Another reference to a posting at my high school alumni web site.

And I don't know this alum at all but he's in my younger brother's graduating class. Maybe I'll ask Greg about him.

Anyway, I found this bit interesting:

I received a phone call from my best friend who I worked with for the previous 6 years in Buffalo at Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church. He is a pastor and I did all of the music for a young adult service.

He had moved to Birmingham and was asked to start a modern, progressive church. He asked me to consider moving to lead worship in Birmingham.

I moved to Birmingham. I am leading worship for Elevation.

The church bought Big Mountain Coffee and we run the business Monday - Saturday as a regular secular coffeehouse, but on Sundays, it's where we meet.

It's nice to come to church in jeans and a t-shirt and not stand out. We're basically marketing to anyone who is interested in their faith, but not interested in the church. We had our first official service in August, and its growing fast!

"Interested in faith but not interested in church." That really stuck in my craw. What gives?

At the church's web site, you'll see their style combines "the best of a coffeehouse ... great coffee, comfortable chairs, open conversations, casual atmosphere " with "... the best of a church ... real worship, biblical life lessons, lasting relationships, acceptance."

These guys aren't much younger than I and yet, and yet, and yet, it's as if they haven't graduated college.

I don't know how "Wesleyan" differs from "Methodist" but maybe they were historically more involved in the abolitionist movement. I'm just guessing. I'll have to pull out my copy of Mead's Handbook of Denominations for more information.

Although my lifelong UMC friend always took great pride in the lore that her childhood home was a station along the Underground Railroad. I can't substantiate that claim. Most of the routes seem to go through OH.