Giving Church Another Chance

Another Chance For Church

This book came to me at a very important time in my life. My family and I are in the process of re-immersing ourselves into gathering with and the rhythms of a local church family after a seven year hiatus. I found Todd's thoughts refreshing and right on for what I have been wrestling through as my family and I have been sorting out our involvement with a local church.
Todd starts out by making a great point that church is not just the "Sunday service". The service is one small part of how God wants to shape and form us so that we can go into the watching world around us and live out the good news of the kingdom. An analogy that my wife and I have used to explain it in a similar way is by looking at the difference between a football game and the on-field huddle. The huddle is not the game; it helps the players play the game better. That is how church can be in the life of a Christ follower.
The book is very readable and each chapter looks at a specific part of a church service or liturgy. Todd writes from his new Anglican perspective on church but what he has to say is applicable to my Evangelical Covenant Church or whatever church you might find yourself a part of. In each chapter Todd helps us re-purpose or re-practice the essential element needed for the development for kingdom life and practice. Too often we "throw the baby out with the bath water" and miss out on what God wants to transform us with.
In many ways this whole book is like an old parable I once heard about the cooking of a ham. A mother and daughter were preparing to cook a ham. The Mom cut the end off the ham before she put into the pan. The curious daughter asked her Mom why she cut the end off the ham. She answered that her Mom always cut the end off when she made ham but that she would check. Later she inquired with the young girls Grandma and asked why she cut the end off the ham. The answer the Grandmother gave was that her pan was too short. After years and years of doing the same thing this young woman finally found the real reason for the action and realized that for her, it was an unnecessary step. For many, this is what is needed in order to breathe fresh life into our church experience. In this book Todd helps us get to the true "why" questions behind the purpose and structure of church. Much like finding out why the end was cut off the ham, rediscovering the purpose behind the forms will help us re-purpose and appreciate the God given womb for helping nuture us into faithful kingdom service. Giving Church Another Chance is well worth the time in order to help understand and appreciate the local church.
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