[HairOfTheDog]

the guy from Saddleback that did the "preachin" for our presentation into it (a simulcast from California) was really good.

What I find remarkable (as someone found pretty infrequently at church) is that I know who and what you are talking about! Because the Baptist church we visited last Sunday was gonna be doing the same thing.

And I know a little about what you mean as far as Rockin' out, if this church was similar to the mood of yours. It was pretty different than the Lutheran services I grew up with, where the pastors were very quiet shy people who would never be confused with televangelists, and the hymns were right out of the hymnal. Holding the hymnal itself I think set the more serious tone.

It was a new kind of experience for me, seeing a service with a big television screen, sound system and Powerpoint presentations... and the lyrics being up on the screen during the hymns made it feel a bit like Karaoke.

I liked the music, but then I was eyein' one of the guys in the brass section.

[2Jedismom]

That is EXACTLY what it it's like in my church. Got a praise team instead of a choir...half dozen people with a band behind them. The HUGE TV screens and the hymnals gather dust...have never even been used since we moved into this new building. We scramble to find the hymns (when they're hymns) in the hymnals in an effort to teach the boys how to read a hymnal, but usually they only sing one verse and go on to another 24/7 praise chorus (24 words sang 7 times). I think they only sing the ocassional hymn in the "traditional" service to molify the grey-headed ones.

[SuziQ]

I liked the music, but then I was eyein' one of the guys in the brass section.

Ruh, roh. Does ecurbh know? ;o)