After reading Mega Church Watch I have come to the conclusion (or maybe I did years ago) that it’s alot easier to form cynical attitudes to things that grow than applaud someone or something thats doing better than you are.
I love the fact that things grow, I don’t sit around being resentful that the tree outside my window is growing do I?
I’m growing too, just differently to the tree. I don’t get hurt and resentful because I’m not growing as fast as the sapling outside - it just grows differently to me.
When something is growing and baring fruit in the form of local and international mission, fostering the growth of individuals in the workplace, then at best give it praise, at worst leave it alone.
The tall poppy syndrome is alive and well in Australia.
As Christians, shouldn’t we know better?
Or is the syncretistic appropriation of secular values ok?
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It totally is the tall poppy syndrome…but also the fact that for some reason it has become acceptable among christians to dishonour others and to discredit them so quickly…. I think people walk on scary ground when they start slandering things that God is doing and judging Gods anointed servants…
Judgement of motives is a place for God alone. We are only allowed to judge fruit..and when you look at the fruit of these ministries - its all good…
The response should be celebration of what Gods doing.Things may not be our personal preference but thats because we’re all different but that doesn’t give the right to slander or judge. Instead its just diversity…God is a diverse God and because He works through people there will always be an element of the human in everything…. But if God thinks thats ok and can still accomplish what He intended through it, who are we to judge?
John Bevere’s teaching on Honors Reward should be a good kick in the butt for all on this topic..
There is a movement in the US that is critical of mega-church theology and ‘methodology’. They tend to believe that the essentials of the gospel are compromised by ‘worldly’ presentation eg rock music, light shows etc. However my first ‘mega-church’ experience in Australia was not one of luke warm compromise, but of a powerful, simple presentation of the gospel that renewed my walk with Christ. That was Hillsong in 1996 at Castle Hill. I walked in there cynical, but left refreshed. I was in tears out the front there and was born again again.