Book Review: Who Stole My Church? by Gordon MacDonald

"Who Stole My Church: What to Do When the Church You Love Tries to Enter the 21st Century." Wow... was someone standing behind me when I expressed these exact sentiments? Gosh, what happened to the hymns? Better yet, what happened to the hymnals? What happened to the choir? What is all this multi-media stuff going on up on the screens? Ok, I see the words, but where is the music? Doesn't anyone sing in harmony anymore? What is all this "praise" stuff anyway? Guitars, drums, singers dressed in jeans (and even some with holes in them...). Where'd the organ go? And what is all this clapping and swaying to the music... who stole my church?

This book really opened my eyes as to what is going on today in the church... and in the world. There are major changes happening in our younger generation. And I hate to say it, but I saw myself in this book and didn't really like what I found. I've been resisting all this change without even realizing how much I was distancing myself from the delightful younger generation... including my own family. Gordon MacDonald is right on with all the major events that are going on today. As he writes his book, he introduces us, chapter-by-chapter to the cast of characters. I guarantee that you will find yourself in one of them.

The delightful outcome of this book is that it helps us all to understand the various generations, and how to appreciate our differences. The end result is that if we hold to past traditions in the church, we will lose today's children. They will soon be taking over, and their lives were nothing like our childhoods. They were not raised in the stable 40s and 50s (or earlier). It's a totally different world today.

After reading this book, it was like a sudden "aha!" appeared. I now understand more of what is happening and have made the decision to switch from the more traditional service in our church to what I call the "praise" worship.... the contemporary blend. I don't want to feel "old"... I want to join the younger generation and get with it. They like to smile and be happy in church and not be so sullen and quiet. That can't be all bad......

"Who Stole My Church?" by Gordon MacDonald, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville
as reviewed by Diana Shores