Unbroken Bread: Healing Worship Wounds

by Mike Root

In the author’s words: “I think it is safe to say that the number one area of strife in the Brotherhood today is over worship and worship styles. A small part of the strife involves doctrinal differences, but the vast majority of the problems stems from opposing preferences. It is the intent of this book to examine worship and the assembly in the light of what Scripture really says, and to help heal some of the dissention that seems to be growing each day. This is not a tradition-bashing book, but you will be challenged to test our traditions against the Truth. The important thing is not to change our traditions, but to recognize them as traditions and not doctrine” (12). Root goes on to say that this is not Spilt Grape Juice, Part 2, but a deeper study of the underlying thesis of that book: New Testament worship is not a place, time, or event, but our life.

If Spilt Grape Juice was controversial and slightly abrasive, Unbroken Bread makes an effort to take a step back from that. It seeks to study the issues without coercing anyone to change for the sake of change, but rather to bear with one another so as not to cause strife in the body. For those who are looking for more ammunition to use against traditionalists, Unbroken Bread may be a little disappointing. Those seeking to better understand worship without causing division should find this to be a valuable study, even if you don’t agree with all of Root’s conclusions.

In fairness to this book, I was reading it at a time when I wasn’t too excited about reading anything. If I were reading it at any other time, I’m sure that I would have enjoyed it a little more and would have found more to write in this review.

The Editors do not advocate everything taught by the authors of the books we review. Like us, these authors are fallible humans and those who choose to read these books should measure them by the bible, the one true standard.