» DMN: Hard-core for Christ: Churches cater to 'gutter punks' across U.S. (Michael Mooney)

This church is about two miles from where I grew up in the DFW area:

HURST – Hands clasped, elbows pulled into his chest, Clay Warren rocks to the rising call of electric guitars, pounding drums and guttural voices. The sound cascades across the crowded room, rattling the windows. Tattooed hands turn upward over mohawks and lip rings.

In front of the crowd, a tall man with a clean-shaven scalp holds a microphone. As the cacophony reaches a crescendo, he bellows: "Let me hear your battle cry!" The young men and women respond with screams.

Heavy metal guitars, lyrics about burning flesh, and the faithful crying out to bathe in Jesus' blood might trigger an exodus at traditional churches. But it packs them in every Sunday at the nondenominational Deliverance Bible Church in Hurst.

The man at the microphone is Cleetus Adrian, 32, the Moses for this motley parish. He's known simply as Pastor Cleetus. His earlobes are stretched. His arms, legs, hands and neck are covered in bright body art. And he has a metal spike below his bottom lip.

... to the extent that it can be said that I've "grown up," that is.

There's video from the article shown below as well as sermon CDs for sale on their site. And how can you not love a church that has a Pastor Cleetus? ... and mohawks? ... and a punk rock praise & worship service? Deliverance Bible Church seems to have it all ;-)