Saddleback Church
Church Encounter Series
It was Sunday morning, and I was in Southern California, so I had to go to Saddleback Church. Saddleback is famous for its pastor, Rick Warren. Rick Warren is known for his books, praying at the Presidential inauguration, and for being a public figure in evangelical church circles. The church was started by Warren in 1980, and it's now the seventh largest church in the United States. Here are some things I took from my visit:
It's a Southern California Church
Saddleback is located in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, and there are several times I thought, "This really is California." The campus is laid out into many different buildings (which would never work in more northerly areas in the cooler season). I arrived when the earlier service was still going, and many were listening to it under covered areas on the patios surrounding the main worship center (where there were coffee and hot dog stands, too). There was a laid back feel to the place with most dressed very casually and many coming late and leaving early.
It's Rick Warren's church.
Rick Warren and I probably differ on many issues of faith and life, but he's someone I respect who I think is fair-minded and a decent person and a faithful Christian. I never got the sense being there that he was any type of control freak over the place, but his personality was evident in the worship service. He came out and greeted us when it was time for the sermon, but he then introduced a video of him preaching the sermon from the earlier service. He then left the stage as we watched the video of him preaching from earlier in the day. That seemed a little strange to me, but in watching the video of him preaching it was obvious he was a skilled communicator.
It's a megachurch.
The main worship center was smaller than I expected, and it was a whole lot smaller than Willow Creek's big room, but it was still very big by most church's standards. I didn't really get to explore their campus, but it looked like there was plenty going on there with many buildings housing many things. Rick Warren mentioned their youth ministry program, which he said is a megachurch in itself. There were several booths outside offering information on many programs at the church.
As I've said with other churches I've visited, if I was looking for a church I probably wouldn't end up in a place like Saddleback. But, obviously a lot of people are connecting with God there in significant ways, and I pray for God's blessing and presence with these sisters and brothers in the faith.
"In drawing up its regulations, we hope to set down nothing harsh, nothing burdensome." - Rule of St. Benedict