Where everybody knows yours name

I have worshipped in many different settings.  In Catholic churches, Orthodox churches, Reform synagogues, low-church non-denominational churches, Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, UU churches and a handful of Methodist churches.

My experiences include the big wide screen with all the song words/rock band/cool pastor/laid back auditorium style worship.  I don't like it; every day I can go to a movie theatre, a rock concert, and I since I work in IT and work from home a lot, I wear jeans all the time.

When I go to worship-which is a key idea often missing from this style of church-I want to experience something outside the normal, quotidian elements of life.  I'm not interested in dumbing down my worship experience.  I want to know that I'm not in a movie theatre, or a shopping mall; I want something deeper.

It's sad, to me, that as our culture often progresses towards drive through, nutrition-less, throw-away everything we've decided religion ought to be just another quick-fix product.  No thanks.