The Mega Church and Kubla Khan

The Mega Church and the Palace of Kubla Khan


Unless the Lord builds the house, those that build it labor in vain.
…somewhere in the Bible

Last night our family ate out with my parents. They are in their 80’s and have served God faithfully for a long time. And so in response to a question, my father began to talk about the denomination in which I was raised and the Texas mega-churches. I listened. At my age, I occasionally take the advice that I heard as a boy that God gave you two ears and one mouth because listening is twice as important as speaking. I often speak, and now was the time to listen.

Among other things, I heard how popular the mega churches are. I heard about all the facilities that they have and how they can meet so many needs. Many even contain restaurants and work-out facilities so that we can become “in shape” Christians, an idea that seemed to work well in a prior generation with the development of the YMCA and YWCA. Does anyone recall that the YMCA stands for the Young Mens’ Christian Association.

Next we heard about a new 40 million dollar facility for a mega-church being built in my parent’s hometown. We also heard that mega-churches send out their own missionaries, instead of banding together in a spirit of cooperation with other people of the same denomination or a spirit of cross denominational unity.

In my parent’s denomination, there is a drive for doctrinal purity so about one third of the missionaries in the field were unable to return as the denomination morphed into a more centralized creedal denomination.

Things have changed a bunch from when HarleyDad was a boy growing up.

And so after supper, I slept. And as I slept I continued to listen to the musings of my Heavenly Father in my heart and below are the messages are echoing in my heart. Now let’s be clear about one thing—the heart can be deceitful and someone with the name of HarleyDad obviously does not run in the circles of those who “hear from God” and engage in “infallibility.”

However, from time to time I try to listen to the Spirit of God and this is what I think I heard:

The loss of so many missionaries is not a good thing. These people have made great sacrifices for the Kingdom of God. Great injury has occurred to the Kingdom even though it is not necessary visible to the unassisted eye.

We all do much wrong with noble intentions.

Those who have $40 million dollars to spend on their new churches are responsible for the $40 million that they have. They are stewards of money belonging to the kingdom of God. They better use it well because we are all responsible for what we are given.

Big is not better. Richer is not better than poorer. That is what the story of the widow’s mite is all about. God sees things better than we do.

Better to have a mega heart than a mega church. Nothing wrong with both; but if you have to choose better to have a mega heart.

The way into the kingdom is narrow. Sometimes mega things can not get through the narrow passage, be they people loaded with mega possession, camels etc. Sometimes less is better than more.

God has called us to build the house of God but the call comes from the top down rather than the bottom up. The call comes from the top. The building comes from the bottom.

God is not too impressed with personality cults or superstar preachers. Jesus Christ gave an example of the leadership of the church being servants. If you are too important or busy to be a servant because of your position in a church, then you better go ride a Harley like HarleyDad.

Are we about building the kingdom of God on earth, or should we rather build spiritual pleasure domes like Kubla Khan where our every desire can be met.

Well, HarleyDad has written enough to get into MEGA trouble. I wonder if Jeremiah ever road a Harley. Oh well, better than a Harley than having to walk around naked with a yoke on my neck.

HarleyDad