I vaguely remember only a month ago while waiting in line in
my local Christian bookstore checkout and the DVD was playing to entertain the
queue. It was the latest live worship DVD from Hillsong, I paid scant interest
being the ex-Pentecostal turned-fundamentalist-almost-Baptist-Christian that I
am. The shots of Mike wearing oxygen tank while performing on stage with the
band did get my attention. I was curious as to what I was seeing; I didn't even
recognize Mike with his new haircut. I paid for my purchases and walked out of
the store and didn't think too much about it.
And today this became headlines:
"Pop star pastor lied about cancer
A pastor who claimed terminal cancer inspired him to write a
hit evangelical pop song has been exposed as a fraud.
Michael Guglielmucci told worshippers, friends and his own
family that he was likely to die from the disease.
He claimed his hit song "Healer", which was
included on mega-church Hillsong's latest album, came to him as a "gift
from God" on the day the diagnosis was revealed.
It propelled Mr Guglielmucci, formerly a pastor with
Melbourne-based church Planetshakers, to the forefront of Australia's Christian
youth movement.
Young, passionate and was in the vernacular of the
Planetshakers, “on fire for Jesus. “
Remembering the images from the DVD, seeing all the reports
from all over the internet, there is very little wiggle room here for Mike, it
was not a misunderstanding, it was not a comedy of errors, tragically it would
appear, Mike lied to everyone.
I am not sure if the churches have enough discernment to see
just how serious this is. Mike lied about his sickness, and it would appear for
no other reason but to allow himself to be propelled into the spotlight. What
would compel a young man like Mike to make up such a monumental deception? And
consider the nature of his deceit and the context of where it has taken place.
He told thousands of people that he is dying of cancer and the song
"Healer" was a gift from God. If the reports are to believed, then
everything about the song, the inspiration, the way it was written, and it
being a gift from God... All fabricated!
How does someone go through with something like that?
I would like to know, if this kind of behaviour from her
leaders does not sound alarm bells for the churches, what will?
What kind of environment has the Australian church scene
become? I know many will say this is a problem within a particular
denomination. Like it or not the denomination is question (Planet Shaker and
Hillsong are all part of the A.O.G) defines the church culture for majority of
the Australian Christians. What have the churches become? Lost in the pursuit
of affluence and influence church leaders have traded the high calling of being
shepherds instead wanting to be CEOs and rock stars.
Mike is a pastor and the name of the game for these young
pastors is no longer faithfulness in feeding Christ’s congregation. What's
important now is really fame and fortune, it's rephrased in a thousand
sanctified religious ways, but what counts in the circle is popularity and
prosperity. Mike found a way to get both so happens he did it by making up a
back story for a generic 4-chord wonder that really wasn't all that special or
interesting musically, but the real life drama Mike invented for it made it top
of the Aria charts.
I am not trying to find Mike a scapegoat; we are all
personally responsible for our own sins regardless of the circumstances. I do
pray that we as Christians will not again simply offer cheap forgiveness out of
indifference and allow the decadent church culture to go on.
And Mike, I pray that you will now find what you need. You
do need a healer, a healer for your disease. The disease of sin runs through
our veins, and there is only one who has the cure. Mike, they say that you are
getting professional help, I don't know what that entails, but I do know that
the only help that you need right now comes from Christ. Jesus died for our
sin, yours and mine. I know you know that, I have heard you preach that in
youth rallies. Mike, Christ died for your sin, he endured the shame of
humiliation and the pain of crucifixion and he defeated death in His
resurrection. You have heard it all before but make it real today. Repent and
turn away from your sins and put your trust in Christ alone. Christ endured the
agony of the cross, not for the healing of this perishable body but for the
healing of our souls.
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