I am a member of Southeast Christian Church. It is a big church…a mega church. What is wrong with a mega church? There are some who think there is something wrong with big churches. This church has been called “Six Flags Over Jesus” and “The Great Black Hole” just to name two. Again I ask what is wrong with a mega church?
Today, at Southeast, not a thing.
The sermon was entitled End Of My Rope. Kyle Idleman, the teaching minister, was the one who delivered the message.
He started off by quoting Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. He was leading up to the beatitudes, which seem hidden, because quite frankly, the first beatitude “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven”, doesn’t really make sense.
You’re blessed if you’re poor? Not in this country!
I guess the key point he was making is that it is only when we are at the end of our rope that we are able to ask for help, and asking for help can be the hardest thing we’ll ever do.
In our society where most people think that “God helps those who help themselves” is found in the Bible it’s easy to see where Kyle came up with “God helps those who cannot help themselves…when we ask for His help”.
My favorite part of the service were the tables set up throughout the entire sanctuary. On each table were two stacks of slips of paper; a dozen or so pens; a basket in the middle of the table and a bell on both sides. You know the kind of bell I’m talking about, the ones at clerks’ desks that includes a sign which reads: Ring the Bell for Service (help).
The bell is a symbol that has been used for generations to sound an alarm when help is needed.
Here’s the cool part. Kyle asked us, while we were ending the service with songs of worship, to go to the tables and write what we needed help with on the slip of paper, and to place it in the basket, and then, ring the bell, as a symbol that we were asking for help.
The sound of bells chiming multiple times, resounding all around the three story mega room, mixing with the songs that were being sung, was like nothing I have ever heard. I was moved to tears. Seriously. As we continued to worship the bells kept dinging.
And this black hole, anonymous, huge mega church, was filled with people worshipping like I have never seen, with most hands lifted high in acknowledgement that He is God, and we are not, and that we need His help.
It was truly amazing.
Again, I ask, what is wrong with a mega church?
I think that if a church is extremely large, that can be a sign that God is really doing Big Things in that particular church! When I’ve looked for new church homes in the past, I don’t care a whit about how big or small they are, I just want church leaders that are teaching from the Bible and that believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone. My current church is pretty big and I love being there!
Wow! Now there’s a comment that some would greatly dislike…about God doing Big Things in a big church. I guess they may take it personally if they are in a small church that isn’t growing. Sometimes I get a little tired of all the churchy stuff that goes on. Pretty sure that isn’t what we’re supposed to be about.
Laurie….that sounds like a most wonderful service.
Why can’t people get that it’s the heart of the church that counts … not the size of the building. ???
Hope your Sunday was blessed!
~Diane
I totally agree…it is a heart thing!
That is amazing. I attend a rather large and it is only the 2nd church I’ve attend since birth. I wouldn’t call it ‘mega’ but its much larger than my family established one I was used to…
It was probably the best service I have ever attended.