Sometimes, when we don't go to church on Sunday mornings and go to "Bedside Baptist" instead, I turn on the tube and watch Joel Osteen. He's the pastor of Lakewood Church, one of the fastest-growing churches in the country. His congregants join together in a massive arena...just thinking about organizing and facilitating weekly services there makes my head explode.
I like Joel. He is cheerful and positive, even though he has a mullet. He usually speaks on how people can live their best life and enjoy God's blessings and, subsequently, be a blessing to others.
I once heard my pastor speak about how pastors like Joel Osteen (he didn't name him specifically) bother him. He said that they just talk about people being happy, not about serving others or suffering for Christ. After that, I started feeling uneasy about liking Joel.
But then I saw Oprah interview him on her show last week. I watched as Oprah cornered him about his preaching style, and how he gets criticized for it. And he said that he is just preaching what God tells him to. And it's working. His church is growing and many people are coming to Christ.
So, I am giving him a break. Ben says he gets tired of all of the "gloom and doom" of church sometimes, and likes how Joel always puts a positive spin on things. Of course, we aren't regular "viewers", so there's probably a lot of material we're missing out on. Even so, his sermons are uplifting and make me think about God's grace, which is what it all boils down to anyway.
If you ever end up at Bedside Baptist, try Joel on for size, and let me know what you think. Maybe you already have an opinion about him...I'd be interested to hear that, too.
HOLLA -
1 comment:
I have seen Joel, but never listened to him for any length of time. Aunt Pam really likes to watch him, though. I will now pay more attention.
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