OZ '06, DAY 2: Worship service or rock concert?
Hillsong Church goes overboard
with raucous Sunday performance
BAULKHAM HILLS, New South Wales, Sunday, Dec. 10 — Before we left for Australia, our pastor at Grace Fellowship in Orlando, Mike Adkins, suggested that we try to visit Hillsong Church. "Their worship is something special," he said.
We were happy to discover that Hillsong was just a few kilometers from our hotel, so Deb and I got up early to make it to the 8:45 a.m. service.
Road signs pointed not to a church, but to the "Hillsong Convention Center," and the 3,000-seat facility was more arena than house of worship. There were dozens of enthusiastic young people waving traffic into the parking lots nestled between the "old" 1,500-seat church, a brand new chapel and an ice skating rink. To call it a campus wouldn't do justice to the setting … it's more like an Olympic village.
Coffee vendors selling Gloria Jean's brews were set up in front of the main entrance, but we arrived just as they were closing, so I don't know if the coffee was free or for sale.
Once inside, you walk straight into the "Hillsong Resource Center," a polite name for a huge concourse concession stand. DVDs, CDs, Bibles, books, trinkets and other "resources" were displayed on racks and tables, waiting for the faithful to make a purchase.
My guess is the coffee wasn't free.
The worship opened with a multimedia avalanche. A nine-piece band, a 30-member choir, and seven featured singers took to the wide stage under three projection screens that would do Jumbotron proud.
It was loud, it was electric, and the flock loved it (about two-thirds of the house was full). People were on their feet, literally jumping in praise of Jesus. No one sat down during the opening 20 minutes of music.
While impressive, the sheer intensity of the performance took me out of the moment … I was much more comfortable attending Mass in the back of the 2004 U.S Open press tent at Olympia Fields.
After the raucous overture, the service turned into a giant marketing opportunity, with junior pastors pushing tickets to the "Christmas Spectacular," encouraging women to sign up for the "Colour 2007" conference, and hawking a new DVD featuring kids music. Then came the call for tithes and offerings.
Too much. Over the top. And bad timing. Frankly, it was crassly commercial.
Pastor Brian Houston took the stage and began working the crowd 37 minutes into the proceedings — I know, because a giant digital clock at the back of the main floor was keeping time.
Maybe I had already become detached, but there was nothing special about the man or his message. He rushed through a few scripture verses — "Try to keep up with me if you're taking notes" — and bounced around from point to random point in his sermon on loyalty.
He did convince me of one thing — I will remain loyal to my church.
Give me Grace Fellowship's talented and tasteful worship band, Mike Adkins' insightful sermons, a chance to really listen to — and keep up with — the Word of God, and free coffee and doughnuts every single Sunday.
But I have to admit … an ice rink is pretty cool!
• • • • •
Later that day, we headed into downtown Sydney with our hosts, Sarah Kenyon and Duane Smith, and Sarah's parents, Sharon and John Kenyon. We roamed the street market in an area called "The Rocks," saw the Harbour Bridge and the world-famous Opera House, and did a little shopping.
• Shocker: Highway tolls here are crazy — it cost us $8.80 to go to church ($6.86 U.S.)! I'll never complain about 50 or 75 cents on the East-West Expressway again.
• Aussie oddities: You get assigned seats at the movies. … "Curb" is spelled "kerb." … Hungry Jacks restaurants are owned by Burger King and serve Whoppers.
with raucous Sunday performance
BAULKHAM HILLS, New South Wales, Sunday, Dec. 10 — Before we left for Australia, our pastor at Grace Fellowship in Orlando, Mike Adkins, suggested that we try to visit Hillsong Church. "Their worship is something special," he said.
We were happy to discover that Hillsong was just a few kilometers from our hotel, so Deb and I got up early to make it to the 8:45 a.m. service.
Road signs pointed not to a church, but to the "Hillsong Convention Center," and the 3,000-seat facility was more arena than house of worship. There were dozens of enthusiastic young people waving traffic into the parking lots nestled between the "old" 1,500-seat church, a brand new chapel and an ice skating rink. To call it a campus wouldn't do justice to the setting … it's more like an Olympic village.Coffee vendors selling Gloria Jean's brews were set up in front of the main entrance, but we arrived just as they were closing, so I don't know if the coffee was free or for sale.
Once inside, you walk straight into the "Hillsong Resource Center," a polite name for a huge concourse concession stand. DVDs, CDs, Bibles, books, trinkets and other "resources" were displayed on racks and tables, waiting for the faithful to make a purchase.
My guess is the coffee wasn't free.
The worship opened with a multimedia avalanche. A nine-piece band, a 30-member choir, and seven featured singers took to the wide stage under three projection screens that would do Jumbotron proud.
It was loud, it was electric, and the flock loved it (about two-thirds of the house was full). People were on their feet, literally jumping in praise of Jesus. No one sat down during the opening 20 minutes of music.
While impressive, the sheer intensity of the performance took me out of the moment … I was much more comfortable attending Mass in the back of the 2004 U.S Open press tent at Olympia Fields.
After the raucous overture, the service turned into a giant marketing opportunity, with junior pastors pushing tickets to the "Christmas Spectacular," encouraging women to sign up for the "Colour 2007" conference, and hawking a new DVD featuring kids music. Then came the call for tithes and offerings.
Too much. Over the top. And bad timing. Frankly, it was crassly commercial.
Pastor Brian Houston took the stage and began working the crowd 37 minutes into the proceedings — I know, because a giant digital clock at the back of the main floor was keeping time.
Maybe I had already become detached, but there was nothing special about the man or his message. He rushed through a few scripture verses — "Try to keep up with me if you're taking notes" — and bounced around from point to random point in his sermon on loyalty.
He did convince me of one thing — I will remain loyal to my church.
Give me Grace Fellowship's talented and tasteful worship band, Mike Adkins' insightful sermons, a chance to really listen to — and keep up with — the Word of God, and free coffee and doughnuts every single Sunday.
But I have to admit … an ice rink is pretty cool!
• • • • •
Later that day, we headed into downtown Sydney with our hosts, Sarah Kenyon and Duane Smith, and Sarah's parents, Sharon and John Kenyon. We roamed the street market in an area called "The Rocks," saw the Harbour Bridge and the world-famous Opera House, and did a little shopping.
• Shocker: Highway tolls here are crazy — it cost us $8.80 to go to church ($6.86 U.S.)! I'll never complain about 50 or 75 cents on the East-West Expressway again.
• Aussie oddities: You get assigned seats at the movies. … "Curb" is spelled "kerb." … Hungry Jacks restaurants are owned by Burger King and serve Whoppers.
posted by Ken Carpenter at 5:21 AM
1 Comments:
I went there and the message literally changed my life.. I'm grateful their pastor Brian was preaching because he spoke life into me the day I went. What I heard helped to save my marriage. After being seperated a year from my husband I walked in there not expecting much more than some good old fashioned bible bashing & I ended up enjoying the message. I felt courageous enough to seek restoration of what was long lost and today my husband and I are together again with our six children because I was inspired to believe that all was not lost and that Jesus heals and restores broken lives and I walked to his house after church and had coffee with him & talked about things that had been buried. Thank GOd for you Christians for caring about average people like us!! I'm grateful for you all we need more of you on the planet! God bless you people for caring for strangers like us.
Post a Comment
<< Home