Ho hum

A study by sociologists suggests that the megachurch experience produces feelings of euphoria. This does not break new ground as much as extend what is already known about the neurochemical changes  associated with large social events to the megachurch experience. The researchers argue that those chemical changes in the context of the religious content evokes strong feelings of spiritual transcendence, which is interpreted as feeling the presence of God.

One congregant reported, “God’s love becomes ... such a drug that you can’t wait to come get your next hit. ... You can’t wait to get involved to get the high from God.”

Another said “you can look up to the balcony and see the Holy Spirit go over the crowd like a wave in a football game,” Corcoran said

It is all part of a carefully choreographed appeal to sensation and emotion. State-of-the-art audio and visual displays increase the sensory and emotional experience of the audience. The pastor is the charismatic "energy star" that connects with the audience on an emotional rather than intellectual level.

“The upbeat modern music, cameras that scan the audience and project smiling, dancing, singing, or crying worshippers on large screens, and an extremely charismatic leader whose sermons touch individuals on an emotional level ... serve to create these strong positive emotional experiences,” Corcoran said.

The megachurch formula produces an emotional "high" that keeps people coming back week after week for more. There is no question that is entertaining, exciting, and even gives you a sense of divine presence. The real question is how often it produces mature disciples for Christ.

The hard part about following Christ is loving others, particularly those that are not like us and even those we do not even like. It is tricky balancing the teachings of Christ that run contrary to our human instincts with the sensory and emotional high that is central to the megachurch experience. Jesus can be such a buzzkill with all that stuff about love, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, and God-centered living over materialism and the idolatry of individualism.

Without a doubt, disciples can grow from megachurches. The problem with any "high" is that it is synthetic, dependent on external stimuli, and transitory. The challenge is going beyond the high to new heights in Christ.