All this snow is just making me feel more and more into the holiday spirit. Today at Walmart the cashier wished me my very first "happy holidays". I even pulled out a couple of christmas CD's to listen to this weekend as I start my baking brigade. I really don't think I'm going to attempt to make that many christmas cookies this year as I'm heading to Illinois Friday the 21st and so that will give me an entire weekend before Christmas to indulge in christmas baking (and I know I'm a cheapskate but ideally using mom and dad's butter and eggs isn't a bad thing either.)

There are some things that are weighing on my heart this week mostly because at the start of the week mom told me that they are probably going to finally pull the plug on the contemporary worship at the church I grew up at.

This breaks my heart a bit. I helped start that service and I've just been really sad every time I go home to see the lack of spark there is to drive the worship in that style. But more importantly I'm sad because I think they are being shortsighted about the impact that service had to reach people who just didn't like traditional church.

Of course I had to go and move to Minnesota so I don't really get a say in the matter. In the last year essentially the service has dwindled to only a few people and they have turned it rather into a bible study with a few songs thrown in for good measure. There apparently are a vocal few who believe that this not a "service" because it does not have a traditional liturgy or incorporates hymns or has a traditional sermon the service does not honor God.

Truthfully, mom's taken to watching Joel Osteen on the tv rather than going to church...which...fine...it's something...but really....Really what does honor God? What inspires surrender? We already have a guide in the Bible...if your worship is grounded in scripture and your life is centered on God isn't the other thing that's important to reach others who don't know God and tell them about Him? So what are all of these rules about? I just don't get it. Maybe I'm just not religious enough.