Ordering Chaos

I've read a couple of Gordon MacDonald's books and thoroughly enjoyed his writing style: he tells stories, and brings them alive. The stories are allegorical, and point out life lessons that we can all benefit from, and when those stories are directed at the local church, it's easy to 'recognize' certain people that exist in every congregation.

All that to say that I jumped at the chance to review the revised and updated edition of Ordering Your Private World (Thomas Nelson, 2017).             

At first, I was slightly disappointed to not find the familiar story telling style that i was expecting, but this is a different style of book, and it's written in a different style, and let's face it, the book was exceeding popular 35 years ago, revising and updating, means new information, not a total rewrite in a totally different style.

Even so the familiar style pops up in several places, and brings the story to life.

At its core, this is a 'how to book'. How to keep the focus on the main thing, how to keep the first thing first, how to say no, how to balance the different roles that we all play: child, parent, spouse, (in this case) pastor. It all starts with God.

But it's also the story of a journey. Some of the things that MacDonald has learned over decades of ministry could never be taught in a Seminary class, or at a one-day workshop. He offers tips on journaling, on dealing with people, on maintaining a healthy marriage, friendship and Sabbath. And it all starts with God.

For those interested in learning more about this sense of order, there is also a helpful study guide included in the back of the book. It can be done by individuals or by groups. And face it, at some point we all need help quieting the multitude of voices clamoring for our attention so we can focus on what’s really important.            

4/5

I received a copy of this book from Handlebar in exchange for my review. there was not an expectation that I had to write a positive review.