Do Mega Churches Prevent Christian Knowledge?

I'm not saying they do. I am not saying that those thousands-of-members churches prevent people from living an authentically Christian life. But GK Chesterton (one of my very favorite dead-guy-writers) would have thought that they do. Consider this quote from Heretics by G. K. Chesterton ~

"It is not fashionable to say much nowadays of the advantages of the small community. We are told that we must go in for large empires and large ideas. There is one advantage, however, in the small state, the city, or the village, which only the willfully blind can overlook. The man who lives in a small community lives in a much larger world. He knows much more of the fierce varieties and uncompromising divergences of men. The reason is obvious. In a large community we can choose our companions. In a small community our companions are chosen for us.

There is nothing really narrow about the clan; the thing which is really narrow is the clique. The men of the clan live together because they all wear the same tartan or are all descended from the same sacred cow; but in their souls, by the divine luck of things, there will always be more colours than in any tartan.

But the men of the clique live together because they have the same kind of soul, and their narrowness is a narrowness of spiritual coherence and contentment, like that which exists in hell.

A big society exists in order to form cliques. A big society is a society for the promotion of narrowness. It is a machinery for the purpose of guarding the solitary and sensitive individual from all experience of the bitter and bracing human compromises.It is, in the most literal sense of the words, a society for the prevention of Christian knowledge. "

So? Do you agree with Chesterton? You don't have to answer that out loud.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I understand his logic, but I think it may depend on the "mega church," the pastor their, and the people themselves.

I go to a "mega church" (I guess). It's LifeChurch.tv -- one church, many locations (like in 8 states & have an internet campus as well, each campus having its own pastoral staff). We truly believe that the "rubber meets the road" in small groups, where one can minister to and be ministered by other Sisters & Brothers. The Sunday services can be large, but they are geared for the unchurched and to bring people in to hear the Rock Solid Message, then get them to be plugged in.

So my answer to your question is I think it depends... :)

Sheila Atchley said...

In a large church, the life of God is more authentically found in the SMALL groups - I agree with you. Relationships are what matter...

Again, it is so good to "see" you here!