Lakewood Church was a large church in an unfashionable area of town. They did good works. John Osteen had a TV ministry, and never asked for money on TV. He also never asked for it in his Sunday services. He stayed out of politics, and his church was well-regarded, even by the non-evangelical community.

Joel is a seminary dropout, unlike so many evangelical preachers who never spent a day in a seminary. I am always suspicious of any preacher with no formal theological training of any kind.

After John died and Joel took over the ministry, there was a horrible flood in Houston, and the side of town where Lakewood Church was located was hit very hard. Many people rescued from rooftops ended up in the church parking lot, looking for food and shelter until more permanent arrangements could be made. The church complained loudly to the news media about what a burden this was to them, on a weekend no less. That was when I knew the Lakewood Church of the John Osteen years was gone.

Prosperity Gospel means Joel and Victoria have moved to the Tanglewood area of Houston, near George HW and Barbara Bush. It’s probably the highest priced real estate outside of River Oaks, where generations of oil barons and old money folk live. The church is now located in a former basketball arena, where the Houston Rockets won NBA championships. It’s close to a ritzy section of town. Joel and Victoria can be seen any day of the week, together and separately, lunching and dining at the many “see and be seen” restaurants in Houston, usually with some starry-eyed person footing the bill. She has a personal shopper at Neiman’s, Saks and Tootsies, which is even more expensive than Barney’s New York. And yes, she cussed out a flight attendant–my sister was on that plane.

The people who follow these folks are sucked in by their beauty (although he’s actually a very short guy with very greasy hair) and their charm, not their spiritual message. These people are looking for a life, and have unfortunately found it in false idols.

Joel seems to be a wonderfully kind man. But, hey, the guy who delivered bud to my dorm room back in the 70′s was pretty nice too. And he ALWAYS had what I “needed.”

IMonk, that’s just too good an opening to pass up:
It’s SCIENCE!!

I know that God too can work in any circumstances. I myself started my “spiritual journey” with a copy of Power of Positive Thinking under my arm at age 15. There’s been a lot of water under the old bridge since, but God has used crazier things.