Controversy at Lakewood? Osteen's six-minute response
On most Sundays, the non-denominational megachurch draws some 16,000 worshippers - a crowd appropriate to its building, formerly the Compaq Center arena for the Houston Rockets.
This Sunday, Lakewood's two services each drew between 1,000 and 1,200 worshippers - a much smaller attendance than usual.
Lakewood regulars report that Osteen typically preaches 20 to 30 minutes Sundays. During the first "Hope for Houston" service, his message ran just six minutes.