There is no light at the end of the tunnel for us. We are who we are.
These mega-churches are springing up all over the country__specially in the suburbs of large cities. And they all follow the same formula: A charismatic, self-anointed pastor starts a church by holding services in a home, then in a school. He targets the young professionals, who make good salaries__lthough the poorer folks are welcome too, as long as they__e willing to pay their fair share. When there are enough members, the pastor proposes buying land, then buildings, then more buildings, asking the people to give sacrificially to do God__ work.The pastor uses outrageous gimmicks in the worship services to create a massive word-of-mouth campaign for the church. Everybody__ excited about going to the big show on Sundays. For the children and youth, church is like going to a theme park. And what kid wouldn__ want to do that?A local TV ministry is added. Then it goes national. Then global. Services are streamed live to the internet. A satellite campus is opened, then another, and so on. Ministries are established in foreign countries.But whose church is it? The pastor__. Whose ministry is it? The pastor__. What is everything built on? The pastor. It is his church. His ministry. His empire.-- Hal, the mega-church blogger
Deadly Commitment
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These mega-churches are springing up all over the country__specially in the suburbs of large cities. And they all follow the same formula: A charismatic, self-anointed pastor starts a church by holding services in a home, then in a school. He targets the young professionals, who make good salaries__lthough the poorer folks are welcome too, as long as they__e willing to pay their fair share. When there are enough members, the pastor proposes buying land, then buildings, then more buildings, asking the people to give sacrificially to do God__ work.The pastor uses outrageous gimmicks in the worship services to create a massive word-of-mouth campaign for the church. Everybody__ excited about going to the big show on Sundays. For the children and youth, church is like going to a theme park. And what kid wouldn__ want to do that?A local TV ministry is added. Then it goes national. Then global. Services are streamed live to the internet. A satellite campus is opened, then another, and so on. Ministries are established in foreign countries.But whose church is it? The pastor__. Whose ministry is it? The pastor__. What is everything built on? The pastor. It is his church. His ministry. His empire.-- Hal, the mega-church blogger
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The orchestra strikes up with __tockholm in My Heart_, and everyone joins in. Hands sway in the air, mobile phone cameras are raised. A wonderful feeling of togetherness. It will be another fifteen minutes until, with meticulous premeditation, the whole thing is torn to shreds. Let us sing along for the time being. We have a long way to go before we return here. Only when the journey has softened us up, when we are ready to think the unthinkable, will we be permitted to come back.
Yeah, try wearing a piss cutter for eight years_ then it wouldn__ be so bad.
What I saw there was my own death.