NotForItchingEars.com was born out of my utter frustration with, and sincere love for, the evangelical church.  Having visited congregation after congregation and reading many studies, I  knew something was wrong.

I spent a considerable amount of time pleading with the pastors and  leaders of the church at large to come back to the ancient path.  I challenged many worship leaders to re-think the worship services they led.

The response of many in the worship leading community was less than enthusiastic.  Most people just wanted me to shut up and go away in the name of Christ!   Though many of those  being “led” in worship, tended to be less severe.  They knew something was wrong.

With that as a background, I want to enthusiastically and without reservation recommend Glenn Packiam’s new book: “Discover The Mystery of Faith”. 

Glenn, as you may know, is one of the founding leaders and songwriters for The Desperation Band, and has been a very prominent worship leader in his own right.   If you are part of a contemporary worship style church, you have undoubtedly sung his songs during corporate worship.

But something began to stir in him several years ago:

I began to think there was something deeply wrong with the way we led people into worship…”

…The more I thought about our worship services and how the way we worship really does shape the way we believe, the more I wondered, Dear God, what have we been feeding them?…

If our songs are juvenile, they may simply be a symptom of our adolescent faith.  But maybe they are also part of the problem. Maybe our simplistic, peppy songs actually perpetuate our spiritual adolescence.

…Perhaps part of the reason the Church is malnourished and our faith is anemic is because our worship services have become a theological Happy Meal.”

You can read more about Glenn’s transforming journey in the introductory chapters of his book.  Though we had absolutely nothing to do with his transformation, I’m encouraged to see this type of change take place in such a prominent worship leader.  It gives one hope that many others will follow.

The best part of the book is Glenn Packiam’s recipe for renewal, calling the church back to a more ancient way.  He gives plenty of food for thought, and anyone responsible for corporate worship will find it a refreshing and informative read.

While still occasionally leading worship, Glenn now pastors a church that combines contemporary worship with the ancient traditions of the church.  I have attended this congregation many times (to tell you the truth, it is now the congregation I call home!), and I have seen first hand the remedies that Glenn outlines in his book.

Who should read this book?  1)Pastors who realize that the model of church they have embraced is faulty.  It’s not working, and you know it isn’t, but you don’t know where to turn.  2) Worship leaders of every persuasion.  If you have been leading worship for 7-10 years, you also know that something is not quite right, even if you can’t admit it publicly.  You owe it to yourself and especially the ones you lead to pick up a copy of “Discover The Mystery of Faith”.  3)Elders, and all those who have leadership roles in their congregations.

Finally, 4) to all of my brothers and sisters who have been struggling with your own church leadership. I encourage you to read this book!  Perhaps it will help point you in a new unexpected direction.

And at $3 for the ebook, how can you go wrong?