Christmas Eve services

I have a tradition, maybe its unusual, but probably not.

I like to try out area churches on Christmas eve, lots of churches. In the world of marketing-oriented churches, Christmas Eve is actually a wonderful time to "check out" a new church. Consider it, they put their best face forward, showing what sort of new programming is coming out--and hopefully you get an authentic feel for what the church would actually be like. Last year I hit up one mega church a couple days before and 3-4 the day of christmas eve.

However, this year with an out-of-town football championship (gone until 3pm on Christmas Eve)....my chance to go to marathon services was thwarted. I made it to the Fellowship mega service Thursday afternoon....quite in advance, and a 7:30 & communion at my church, followed by a 11pm midnight Presbyterian mass.

Its starting, however, to reek of "spiritual bulimia"--as though going to hear one more person's take on the "real meaing of Christmas"---or take in another candlelight singing of Silent Night---or even the 3 times I took communion last night (they accidently served me twice at my own church, opps)....as though that's really going to translate to a significantly closer feeling to God. Quantity won't always translate to really getting through my thick skull.

However, some of the themes from various services...
Christmas was God's way of descending the stairs, in all ways "with us"
Peace is what all of us are longing for and want most in life, Christ offers this
--and heard a great family friend(pastor of Pres. church) tell his testimony