For my religious experience in the
city, I traveled to Hillsong, a non-denominational Christian Church. Hillsong
is unlike most churches in just about every regard. There were so many
differences that I experienced, but for the purpose of this text I will focus
on the venue upon which mass is celebrated. The Hillsong Church that I visited
was situated in the hectic area of Times Square at the PlayStation Theatre. Right
off the bat, Hillsong presented itself as different from most churches. Mass is
not necessarily held in a church, but instead is held in a theatre. The mass is
not “celebrated” but “performed”.
This is a running theme for
Hillsong, as the entire experience felt very akin to attending a concert. Let’s
begin with entry into the theatre. Each attendee is required to pass through a
metal detector, which is slightly alarming. This may be due to the location of
the church in Times Square, or as a precaution towards possible opposing
fanatics. Either way, it immediately cast a different feeling upon the
experience. Once through the metal detectors, we were ushered into the building
and greeted along the way by about five different greeters spread along the
way. The theatre was downstairs, and my friend and I took the escalator down.
The entire place is dark, with colored lights providing enough light to see
around you.
The theatre itself held
approximately 400 people and was completely full. A stage appeared fully lit in
the front with a live band providing music while people found their seats.
Besides the band, the stage was completely empty with no altar, chairs, or
religious items. The traditional pews were also replaced, substituted with
folding chairs instead. I took my seat behind the soundboard, which along with
the rest of the venue, looked very expensive.
Hillsong appeared to be a very
profitable organization. For beginners, the location in Times Square must cost
a fortune. It seems like the signature location is purposed to give legitimacy
to the religion. Legitimacy is essential to Hillsong, for it gives an aspect of
validation to their religion. As a result, volunteers were dressed in uniforms,
service is held in a signature location, performers dressed in trendy clothes,
and a professional sounding band was employed.
As a whole, the venue is designed
to feel like a concert. This helped attract a mostly young audience which kept
the service energized and youthful. Although the services are noticeably geared
towards the younger population, people from all ages, color, and walks of life
were present. It demonstrated the breadth and reach of Hillsong which I had to
admit was very impressive. In this
regard, it embodied American ideals. Hillsong was “the new world”. The people
there were breaking away from the traditional sense of a church, somewhat akin
to settlers who broke away from what they knew in Europe in search of something
better. The people were a melting pot of all races, wealth, and personalities. Hillsong
embodied several key aspects of America and provided for a unique religious
experience.
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