Contempervent Sunday: Come as you are
June 24, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog
Whoo boy, do these guys really capture the empty essence of the Evangelical megachurch phenom. Humorous but dead-on accurate. That’s my take. What do you think?
Update (suggested by a reader):
Wow, I'm not a frequenter of megachurches, but I GOT it! Just goes to show how the megachurch has become a cultural commonplace.
Wonder what Justin Martyr would think?
Patrick, perhaps you are too busy to give me a more thoughtful response, but help me, please. What are you implying? I haven't read the Fathers a great deal (only City of God, some of Ambrose's works, Mike Aquilina's book) and I intend to read more, but I cannot consider myself a scholar. I love what I've learned about the faith from them but it is difficult to have no one with whom to discuss what I read. If it weren't for charitable Catholics reaching out to me by first accepting me as a brother in Christ, I don't know how I would ever have become a Catholic. If it isn't about love expressed through humility and kindness, what is it about?
Deep, you must never have read the Church Fathers.
I believe it is out of place for a Catholic blogger to post a satire of a Protestant worship service. Discovering that the producers of the satire were satirizing themselves is a relief, but we (Catholics) should give them space to deal with these issues among themselves. Many Catholics join these types of churches because they never encountered Christ for themselves in their own Church, but through the efforts of Protestants were introduced to Him in a way that changed their lives.
We must stick single-mindedly to our goal of living the fullness of the faith, explaining what they were missing from the Mass that was there for all along. The love of Christ must impel us to rejoice in what we share in common with Protestants while faithfully engaging them on the truth of Catholicism. There is so much anti-Catholic sentiment out there that we Catholics must lovingly and patiently respond to that I believe paying attention this (as funny as it is) takes us away from our focus. Make love your aim!
Sorry, American "Mass"!
Problem is, the Curt Jester would probably come up with earnest grandparent types dancing in procession with oversized puppets, or maybe a priest dressed as Barney the dinosaur. The more sillified versions of the American CAN'T be satirized.
The difference between making a spoof on the mega-church phenomenon and the Mass… is that the latter is sacred and holy – the highest form of worship instituted by God himself. To mock it would be a sacrilege.
This piece is stunningly accurate. I play trumpet for a living and have played in churches like this, as recently as 3 months ago. It looks so similar to the church I played in that I thought for a second it was the same church. (Hmmm….maybe I'll check it out! :))
One church like this has a music director that found out I was Catholic. Haven't played there since.
Wow, that's great! The production quality is really impressive! Absolutely hilarious!
Glad I'm Catholic though. The Eucharist is so amazing, and that's why I think people keep coming back to the Church.
Keep in mind that the folks producing this (North Point media) video ARE megachurch evangelicals; in fact, they are among the PIONEERS of that mode of worship.
They are criticizing THEMSELVES.
I think any Catholic watching this can imagine how easily one could do a wickedly, painfully funny sendup of Mass.
But I ask you: can you imagine the [i]American Bishops[/i], perhaps even the particular committee responsible for the re-working of the liturgy, being willing to produce such a video?
It takes a certain degree of insight and guts to examine one's own best efforts over the last decade, into which one has poured time and effort and passion and earnestness…and then so accurately and mercilessly skewer it.
I don't know what'll come of it, but I respect North Point's media folks for producing this.