"Who Stole My Church?"

A friend loaned me this book last night and I'm going to start it today. I'm really looking forward to reading it and hope to come away with some insight on the changes that have taken place within my church and how I can better adapt.

I was in church quite a bit as a child, always of the Methodist persuasion, but it wasn't until we moved here in 2000 that I began my true spiritual journey when we started attending and joined our current church.

We found a loving and supportive church family - and I strongly identified with the familiar Methodist rituals of my childhood. The Choral Call to Worship, the Apostle's Creed, The Lord's Prayer, the Psalter, The Gloria Patri, the Doxology and the Benediction are all like meditation to me. I hear them and I feel such a peace - I take deep, cleansing breaths and feel God's presence.

Without those things, I truly feel lost. As silly and shallow as it sounds, those rituals are an important and meaningful part of worship to me. I've always loved the predictable rhythm and pattern of a traditional service, it gives me great comfort.

I know that change for a church is inevitable and this is just a season that will pass. On the grand scale of church change, this shouldn't be huge. Growing up in a small rural community, we were all witness to the strife and turmoil of church change and conflict that spilled WAY beyond the walls proper - and this is nothing compared to that.

Nonetheless - this is my church, my heart, and I'm still trying to find my way.