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SoonerQueen
07-06-2012, 10:38 PM
http://www.facebook.com/lifechurchtv/app_427041167318550

I would like to invite you to Lifechurch.tv this week-end. We are having a new series called "At the Movies" and it ought to be a lot of fun. Please watch the video and find a location close to you and visit us this week-end.We'd love to have you.

MikeOKC
07-06-2012, 10:52 PM
http://www.facebook.com/lifechurchtv/app_427041167318550

I would like to invite you to Lifechurch.tv this week-end. We are having a new series called "At the Movies" and it ought to be a lot of fun. Please watch the video and find a location close to you and visit us this week-end.We'd love to have you.

Wow. Sermons have trailers now?

SoonerQueen
07-06-2012, 11:18 PM
Wow. Sermons have trailers now?

Just this particular series. They do this every year and it is suppose to be a great way to reach people that don't normally go to church. I am new there, so this will be my first "At the Movies." I'm looking forward to seeing what it's all about.

venture
07-07-2012, 12:15 AM
Wow. Sermons have trailers now?

LOL gotta love these big box "churches".

I still do wonder...why do they use the ".tv" domain. I've never made the connection between religious operations and the country of Tuvalu. LOL

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.tv

Oh the days when "non-profits" just used ".org" and were done with it.

rcjunkie
07-07-2012, 02:15 AM
LOL gotta love these big box "churches".

I still do wonder...why do they use the ".tv" domain. I've never made the connection between religious operations and the country of Tuvalu. LOL

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.tv

Oh the days when "non-profits" just used ".org" and were done with it.

LOL, gotta love the "religious haters". If it's not your cup of tea that's fine, but why the need to be-little a church that's trying to reach out and help the community. How Sad.

UncleCyrus
07-07-2012, 05:52 AM
Thanks for the heads-up, SoonerQueen. I attend somewhere else, but I really enjoyed the movie series last year.

Also, to those with only a passing familiarity or pre-conceived notion of what Lifechurch and Pastor Craig are all about, or doubt the sincerity of their message, you should take the opportunity to listen one or two times. All of the sermons are available online, so you don't have to visit at first if you don't want to. Watch a couple sermons over a couple of weeks and then form your opinion.

HewenttoJared
07-07-2012, 07:13 AM
LOL, gotta love the "religious haters". If it's not your cup of tea that's fine, but why the need to be-little a church that's trying to reach out and help the community. How Sad.

He didn't say he had a problem with churches, only with "churches".

Bostonfan
07-07-2012, 08:06 AM
Don't kid yourself, it's all about the money.

How ironic..........Soonerqueen posts an anti healthcare rally message, and a few days later posts about going to church. Wonder what pastor craig has to say about healthcare for all. What about Jesus? Wonder if he's for letting the poor die because they don't have the money to see a doctor? Do you think Jesus damns everything with the name Obama in it like the conservatives do?

WWJD???

venture
07-07-2012, 09:12 AM
He didn't say he had a problem with churches, only with "churches".

I'm glad someone caught it. RC has been in a mood for the last few months it seems. Someone needs a vacation or something to reduce the level of hate/stress in their life.

I am far from a religious hater. I do find these big box "churches" interesting based on the assets they tend to purchase and spend donations on. Granted a lot of religious organization have millions of dollars in assets (like this one and at least 7 properties in OK County worth millions of dollars), and in reality most should be taxed.

Roadhawg
07-07-2012, 09:15 AM
LOL, gotta love the "religious haters". If it's not your cup of tea that's fine, but why the need to be-little a church that's trying to reach out and help the community. How Sad.

You do a lot of 'belittling' yourself on another forum and I agree, how sad. Personally I don't know much about lifechurch so I'll hold my opinion. I also agree about the irony of posting against people getting health care and then post about Church and Jesus. What do you think Jesus would do for the poor and the sick? Deny them help because they can't afford it? Attack those who are trying to help the disadvantage?

rcjunkie
07-07-2012, 09:23 AM
I'm glad someone caught it. RC has been in a mood for the last few months it seems. Someone needs a vacation or something to reduce the level of hate/stress in their life.

I am far from a religious hater. I do find these big box "churches" interesting based on the assets they tend to purchase and spend donations on. Granted a lot of religious organization have millions of dollars in assets (like this one and at least 7 properties in OK County worth millions of dollars), and in reality most should be taxed.

I've been retired since 2006 so I don't think a vacation is needed.

Double Edge
07-07-2012, 09:58 AM
LOL gotta love these big box "churches".

I still do wonder...why do they use the ".tv" domain. I've never made the connection between religious operations and the country of Tuvalu. LOL

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.tv

Oh the days when "non-profits" just used ".org" and were done with it.

funny!

They are big on the prerecorded message. The one up north has a good size theater or two in it (not to mention the amusement park style theme work for the kids.) Someone associated told me that was part of the deal, ability to get your sermons and such on your schedule but still in a place with some atmosphere of some sort and at a location near you.

bluedogok
07-07-2012, 10:39 AM
They've had this series concept for a long time, I remember them having it for a few years before I moved to Austin 9 years ago. I went to Lifechurch for about 5 years before moving and was there during the merger with Metrochurch. My wife was already very involved in her church in Austin when I moved there but now that we have moved to Denver we are trying to find some place similar to what Lifechurch was when I went there, before it grew so much. They opened up the current sanctuary a few months after I moved. We have been there for Christmas Eve services and such when we are back in OKC, it just feels different than it did back then but part of that may be not knowing as many people or staff there after being gone so long. I did prefer the feeling of the church when it was the smaller sanctuary where the kids area is now, just my preference. My wife attended services with me when in OKC and liked the church, she grew up in a Hispanic Baptist church in West Texas where her grandfather was the pastor and was a member of a neighborhood Baptist church in Austin and ran her own ministry for that church. She has grown up in church and felt that most of the time the message was more pointed and challenging than at many churches she had been to, it was just packaged in a different way and I think that is what some people have trouble getting past. Just because something is in a well produced video package doesn't mean the message isn't in there. If it was strictly about the money the facilities would probably be more grander and they would also mine other revenue streams instead of providing most of their sermons/materials free of charge to other churches wishing to use them, I know that I have seen some of their packages at some smaller churches we have visited in the Denver area.

I will say that I have never liked the .tv branding but the move to it from .org was based on the goal of moving video heavy sites to the .tv domain back in the earlier days of the internet that was sold by some of the hosting sites, that never really panned out like the hosting sites seemed to think it would. I wish they would've kept it .org like it used to be, I have never used the .tv in reference to their name, it was Life Covenant Church when I started going there and still is for the most part to me.

Twenty years ago when I lived in Dallas two of the largest property owners in the Downtown and Oak Lawn areas were the First Baptist Church of Dallas (Downtown) and the Archdiocese of Dallas (Oak Lawn). They owned the land that many office buildings, retail and restaurants were built on and those facilities had nothing do with church operations. My wife works for the Archdiocese of Denver and they have extensive land/property holdings, most are related to church missions but not all. From my experience (back then) Lifechurch only owned property that was involved in their operations and mission. In fact many of the other campuses were in re-purposed facilities and were leased initially, I do know they have bought some since because the property owners at the time made them a good deal on the properties.

Garin
07-07-2012, 02:30 PM
Whatever it takes to get people in the door."What makes the Covenant unique from other denominations is the fact that while it strongly affirms the clear teaching of the Word of God, it allows believers the personal freedom to have varying interpretations on theological issues that are not clearly presented in Scripture." So basically come to our church get saved , get baptized , then believe and interpt the word of GOD however you see fit ? How dangerous is this for a new convert , this is the reason you see folks out boozing it up then in Church sunday night thinking its ok cause thats the way I see it. Big churches are so sad these days they are completely failing our youth and living up to the bad name they give Christians. And i am in no way saying that everyone that goes to these churches doesn't love and know GOD. New converts and even old ones need a leader thats not catering to the masses.

bluedogok
07-07-2012, 05:10 PM
Whatever it takes to get people in the door."What makes the Covenant unique from other denominations is the fact that while it strongly affirms the clear teaching of the Word of God, it allows believers the personal freedom to have varying interpretations on theological issues that are not clearly presented in Scripture." So basically come to our church get saved , get baptized , then believe and interpt the word of GOD however you see fit ? How dangerous is this for a new convert , this is the reason you see folks out boozing it up then in Church sunday night thinking its ok cause thats the way I see it. Big churches are so sad these days they are completely failing our youth and living up to the bad name they give Christians. And i am in no way saying that everyone that goes to these churches doesn't love and know GOD. New converts and even old ones need a leader thats not catering to the masses.

If you feel the need to have what is right or wrong told to you by someone else, then by all means go to another church, there are plenty around that would willingly tell you how to live your life. Craig used to give that message quite often when I went there, Lifechurch may only be a gateway along your path to Christ. If you feel like you need more structure or just are not feeling that it is the right place, then ask one of the staff and they could help you find some other church that might "feed you" more to your needs. I know several who did and the staff was more than happy to help them along their way. One thing that my wife noticed in going there was that many of Craig's sermons were much more pointed and Biblical based than what she had heard in her own traditional Baptist church, he said many things that she knew would've offended many in her congregation because he was challenging to the audience. Just like in any situation, some will take up the challenge, some will ignore and will be offended. I think a person is more inquisitive about their faith and makes decisions for themselves really makes a more informed Christian rather than someone who just eats what is fed to them by others. Some of the "hungriest" Christians that I knew there came to Lifechurch from older, more established churches in the OKC area because they felt more challenged there than at their previous places of worship because much of their faith was left up to them to explore instead of being told one way to think. Just because a church is big doesn't mean that it has a watered down message, in fact I have seen small churches that were plain vanilla because they were afraid to run anybody off.

Not everyone wants a dogmatic church, many of the people who do are the type that don't like to think for themselves and prefer someone to do the thinking for them. That was definitely the case for a few that I knew who went to more "structured" churches. Ultimately it is up to the individual and how they choose live and that is true no matter what type of church it is. I knew many from much stricter churches who would do the same thing that you talked about, I saw many people that I knew were heavily involved in their churches come into Skaggs on Saturdays then go get trashed and then show up for church on Sunday as if nothing happened. That type of behavior is nothing new nor is it limited to any particular faith or denomination.

To me I don't care if people prefer a more structured or looser format, I'm just glad there are plenty of options for all out there.

Jon27
07-08-2012, 01:09 AM
Do they pass around credit card machines for donations, or have an ATM on site yet?

BBatesokc
07-08-2012, 05:56 AM
Just this particular series. They do this every year and it is suppose to be a great way to reach people that don't normally go to church. I am new there, so this will be my first "At the Movies." I'm looking forward to seeing what it's all about.

That's exactly what it does. My wife went last year when a friend/member invited her. I forget which Hollywood mainstream movie was the focal point, but regardless, we are not church goers and she said she really liked it and it delivered the message intended without feeling all 'churchy.'

I'm not an organized religion fan for my own reasons, but I'm not about to belittle those who are. It serves its purpose well and as a mirror of society it also has its problems.

rcjunkie
07-08-2012, 06:21 AM
Do they pass around credit card machines for donations, or have an ATM on site yet?

Not sure if this church does or not, but you would be surprised at how many do accept credit and/or debit cards. Which I see nothing wrong with.

Bostonfan
07-08-2012, 06:33 AM
Not sure if this church does or not, but you would be surprised at how many do accept credit and/or debit cards. Which I see nothing wrong with.

Of course you and many others don't........................ it's all about the money.

rcjunkie
07-08-2012, 06:40 AM
Of course you and many others don't........................ it's all about the money.

I, like a lot of people don't carry cash, so having the option to give by other means is nice. If you don't like or support a church, that's fine, but why bash those that do ?

A serious question: if people don't donate (tithe) to their place of worship, how would they keep the doors open ? And if you don't belong to a church, how do you know what the money they receive is used for ?

BBatesokc
07-08-2012, 06:45 AM
Of course you and many others don't........................ it's all about the money.

That's pretty naive thinking and application of thought.

While I don't attend church, many within my circle do and I volunteer my services and materials on a regular basis - churches that literally range in congregation size from a few dozen to thousands. And besides spreading their message of faith the other thing all churches have in common is the reality it takes money to do everything from turing on the lights to participating in mission trips.

Tiny churches struggle with funding because of a limited pool of resources and mega churches struggle because with increased size, so increases overhead. Can you imagine what the overhead of a large church runs simply to provide electricity for the lights, AC and appliances?

There are plenty of things in life that take our money and we have little if any say about it. Church is not one of those things. You can attend as completely as anyone else, regardless if you give regularly or not at all.

stick47
07-08-2012, 07:02 AM
Don't kid yourself, it's all about the money.

How ironic..........Soonerqueen posts an anti healthcare rally message, and a few days later posts about going to church. Wonder what pastor craig has to say about healthcare for all. What about Jesus? Wonder if he's for letting the poor die because they don't have the money to see a doctor? Do you think Jesus damns everything with the name Obama in it like the conservatives do?

WWJD???

I think what Jesus would do is to tell these congregations to sell off their holdings and use the money towards health care for those who cannot afford it. Nothing wrong with sermons being held in tents.

WilliamTell
07-08-2012, 08:00 AM
That's pretty naive thinking and application of thought.

While I don't attend church, many within my circle do and I volunteer my services and materials on a regular basis - churches that literally range in congregation size from a few dozen to thousands. And besides spreading their message of faith the other thing all churches have in common is the reality it takes money to do everything from turing on the lights to participating in mission trips.



I agree. While I was growing up i was more active in the church but since i've became an adult i've pretty much completely separated myself. For a long time I used the tired 'money making machines' excuse for not attending, etc,etc. But that in itself is naive, as i got older and started paying my own bills its easy to realize how expensive it is to maintain a building that hundreds of people attend multiple times a week, salaries of all the support staff, weddings, funerals, events, outreaches, mission trips and so on. Do some preachers use it to live lavish lifestyles,yeah...but typically if you compare those leaders to ceo's,managers, or other people who lead and direct multimillion dollar companies that serve hundreds, thousands, or 10's of thousand of customers (people)...chances are they live less lavish lifestyles to their corporate equivalents.

thats my two cents - im sure there are preachers out there who blow my generalization out of the water by their own corruption but since the beggining of time there have been selfish and greedy people and there always will be.

Garin
07-08-2012, 08:03 AM
If you feel the need to have what is right or wrong told to you by someone else, then by all means go to another church, there are plenty around that would willingly tell you how to live your life. Craig used to give that message quite often when I went there, Lifechurch may only be a gateway along your path to Christ. If you feel like you need more structure or just are not feeling that it is the right place, then ask one of the staff and they could help you find some other church that might "feed you" more to your needs. I know several who did and the staff was more than happy to help them along their way. One thing that my wife noticed in going there was that many of Craig's sermons were much more pointed and Biblical based than what she had heard in her own traditional Baptist church, he said many things that she knew would've offended many in her congregation because he was challenging to the audience. Just like in any situation, some will take up the challenge, some will ignore and will be offended. I think a person is more inquisitive about their faith and makes decisions for themselves really makes a more informed Christian rather than someone who just eats what is fed to them by others. Some of the "hungriest" Christians that I knew there came to Lifechurch from older, more established churches in the OKC area because they felt more challenged there than at their previous places of worship because much of their faith was left up to them to explore instead of being told one way to think. Just because a church is big doesn't mean that it has a watered down message, in fact I have seen small churches that were plain vanilla because they were afraid to run anybody off.

Not everyone wants a dogmatic church, many of the people who do are the type that don't like to think for themselves and prefer someone to do the thinking for them. That was definitely the case for a few that I knew who went to more "structured" churches. Ultimately it is up to the individual and how they choose live and that is true no matter what type of church it is. I knew many from much stricter churches who would do the same thing that you talked about, I saw many people that I knew were heavily involved in their churches come into Skaggs on Saturdays then go get trashed and then show up for church on Sunday as if nothing happened. That type of behavior is nothing new nor is it limited to any particular faith or denomination.

To me I don't care if people prefer a more structured or looser format, I'm just glad there are plenty of options for all out there.


When your standing in front of GOD answering questions , there will be no watered down judgement coming from his mouth. You won't be getting the life church version!

BBatesokc
07-08-2012, 08:22 AM
When your standing in front of GOD answering questions , there will be no watered down judgement coming from his mouth. You won't be getting the life church version!

I find comfort (whether reality or not) that when I die, that's it - I'm dead. It will be the one time I won't have to answer to anybody, let alone God himself, which makes what you do with your life even more important. That said, faith and religion play a very important role in our society.

I always enjoy a good sermon when I have the rare opportunity to hear one. I've been to Life Church in the past and I've watched/listened to sermons by their church and others online. I find that regardless of one's faith, a well delivered sermon is a perfect way to reflect, realign and refocus and what we all truly know is the best way to live a life.

To call Life Church's take on faith 'watered down' is preposterous in my view.

Roadhawg
07-08-2012, 10:03 AM
I think what Jesus would do is to tell these congregations to sell off their holdings and use the money towards health care for those who cannot afford it. Nothing wrong with sermons being held in tents.

I agree. Why should a church have millions of dollars in holdings? How many hungry would that feed, how many sick would that help? WWJD? Not what their doing now.

boscorama
07-08-2012, 07:27 PM
Sounds like you know Jesus pretty well ...

Roadhawg
07-08-2012, 07:51 PM
Never met the man but have a pretty good hunch he wouldn't approve of a church having millions while people went hungry or were sick and couldn't get help.

Jon27
07-08-2012, 07:52 PM
Not sure if this church does or not, but you would be surprised at how many do accept credit and/or debit cards. Which I see nothing wrong with.

I was kidding, and I'm not putting down going to church at all. I just think the motivation of money has taken away from the true meaning of church. Some people will give, and spend beyond their means. The church should recognize this. A church should not condone the possibility of someone going into debt for a donation. However, I do realize church is a "business" now, and is no longer a place of sanctuary as it once was. It's truly a sad thing.

cferguson
07-08-2012, 08:43 PM
"LifeChurch.tv wants to make a lasting difference in your life, in our community, and in the world. How do we go about that? By leading people to become fully devoted followers of Christ. That's the driving purpose behind everything we do." - straight from their website. The goal is simple... bring people to Christ. Life church is and always has been open in their mission. Craig has a great vision and is doing something that simply hasn't been done before. For instance, Life Church created a FREE bible app that has been downloaded over 54 million times. (if they charged only $.99 they would be making a ton of money off of this, but they choose to give it away for free.) They are truly doing great things at Life Church and the mission is clear. Also, they are open about their finances... here is the 2011 annual report -http://http://www.lifechurch.tv/annualreport/ . I challenge you to take a look and also to attend church at Life Church.

Matt
07-08-2012, 09:34 PM
Je$u$ Chri$t.

Bostonfan
07-09-2012, 07:27 AM
I agree. Why should a church have millions of dollars in holdings? How many hungry would that feed, how many sick would that help? WWJD? Not what their doing now.

Maybe those who are defending the churches could answer this............ or maybe not. WWJD?

BlackmoreRulz
07-09-2012, 04:00 PM
Made the mistake of driving by there once right when they were letting out....couldn't believe they had someone out there holding up traffic so they could empty their parking lot. I was in a hurry and I bet I had to sit there for at least ten minutes, WTF are they so special that they take precedence over the general public?

Tydude
07-09-2012, 05:33 PM
was they a police officer holding up traffic or one of the Lifechurch volunteers that hold up traffic

BBatesokc
07-09-2012, 06:16 PM
Made the mistake of driving by there once right when they were letting out....couldn't believe they had someone out there holding up traffic so they could empty their parking lot. I was in a hurry and I bet I had to sit there for at least ten minutes, WTF are they so special that they take precedence over the general public?

Give me a break. WTF What makes YOU so special that you shouldn't be delayed a few minutes while traffic control is dealt with?

Many large churches have to pay for officers to direct traffic. I see it all the time at the church by us on S. Sooner near SE 59th.

I guess you flip to the bird to funeral processions when they go by too?

venture
07-09-2012, 10:16 PM
Give me a break. WTF What makes YOU so special that you shouldn't be delayed a few minutes while traffic control is dealt with?

Many large churches have to pay for officers to direct traffic. I see it all the time at the church by us on S. Sooner near SE 59th.

I guess you flip to the bird to funeral processions when they go by too?

Why should traffic be held up for the church instead of just following normal traffic laws? If they are worried about too long of a wait, plenty of churches have had traffic signals placed at their exits.

rcjunkie
07-10-2012, 03:24 AM
For this being to so called Bible Belt, there sure are a lot of Church/Religion Haters here.

BBatesokc
07-10-2012, 04:11 AM
Why should traffic be held up for the church instead of just following normal traffic laws? If they are worried about too long of a wait, plenty of churches have had traffic signals placed at their exits.

I'd ask myself that Venture - Obviously there is a reason. I've never seen a small church do this - only very large congregations.

Also, you can't just order up a traffic signal to be placed on and interrupt the flow of traffic. The downtown Y has tried forever to get just a simple flashing crosswalk for the families that are forced to run the gauntlet crossing 4th street and city will not do it. Our neighborhood fought for years to get a traffic light at an additional busy intersection.

Many large churches are bordered by very busy streets. Without a traffic light or police it could take a very long time to empty their parking lots and with so many elderly and impatient drivers, it would pose a significant safety risk.

Same thing happens every year at the high school graduation. I've even seen high schools that have police stop traffic to allow buses and/or students to exit at the end of the day.

Also seen it happen at the mall around Christmas.

I don't get the attitude from people that actually take issue with churches employing police to ensure the safety and convenience of everyone.

On that note - who the heck do those churchy types think they are to fill up all the fast food, buffet and cafeteria joints at 12:45 every Sunday! The NERVE!

OSUPeterson
07-10-2012, 06:22 AM
"LifeChurch.tv wants to make a lasting difference in your life, in our community, and in the world. How do we go about that? By leading people to become fully devoted followers of Christ. That's the driving purpose behind everything we do." - straight from their website.

I always forget that everything I see on the internet is the complete truth.... tricky internet. Always being true when its so easy to lie or say whatever you want....


Aside from that,

Lifechurch is a buisness, not a church. If you feel that you need to be around these people to feel saved, then whatever. Religion should be a personal experience. Not something you have to shout and throw into everyone's face. It doesnt make you better than anyone (like everyone at lifechruch seems to think, actually all megachurches have this effect). If your church doesnt understand that one entrance and exit is a good way to cause a traffic jam, sucks for you. Deal with it. Just like anyone else would have to.

Megachurches are ruining religion and church. Plain and simple. If you truly believe in what you all pretend to believe in, you wouldnt need free buffets, and softball diamonds, and gyms, and game rooms, and movie sessions and all the other crap that comes along with these churches. You also shouldnt be guilted into giving. You may say your not being guilted, but when you walk into those giant halls of gluttony that they call churches, you're being guilted and pushed to give whether you consciously believe so or not.

Sounds alot like how the corrupt catholics used to operate thousands of years ago honestly...

Bostonfan
07-10-2012, 06:50 AM
For this being to so called Bible Belt, there sure are a lot of Church/Religion Haters here.

For there to be so many churches here in the bible belt, there sure are a lot of unfortunate people who don't get any help from them.
Just look around, have you ever asked yourself why that is? I mean, with all these churches and all the money given to them, with all the "good" people who go to them, why are there people suffering every day in this city/state?

Roadhawg
07-10-2012, 07:15 AM
For this being to so called Bible Belt, there sure are a lot of Church/Religion Haters here.

I don't hate the church or religion, I'm not a big fan of organized religion or mega churches and it seems many praise God and call themselves Christians but turn around and condemn a different religion. I don't understand why a church has to have so much money and not use it when there are hungry, sick and homeless people in the same community that could use help. I don't understand why churches preach against certain politicians but yet support the no tax thing because there's a separation of church and state.

RadicalModerate
07-10-2012, 08:41 AM
On that note - who the heck do those churchy types think they are to fill up all the fast food, buffet and cafeteria joints at 12:45 every Sunday! The NERVE!

Joyce Meyer used to say that a little test of "Christianity" is not so much the "Jesus" bumpersticker on your vehicle, but how little you complain at restaurants and how well you tip the waitstaff. I haven't been able to find that exact quote in The Bible, but I suppose it has something to do with bearing "The Fruit of The Spirit" (Galatians 5: 22-23) . . .

I must admit that I was a bit annoyed by a similar "exit traffic direction deficit" at one MegaChurch or another, but only for a moment until I put the situation in perspective.

BTW: The day that MegaChurches start establishing banks and begin making interest-bearing loans is the day that I'm SURE "what Jesus would do."

onthestrip
07-10-2012, 08:50 AM
Joyce Meyer used to say that a little test of "Christianity" is not so much the "Jesus" bumpersticker on your vehicle, but how little you complain at restaurants and how well you tip the waitstaff. I haven't been able to find that exact quote in The Bible, but I suppose it has something to do with bearing "The Fruit of The Spirit" . . .

I waited tables one summer and by far the worst day of the week was Sunday afternoons. The after church crowd was usually very rude and tipped very little. I never had a good feeling when I would find out I was scheduled for Sunday's.

Roadhawg
07-10-2012, 09:09 AM
I waited tables one summer and by far the worst day of the week was Sunday afternoons. The after church crowd was usually very rude and tipped very little. I never had a good feeling when I would find out I was scheduled for Sunday's.

That's because they didn't have any money left after being in church...

RadicalModerate
07-10-2012, 09:14 AM
Edited to Add:

There is probably nobody more cynical about "Organized Religion" than I was when I was about 18. Lenny Bruce's quip, "Any man who calls himself a '"religious" leader' and owns more than two suits is a hustler," probably had something to do with this part of my personal paradigm. (I sort of idolized "The Wisdom of Lenny Bruce" and "The BS of Che Guevara" at that time)

The problem here is that I once gave my mom a ride from Boulder to some little, dumpy, Southern Baptist church house in a "deprived area" of Denver where my Uncle Paul (her brother-in-law, from Oklahoma) was a guest preacher. He was phenominal and sincere. After his sermon, I got to share time at the table, in the humble parsonage next door, while they--that is, the regular pastor and Paul--divided up "the loot (offering)" over saltine crackers, some sliced onion and a couple of cans of sardines.

The amount was small but it was obviously a blessing--both for the giver and the recipients.

Paul (a Korean War vet who for awhile, when I was very young, was well-known as The Wild Man of The Family) was as good a preacher as any that I have ever seen in person or on TV, but he decided to dedicate his life to establishing a Baptist Mission outside of Gallup, New Mexico to help the Navajo (and other) Native Americans residing in the vicinity.

After many years of doing this, at the age of 48 (nearly 12 years my junior at this point in time) he was "offered a church" by "the hierarchy" and decided to accept the offer. He died, unexpectedly, within weeks of that decision. I guess it's like the old secular "hymn" goes: "Live Fast, Die Young and Leave a Beautiful Memory."

Oh. And that was the evening that I learned that "Pope Lenny" was not infallable.

FritterGirl
07-10-2012, 11:21 AM
was they a police officer holding up traffic or one of the Lifechurch volunteers that hold up traffic

They hire local county sheriffs to hold up traffic. Lifechurch is not the only church to do so. Other large churches along May Avenue between Memorial Road and 150th do the same. We avoid those areas at all costs when we know church is letting out so as not to be stuck in the traffic.

RadicalModerate
07-10-2012, 03:19 PM
The next time you find yourself on the verge or threshold of a Purple Haze of Anger on account of Sunday Afternoon aberrations and abominations All Along the Watchtower (vis-a-vis Worship Center Parking Lot Outflows ) just tune your radio or phone to this . . . and a groovy, mellowness matrix will be restored. (C'mon . . . The dude is an Idol fer "cryin' out loud" =) . . .

Q3xjeZk6BR0

There is probably a sermon or homily in there somewhere about The Virtue of Patience . . .
Even if Patience is not, in itself a Virtue. More like a combination of Fortitude and Temperance. =)

WilliamTell
07-10-2012, 04:19 PM
I don't hate the church or religion, I'm not a big fan of organized religion or mega churches and it seems many praise God and call themselves Christians but turn around and condemn a different religion. I don't understand why a church has to have so much money and not use it when there are hungry, sick and homeless people in the same community that could use help.

Amen, in my personal experience the ones who consider themselves the best and holiest Christians are the ones who entire lives and political views are the absolute furthest from christian values.

I never really have understood how they can convince themselves that they are Christians, while persecuting and exploiting the poor, sick, old, and minority - all while waging wars against 'terrorist' on other countries soil.
I guess they dont bother actually reading the bible.

rcjunkie
07-10-2012, 05:25 PM
Amen, in my personal experience the ones who consider themselves the best and holiest Christians are the ones who entire lives and political views are the absolute furthest from christian values.

I never really have understood how they can convince themselves that they are Christians, while persecuting and exploiting the poor, sick, old, and minority - all while waging wars against 'terrorist' on other countries soil.
I guess they dont bother actually reading the bible.

Sounds like you and Roadhawg were attending the wrong church.

Roadhawg
07-10-2012, 06:44 PM
Sounds like you and Roadhawg were attending the wrong church.

If believing that millions of dollars collected should go to making all kinds of fancy things instead of helping the poor, the hungry and the sick then it sounds like you've been going to the wrong church, or at least don't follow the teachings of Jesus.

Jon27
07-10-2012, 06:51 PM
Sounds alot like how the corrupt catholics used to operate thousands of years ago honestly...

+1


If believing that millions of dollars collected should go to making all kinds of fancy things instead of helping the poor, the hungry and the sick then it sounds like you've been going to the wrong church, or at least don't follow the teachings of Jesus.

+1

rcjunkie
07-10-2012, 06:58 PM
That's because they didn't have any money left after being in church...

Or maybe it was poor service from someone upset they had to work on Sunday

Roadhawg
07-10-2012, 07:15 PM
Or maybe it was poor service from someone upset they had to work on Sunday

or maybe they worked hard for a cheap butthole that was rude.

Matt
07-10-2012, 07:24 PM
or maybe they worked hard for a cheap butthole that was rude.

Yep. Church people are the worst.

BBatesokc
07-10-2012, 08:32 PM
Speaking of the Holier-Than-Thou...... The tax records for former DA Wes Lane (aka, The Minister of Justice) and his mommy's foundation, The Burbridge Foundation are pretty telling.

For one, they list the foundation's office address (and tax write-off) as 3701 NW 42. (Bobby Burbridge Lane's personal $400,000 residence in Bush Hills).

More telling though is when you follow the money...... Only $10,050 in contributions - $53,163 total revenue (contributions + interest on savings)

However, they spent $186,163 on Wes and his momma's salaries ($93,000 each)

They also claim it costs $15,525 to keep their books (seriously? I'm guessing their accountant is a very good friend or family).

Total expenses for a Godly foundation that only takes in $53,163 is a whopping $543,384. (-$490,221)

They spent $61,000 on radio ads and $16,000 to publish Wes' vanity book, "Amazingly Graced."

But hey, they spent a whole $2,000 'fight[ing] against AIDS.'

http://freepdfhosting.com/83cf20773b.pdf

HewenttoJared
07-10-2012, 09:10 PM
Or maybe it was poor service from someone upset they had to work on Sunday

Nope. Sunday crowds are notoriously bad across the board. Just because one in five is overly friendly and tells you to have a blessed day doesn't make up for the overall trend.

venture
07-10-2012, 10:41 PM
Nope. Sunday crowds are notoriously bad across the board. Just because one in five is overly friendly and tells you to have a blessed day doesn't make up for the overall trend.

Would saying "have a blessed day" be the equivalent of the infamous "bless your heart" that we all know means something completely different? :)

SoonerQueen
07-10-2012, 10:54 PM
I have always been a Southern Baptist, but had quit going mainly because I'm not an early riser. Lifechurch offers me Saturday night services, I can wear casual clothes, and it's a relaxed atmosphere, plus the people are very nice there. I just started going on Easter week-end and haven't missed a week since. For me they are offering me "no excuses" church. I love listening to Pastor Craig. He's an amazing Pastor. Just my opinion, but if a church has a lot of people attending services every week, that has to mean they are doing something right. I don't want to debate with you all, but personally I am happy there. Before you criticize something, go check it out first.

rcjunkie
07-11-2012, 03:14 AM
I have always been a Southern Baptist, but had quit going mainly because I'm not an early riser. Lifechurch offers me Saturday night services, I can wear casual clothes, and it's a relaxed atmosphere, plus the people are very nice there. I just started going on Easter week-end and haven't missed a week since. For me they are offering me "no excuses" church. I love listening to Pastor Craig. He's an amazing Pastor. Just my opinion, but if a church has a lot of people attending services every week, that has to mean they are doing something right. I don't want to debate with you all, but personally I am happy there. Before you criticize something, go check it out first.

Great idea but this would totally go against their operations and procedure routine.

OSUPeterson
07-11-2012, 06:19 AM
Theres nothing wrong with going to church, but lifechurch is a fad. Its what everyone does to be popular or to seem more holy. Just like how you werent cool in Mustang if you didnt go to the crazy as hell "youth" services on wednesday night at the babtist church or church of christ. I'd say at least 60% of people were only there for something to do and to be with the crowd.

If your a devote enough church goer, shouldnt you be able to get up a for a 10 or 11 am service for jesus. Id rather get up early than be shamed into giving money to support these buisnesses.

Lifechurch and all these other mega "churches" are free to do what they will, but since they are a buisness and not a church these days, tax em. They shouldn't get to slide under the tax exemption.

If not, Im going to open a mcdonalds and have homeless people sit inside and "preach" all day and call it a church so I can avoid paying some of my taxes as well. Ill call it McChurch, where every nugget is sacred.