Imagine shelling out $50 for a concert ticket—not to see your favorite rock band, but to “worship God.” Elevate your hands, sway to the lights, and chase that emotional high. Sounds spiritual, right? But what if the real product is profit, not praise? Welcome to the multimillion-dollar worship industry, where Hillsong, Elevation Worship, and Bethel Music rake in fortunes from CCLI licensing, streaming royalties, album sales, and sold-out arena tours. Christians pay top dollar for the privilege of singing along to celebrity worship leaders, while Jesus warned against making His Father’s house a marketplace .

The Temple 2.0: A Billion-Dollar Bazaar

Jesus didn’t mince words when He stormed the Jerusalem Temple, flipping tables and driving out merchants with a whip: “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade” . Those money-changers turned sacred space into a for-profit racket, exploiting worshippers who traveled far to offer sacrifices. Fast-forward to today: Worship concerts mimic that chaos. Fans drop cash on VIP meet-and-greets, merch booths overflow with hoodies and devotionals, and arenas pulse with laser shows rivaling Coachella. Hillsong alone reportedly pulls $100M+ annually , Elevation Worship tours pack 20K-seat venues at $40-100/ticket, and Bethel’s ecosystem thrives on song licensing—churches pay CCLI fees to legally project lyrics, funneling millions back to the machine.

Don’t get me wrong: Artists deserve fair pay. Paul the tentmaker worked to support his ministry , and Scripture honors labor: “The laborer deserves his wages” . But when worship becomes a branded empire—complete with private jets, book deals, and influencer pastors—the line blurs. Concerts aren’t free church gatherings; they’re ticketed events where the band is the draw, not the cross. As one insider leaked, “It’s a business model disguised as ministry.” Jesus as the sole celebrity? Forgotten amid the spotlights.

Paying for a Seat at Jesus’ Table

This isn’t harmless entertainment. Believers fork over hard-earned money for an experience Scripture says is free: “Come to me, all who labor…and I will give you rest” . No admission fee required. Yet here we are, buying “nosebleed seats” to scream lyrics like “Oceans” or “Reckless Love,” while the real reckless love hung on a cross without a merch table. It’s the modern equivalent of Simon the Sorcerer trying to buy the Holy Spirit’s power —commercializing the sacred.

Commercial Christianity echoes the Pharisees’ love of “the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces” . Worship leaders become untouchable stars, their songs engineered for radio play and viral TikToks, not raw repentance. Paul urged, “Do not be conformed to this world” , but this world loves celebrities. The result? Shallow faith, where emotional chills replace conviction: “They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods” .

Flipping the Tables: A Call to True Worship

Jesus cleared the Temple twice , roaring, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?’ But you have made it a den of robbers” . Today’s worship industry? A glossy den, profiting off praise. Churches, wake up: Stream free hymnals, sing Psalms acapella , and make Jesus the only name that shines.

Support creators ethically—buy albums directly, not arena tickets. But let’s not fund empires built on His name. True worship costs nothing but surrender: “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” . Flip those tables. Make Jesus the celebrity again.

In the popular imagination, the Puritans are little more than dour killjoys—stern-faced men and women in black cloaks, noses perpetually wrinkled in disapproval of anything resembling fun. They banned Christmas, hanged witches by the dozen, and viewed marriage as a grim duty rather than a delight. Or so the story goes. This caricature, perpetuated by everything from high school textbooks to Hollywood sketches, paints them as joyless legalists who sucked the life out of life itself. But what if this image is not just exaggerated, but profoundly unfair? What if peering past the myths reveals a movement of profound spiritual depth, cultural richness, and unyielding commitment to Scripture that deserves our respect, regardless of whether we buy every doctrinal nuance?

Let’s start with the joy myth. The Puritans weren’t against pleasure; they were against frivolity that distracted from the greatest joy of all—delight in God. Richard Baxter, one of their towering figures, described the Christian life as “sober yet cheerful,” urging believers to embrace lawful recreations like archery, dancing , and even sports, provided they glorified the Creator. The first Thanksgiving in Massachusetts Bay? A raucous feast with games resembling soccer. John Bunyan, the imprisoned tinker-turned-theologian, didn’t pen a somber tract from Bedford jail; he gifted the world Pilgrim’s Progress, an allegorical adventure bursting with vivid imagery, heroic quests, and triumphant hope. Far from killjoys, these were souls who feasted on Psalms like “In thy presence is fullness of joy” , channeling their zeal into poetry, hymns, and family devotions that made homes little outposts of heaven.

Then there’s the prudery charge, often wielded with a knowing wink. Yes, the Puritans condemned fornication and adultery with biblical fire, but within marriage? They celebrated it exuberantly. Puritan pastor William Perkins called sex a “holy lust,” a mutual duty and delight ordained by God. Cotton Mather wrote glowingly of conjugal bliss, and divorce was permitted for abuse or abandonment—far more progressive than the indissoluble bonds enforced by their Catholic critics. They weren’t ascetics fleeing the body; they were realists stewarding it for God’s glory.

The witch trials loom large, especially Salem’s tragic 20 executions. Unquestionably a stain, born of wartime paranoia, spectral evidence, and human folly. Yet context matters: Europe saw tens of thousands burned at the stake, while Puritans largely rejected such hysteria. Increase Mather, father of Cotton, publicly repented the excesses, insisting on tangible proof over visions. It was an aberration, not the norm—and one they self-corrected.

Politically, they’re tagged as theocrats imposing blue laws. True, they sought a “city on a hill” governed by biblical principles, but this stemmed from Anglican persecution that drove them across the Atlantic. Roger Williams, a Puritan exile for his radical views, founded Rhode Island as a haven of religious liberty. They elevated literacy through free schools, laid groundwork for abolitionism, and birthed documents echoing Magna Carta’s rule of law. Intolerant at times? Yes. But compared to the Stuart court’s debauchery or inquisitorial foes, they modeled covenantal accountability.

So why the bad rap? Royalist propaganda after the English Civil War vilified them as “Roundheads.” Victorian moralists projected their own starchiness backward. Modern secularism recoils at any whiff of piety. Selective quoting—snip a rant against Maypoles, ignore tomes on grace—seals the deal.

We need to look back, not with disdain, but with clear-eyed respect. Whether you’re Reformed, Arminian, Catholic, or none of the above, the Puritans offer treasures: Owen’s piercing Mortalty and Everlasting Life, Sibbes’ tender ministry to “bruised reeds,” Herbert’s luminous poetry. They weren’t flawless—infallible on polity or eschatology? Hardly. But they wrestled Scripture with intellectual rigor, loved fiercely, and built enduring institutions from Harvard to abolition societies.

Accuracy benefits everyone. Dismissing them as fanatics robs us of their wisdom on suffering . Honoring their legacy—flaws and all—sharpens our own convictions, humbles our hubris, and reminds us Christianity thrives when rooted in the Word they cherished. Let’s read them anew. You’ll find not grim specters, but brothers and sisters ablaze with gospel fire. The Puritans weren’t perfect, but they were profound. It’s time we saw them that way.

What Puritan have you misjudged? Drop a comment.

The goal of this series of posts will be to highlight different subcultures within Christianity that we might not be exposed to, but want to understand since they are brothers and sisters in Christ. This won’t include cults, but rather groups with unique practices that are still part of the Body of Christ.

The term ‘naturist’ or ‘nudist’ is an umbrella term used for people who advocate or practice social nudity in appropriate settings. Social nudity refers to the communal, non-sexual practice of individuals unclothed in mixed gender settings. Often, people practice naturism as a recreational activity for mental, physical and spiritual rejuvenation. However, for Christians who practice naturism, it is often considered an act of worship and praise to God for His creation. The Christian Naturist organization is one such group of individuals who see naturism as a God-given freedom that offers a unique way of experiencing and worshipping God.

The Christian Naturist organization is a group of Christians who believe that naturism is fully compatible with their faith. The organization was formed in 1960, a time when the nudist/naturist movement began to gain momentum and nudist clubs started popping up all over the United States. However, Christian Naturist organization took the commitment to their faith seriously and wanted to define the practice within the boundaries of their religious belief. So, they formed the organization with the aim to promote and encourage social nudity within the Christian community.

The organization’s faith statement is based on biblical principles and is centered around the belief that God created mankind naked and unashamed. For example, during creation, Adam and Eve were naked and not ashamed of their bodies (Gen 2:25). It is only after the fall that they become ashamed of their nakedness and covered themselves (Gen 3:6-10). The Christian Naturist organization believes that naturism is a way of returning to the original state of man, thereby embracing the beauty of God’s creation.

One of the key issues for the Christian Naturist organization is the notion of ‘purity culture,’ which tends to equate nudity with immorality and shame. They see this as a problematic view of the body and encourage Christians to embrace their bodies without shame or guilt. The organization believes that the human body is a masterpiece of God’s creation, and nudity is just another way of experiencing and enjoying God’s artwork.

For Christian Naturists, nudity isn’t about sex, but a means of experiencing a deeper level of spiritual connection with God. The organization highlights that naturism has a way of breaking down barriers and fostering deeper connections between people, and with God. It can be an experience where people bond and create a sense of community that transcends social and economic divisions.

Another argument that the organization presents is that nudity is a way of deobjectifying the body. Society, particularly Western culture, often tends to over-sexualize bodies, which can lead to distorted views of self-worth and beauty. By embracing nudity, Christian Naturists believe they can reject cultural notions of physical beauty or stereotypes and appreciate the beauty of each individual in their unadorned form. When we experience each other as we are, without clothing or makeup, we can begin to appreciate the beauty that exists beyond external appearances.

One of the reasons why naturism has been accused of being sexual is that it is often practised in mixed gender settings. However, the Christian Naturist group insists that the practice is strictly non-sexual. They follow Christian principles to respect each other, avoid lusting after another’s body, and remain faithful to their partners. While nudity can create a sense of intimacy, Christian Naturists emphasize that it is within the bounds of biblical morality.

Many critics argue that naturism is a form of rebellion against God’s command to clothe oneself. However, Christian Naturists argue that this is a misinterpretation of scripture. They point out that the command to clothe oneself came after the fall when Adam and Eve were ashamed of their nakedness. Before that, there was no command to clothe oneself, and therefore social nudity was part of the natural order of things. Christian Naturists argue that social nudity, in the absence of lust or shame, is a natural expression of God’s creation.

In conclusion, the Christian Naturist organization promotes the practice of social nudity as fully compatible with Christian faith. Inspired by biblical principles, they believe that the human body is a masterpiece of God’s creation and should not be viewed with shame or guilt. By embracing nudity, they argue that people can experience a deeper level of spiritual connection with God and create a sense of community that transcends social and economic divisions. While this may not be a practice for everyone, for those who find beauty in the natural state of the human body and are moved towards spiritual practice through it, naturism can be a form of worship.

Footnotes:

– Heimbach, D. (2009). “The Ethics of Naturism”. Religious Studies, 45(4), 1-15.

– Kaye, H. (2011). “Bodies, sexuality, and spirituality: Internet conversations on Christian naturism”. Theology and Sexuality, 17(3), 197-210.

– Whelan, C. B. (2015). Sporting bodies and sacred spaces: Christian naturism and sexual holiness. In Sport, Religion and Disability (pp. 63-74). Routledge.