TEXAS MEGA-CHURCH TURNS CHRISTMAS PRODUCTION INTO CIRCUS-LITERALLY!

 
TEXAS MEGA-CHURCH TURNS CHRISTMAS PRODUCTION INTO CIRCUS-LITERALLY! 
BY HEATHER CLARK
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
 HOUSTON — A megachurch in Texas 
recently turned its annual Christmas production in its worship center 
into a circus—literally, complete with a ringmaster, tricks and 
trapezes.

The Second Baptist Church of Texas, led by Dr. Ed Young,
Sr., presented “Christmas Under the Big Top” at its Woodway campus from
Friday to Tuesday, with tickets ranging from $10 to $25. The 90-minute
drama centered on a storyline about a fictional effort to save a
financially-struggling circus by putting on a Christmas show.

In addition to much singing and dancing, the program also
featured a Stomp-like trash can drumming peformance, and plenty of
circus tricks, from juggling to acrobatics to Cyr wheel spinning. Styles
of music varied from traditional to big band, to hip-hop and rock. A
segment of the production also included a living nativity, and a brief
message about life’s “distractions” from the meaning of Christmas was
delivered near the conclusion.

“The days of the traveling, family circus may be long gone,
but don’t tell that to the Robichauxs,” a description of the
storyline outlined on the Second Baptist website.
“For four generations, they have captivated the hearts and minds of
young and old alike with their high-flying antics and death-defying
stunts. But times are changing, and the patriarch, Arthur Robichaux,
must find a way to keep the circus alive in the midst of today’s
ever-changing entertainment landscape.”

“At his wit’s end, Arthur considers throwing in the towel
when his son, Max, surprises him by coming home for Christmas. Can
Arthur and Max save their beloved family circus?” it asks.

Second Baptist also released a video
promoting the event, inviting viewers to “[c]elebrate the true meaning
of Christmas with us.” The video featured clips from previous
performances, including fire-breathing and unicycling.

“For the past five years, Second Baptist Church has shared
the story and joy of Christmas with over 100,000 people across Houston,
featuring live music, dancing, aerobatics and so much more,” the
announcer states. “Come be a part of this Houston holiday tradition as
we celebrate the birth of Christ and take you on a new adventure.”

Luke Benward of Disney’s “Good Luck Charlie” and “Girl Meets
World” was one of the stars of the show, along with his father Aaron,
known for being one-half of the 1990’s CCM duo Aaron Jeoffrey.

Many praised the presentation as being quality entertainment.

“It’s not quite Cirque du Soleil, but it’s way (way, way) bigger than any church show I’ve ever seen,” one blogger commented.

“This was truly a magical celebration with a beautiful
message,” another said. “The show was full of non-stop entertainment
from the musical numbers to the acrobats. I loved the drumline and the
ariel dancers just took my breath away!”

However, others believe that such concepts are a far cry
from the Church in Acts, and are a distraction from the core functions
of the Church—even if outside of the normal service hours.

“‘Christmas Under the Big Top’ is another example of the
Church focusing on entertainment rather than the purposes which our Lord
established for His Church,” David Whitney, pastor of Cornerstone
Evangelical Free Church in Pasadena, Maryland, told Christian News
Network. “When Jesus said, ‘I will build My Church and the gates of Hell
will not prevail against it,’ did He have a circus in mind?”

He said that the Church seems to have “lost its way on the
road to the Heavenly City and instead has taken the side road to
Hollywood,” noting that the command of Christ was to make disciples
through preaching and teaching—not to amuse.

“The commission Christ gave His disciples was to go make
disciples of all nations. That disciple-making task involves the
preaching of the Word of God, administering the ordinances and
conducting public worship,” Whitney explained. “When the Church loses
this focus, it becomes simply one more entertainment venue vying for the
time and treasure of an audience.”

“In 1 Corinthians 14:23 Paul asks the question regarding
speaking in tongues, ‘What will the non-Christian think when he comes in
our midst?’ I guess the answer in Houston is, they would think the
Church is a circus,” he said.

Second Baptist Church did not respond to a request for comment.

(View the production here.)