Life Enhancement Instead of God's Word Taught at Churches: A Recipe For Disaster

By Bobby

In light of what Catherine posted about the stupidity of the Obammy (a parody of a Savage Steve Holland cartoon character of the 1980's) and the idea to kill babies for the sake of "research" (which has crippled someone recently; see this site for the report), and also the Maryville, IL church shooting, I could not believe the loss of common sense in our society.

But the church shooting in Maryville had me very angry when I read what had happened during that "church service".

People who attend church services, including Mass, intend to hear God's Word taught by the pastor, bishop, or other leader in a House of Worship. We intend to be reading from the Holy Bible and to learn from the Word that was given to us over two millennia ago. Sadly, what had happened in the church in question on that troubling day was far from it and was the sign of many megachurches that have built their churches in the model of the megachurches that have created life enhancement centres where the main focus is on entertainment, and not the study of the Holy Word. Two things that should not be taking place at church were happening at the time.

During the time the incident occurred, a drama team was performing a skit discussing that week's "sermon," which was about finding happiness in the workplace -- a form of the infamous life enhancement centres that have permeated churches where things other than God's Word are now the focus in these venues of entertainment, such as the drama teams that were performing at the time of the incident, secularised popular music, both by the church organ and in others played by a "worship band" that has replaced sacred song, ejecting the church organist in favour of the rock band that forces churchgoers to carry pit reporter-style earplugs, teen dance teams that jiggle to secular pop music that in many cases have replaced the choirs, and if there is a choir, it performs to karaoke instead of the organ, and using the secularised material, not the sacred.

As for the "life enhancement centre" that was just mentioned, the sermon that was being "preached" by the pastor was a life enhancement seminar titled after a Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler song. That seminar talked about finding happiness in the workplace. God's Word was clearly not the focus here.

The worst part of the tragedy was a church member had referenced that the dramas were part of the church, so entertainment was clearly part of the day at church. But what were members learning with this type of life enhancement service?

Sadly, we need to look at what is happening at churches. Life enhancement (which is popular among seeker-sensitive venues) has replaced the Holy Bible. Think about it.