Sunday, July 17, 2005

Oasis of Love Update

The Lakewood Church (the "Oasis of Love") opened its first services in the remodeled Compaq Center in Houston this weekend to overflow crowds and massive traffic congestion. Those of you who were interested in my previous post about this phenomenon may want to read the local paper's report of the Saturday night service. It featured a standing ovation for Pastor Joel Osteen and wife and Governor of Texas Rick Perry (a/k/a Governor GoodHair). Good Grief.

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Eww. I haven't seen the piece in Christian Century, fear I let my subscription lapse before I paid again. Apparently it includes an effective critique of his Prosperity Gospel.

Jody Harrington said...

Thanks for the tip about the Christian Century article--I'll try to look that up.

St. Casserole said...

I baked another Grace Texas Chocolate Solidarity Cake today. Forced by my family to stand over a hot cook stove until I served the cake to them.
Does the cake have anything to do with Joel Osteen? I don't think so but making your great cake for the third time in a few days seems like bigger news than renovating the Compaq Center....

Unknown said...

I made it again, too! So delicious, and I was thinking of both of you. I don't think I'll get to make it every Sunday afternoon, though.

St. Casserole said...

Grace, Songbird and I will look like marshmallows in our albs if we keep making the Cake.... The LS declared the cake the best he'd ever eaten.

Jody Harrington said...

The Texas Chocolate Sheetcake has NOTHING to do with Joel Osteen.

My brother calls it a "religious experience", but I maintain it is strictly a REFORMED religious experience
:-)!

And since it is a religious experience, if you eat it in private (as Jesus told us to pray), it has no calories if no one sees you eating it!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Anonymous said...

Help out someone who doesn't follow Texas politics: Governor GoodHair?

Jody Harrington said...

Sorry, Will. Governor Rick Perry of Texas sports a very fluffed and buffed hairdo--reminiscent of many TV evangelists. His nickname around the state is therefore "Governor GoodHair". I'm not sure who came up with it.

spookyrach said...

I think maybe Molly Ivins was the first to appropriately name the fluffy governor.

Now we need her to turn her skills to an appropriate appellation for Joel Osteen.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the explanation.

Anonymous said...

Molly Ivins does sometimes come up with good lines.

John said...

It would be fascinating to learn of the logistics of this church. I hope that they do some sort of 'behind the scenes' documentary on their church administration.