the few Christians to say this, but sometimes going to a new church seems like a cheap circus act. Many feature "hip" worship bands, huge screens, videotaped services, mood lighting, youth pastor that act like they are 14-years-old, etc. What gets to me more than anything in these "shows" are the pastors who hold self-help seminars rather than teach about God in fear they may offend a non-believer. This is probably why many people who go to church do not have a basic understand about God or what their religion teaches.

Every church has its strong and weak points, mine included. But what does it take these days for a church to get new members? Many of the recent churches I have visited have scattered their services with skits, pretend dialogues between God and a celebrity or movie character, notes that are expected to be written down up on the screens, and songs that ask God for scads of things or tell God about how great they are ("I stand...", "Father, I...", etc). These is more "I/me" language in the songs and prayers and less "You/God" language as participants seek to become better humans and acceptance within themselves.

The Wall Street Journal says this about many hip churches: "...seeker-friendly churches (have a) permissive dress code -- not only jeans, but shorts and flip-flops are often OK. The 'messages' (never sermons) jazzed up with video clips and hard-rocking nine-piece 'praise bands.' The Starbucks cart that often sits in the lobby (and the fact that worshipers can take their nonfat lattes into the pews). Their biggest concern, however, is with the spiritual teachings.

Most seeker-friendly churches -- some of which can draw tens of thousands of worshipers -- are firmly rooted in Christianity. They offer weekly Bible-study classes and make clear in their statement of faith that Jesus is the only way to heaven. But the sermons tend to be buoyant, hip and dedicated to self-help themes, rather than theology.

More conservative, traditionalist pastors say that approach opens the door to a mushy secularism, or a la carte theology, in which worshipers pick and choose from the messages they find most helpful, without ever understanding that Christianity requires obedience to certain inflexible principles."

Is the church becoming too convenient? What is it that draws hundreds of people to the new mega-churches while the smaller churches remain the same? Would Jesus like convenient or would He started turning over coffee tables? I don't really know the answer. All I know is that I am done with popularity contests and like my small church where everyone is up-to-date on their fellow parishioner and we have a small weekly family reunion....but I guess this is convenient for me.

Please enjoy the following pictures and church signs:

This is a high-tech, hip church and pastor

The COOL Church. This is where the cool kids go.

This is the senior pastor of a church/gun show in Tucson.

uhh...clever

smart cookie

Amen! I'm glad someone else sees it my way.

Good grief! Seriously?

Mine, too.

You think they have hot wings there?

I wonder if He'll add me as a friend?

I wonder who attends this church?

Huh?

I'm assuming they're "cool" because they have air conditioning.

Is this sign texting me? Who talks like this?

Someone has horrible theology. God would never say this. Read your Bible, sign writer.

I've got enough dysfunction.

Do you think Jesus was a free thinker in the Bible? He didn't hang out with the popular crowd. Keep thinking freely or maybe you'll end up being a slave to today's pressures.