Many of them feature multiple worship services. Anna tells me in their search for a new church, the "contemporary service" of whatever church she looks up is the one with all the attachments, like a staffed nursery. The "traditional" service is at an inconvenient hour, with no nursery -- sure indicators that it's for the old folks. Anna and Brian are traditionalists at heart. They want liturgy, they want community. They aren't interested in being entertained. And while they've got nothing against hobnobbing with their elders, they have two young children who sometimes act their age, and that can be hard if you're the only family who has them. Plus, they're interested in orthodoxy, while the Land of Adam Hamilton seems to be dominated by leaders of progressive, or emergent, or whatever notions. We drove by a big religious plant like all the others today. The sign out front read, Lubavitch Torah Education Center. Not "synagogue," not seminary, not shul. Even the Lubavitchers have gone contemporary around here. So what's a family of goyim to do?
Somewhere, there's a nice little church -- United Methodist would be nice -- that believes all the right things and does all the right things and would just love to help my daughter's family make their spiritual home there. I'm praying that as things unfold, God will lead the right people to make contact and work everything out.