I wanted to add my thoughts about the dramas and skits issue.  I hate
them...or at least presented as part of the Church "service".  For
several Sunday nights, videos have replaced teaching.  I don't even
bother to go.  I can invite some of my Christian friends over and we can
watch a good "spiritual" movie.  I think the problem is lazy pastors.

There is nothing more thrilling (boring???) than to have God's Word
opened up to me.  I love expository, categorical teaching.  Give me
historical background.  Give me tenses of verbs and detailed studies of
difficult words....like "glory", "propitiation", "law", etc.  My local
church has two Seminary-trained pastors who are paid VERY well, but the
congregation is dying because of "fluff" and Madison Avenue attempts to
draw people.  For heaven's sake, why would they come?
I've gotten more out of one chapter of John Stott's commentary on
Ephesians, than I gotten from our pulpit in the last two years.

I know I sound harsh.  The rest of the churches in our area are even
worse than mine.  Lots of "rah-rah", entertainment, gimmicks and
emotionalism.  It's a desert here.

Jo Anne