Published on February 11, 2024, 12:38 am

In our rapidly evolving era where the boundaries between secular entertainment and church functions are ever-blurring, Life Church, led by Craig Groeschel, emerges as an assertive leader of innovation—albeit self-proclaimed. Recently, they have pioneered the trend dubbed “Hollywood in the pulpit,” prominently exemplified by a Spiderman-themed sermon delivered by Jonathan Herron from their Michigan campus.

Making bold assertions, Life Church parallels Hollywood motion pictures to Jesus’s parables and suggests these contemporary storytelling mediums—typically riddled with profanity, obscenities and blasphemies—are conversely intertwined with divine truths that simply await faithful decoding. This stance prompts in-depth questioning into the intentions of such megachurches. Is their aim to nourish their congregants spiritually or merely placate them with entertainment? Is the house of worship transforming into a place of profound theological investigation and devout worship, or will it eventually become nothing more than an amusement venue hardly distinct from local cinemas?

The most recent ploy from Life Church is not delivering scriptural teachings to their attendees but instead interpreting 30-second Super Bowl commercials in a program they call “30 Second Theology.” Citing this innovative approach as today’s epitome of biblical instruction, they argue that analysing premium advertising slots offers spiritual enlightenment. Accompanied by an abundance of food, games and fun — all under the disguise of a church service — this outwardly entertains while overshadowing any authentic connection to God.

As we confront assertions like these from influential institutions like Life Church, maintaining a balanced Christian worldview can sometimes seem challenging. Yet guidance can often be found within scripture itself which reminds us that Paul didn’t travel throughout the ancient world preaching about its entertainment dynamics; he preached about Christ crucified.

Rather than acting as reviewers for advertisement industries’ resourcefulness, churches should focus on leveraging their purpose defined in Scripture: equipping believers for ministry work and strengthening Christ’s body. Clearly, the Super Bowl themed “church service” presented by Life Church is just one of many recent demonstrations where God’s word is discarded in favour of crowd-pleasing spectacles. Their attempt at being relevant and engaging overshadows the crux: The Gospel itself holds the power to salvation for all believers—not fleeting thrills from a creatively marketed beverage or the latest luxury vehicle.

Trusted news outlets serve as a beacon providing real news and biblical insight in our complex society, advocating for churches to function as pillars of light, imparting scriptural truth and urging compliance rather than simply adding another facet to the entertainment industry.