Visiting Lakewood Church the Place Term Paper

In addition, simply from observation, there were people from a vast array of lifestyles present. One way that was obvious was in the attire that people were wearing. Some were dressed in conservative clothing, while a few people were dressed in clothing that could almost be labeled "provocative." In addition, there was a couple who were clearly bikers. There were worshippers of all ages present, though the majority of people seemed to be middle-age or younger.

I can not even begin to estimate how many worshippers were present, but the former stadium was almost full to capacity, which means that there had to have been tens of thousands of worshippers there.

Like many worship services, the service began with music. However, there was no mere choir singing at Lakewood; although a choir did sing, the day also featured a performance by a Christian-music band and a singer whom appeared somewhat well-known to the group, though I did not recognize her. After the singing, Pastor Joel Osteen came onto the pulpit. He began his sermon by making a statement about Bibles, which had some elements of ritual because the congregation said the statement with him. The pastor next told a joke, and then launched into his sermon. He talked about "the enemy," which I assumed was the Devil, and it seemed as if the Devil could influence the behavior of others. The main point in his sermon was the people deserve success and should not let "the enemy" convince them that a desire to be successful is wrong.The congregation did not participate in a very dramatic way, but it was clear that they were following the sermon and it seemed more like a conversation than a one-way presentation. In fact, despite the immense size of the church and the audience, Pastor Osteen made the entire thing seem very personal.

It was difficult for me to discern what Lakewood church teaches. It bills itself as a non-denominational Bible-based church. However, there are inconsistencies in the Bible about key issues, which have formed the dividing line for several Christian denominations. I have no idea how Lakewood defines itself on those issues. The main message of the church seems to be that God loves people and that, by inviting God into one's life, one can expect prosperity and miracles in all things. Although very personal and not-ritualized the worship was structured, probably due to the size of the church. Pastor Osteen spoke and people listened, so there was no "back and forth" like one might see at other informal churches. In addition, it was difficult to tell if the group was close-knit. Once in the building, it was clear that there were people who knew and recognized each other, especially if they were going into one of the ancillary ministries. The sheer number of people made the atmosphere appear diverse, but, once inside, it seemed clear that people felt close to their fellow churchgoers. However, the church leadership was predominantly composed of members of the Osteen family, which, to me, made it appear somewhat closed….....