Drawing from his own experience leading worship in a large congregation and feeling the pull of performance, Manuel Luz guides us on a journey through worship that takes us far beyond style and deep into our own souls. With spiritual practices throughout, he calls us back to an honest worship that moves past facades and pulls us inward toward the true self that God is forming within each of us.

This book is a continuation of the LICC series begun by Neil Hudson's Imagine Church Whole-Life Worship will demonstrate that the contemporary Western Church has reached a point where our "gathered" worship is separated from our "scattered" lives outside of church. This is detrimental to the congregation's spiritual development and their effectiveness on their "frontlines". Church worship should be inspired and informed by our everyday experiences. It should empower and send the congregation out to continue worshipping. The book will provide patterns and resources to better connect gathered worship with the lives of the congregation beyond church meetings. The book will unpack a biblical grounding for both gathered and scattered worship. It will then identify patterns within our gathered services which help us re-make these connections. It will provide practical resources such as songs, prayers and activities which can help churches connect Sunday to the rest of the week. It will draw examples and stories from other church streams and traditions, to demonstrate how different kinds of Christian spirituality engage worshipfully with everyday life. In the second half of the book is a practical resource looking specifically at different aspects of a gathered service, and how each one can have an "outward" dimension.

“What is at stake is authenticity. . . . Sooner or later Christians tire of public meetings that are profoundly inauthentic, regardless of how well (or poorly) arranged, directed, performed. We long to meet, corporately, with the living and majestic God and to offer him the praise that is his due.”—D. A. CarsonWorship is a hot topic, but the ways that Christians from different traditions view it vary greatly. What is worship? More important, what does it look like in action, both in our corporate gatherings and in our daily lives? These concerns—the blending of principle and practice—are what Worship by the Book addresses.Cutting through cultural clichés, D. A. Carson, Mark Ashton, Kent Hughes, and Timothy Keller explore, respectively:· Worship Under the Word· Following in Cranmer’s Footsteps· Free Church Worship: The Challenge of Freedom· Reformed Worship in the Global City “This is not a comprehensive theology of worship,” writes Carson. “Still less is it a sociological analysis of current trends or a minister’s manual chockfull of ‘how to’ instructions.” Rather, this book offers pastors, other congregational leaders, and seminary students a thought-provoking biblical theology of worship, followed by a look at how three very different traditions of churchmanship might move from this theological base to a better understanding of corporate worship. Running the gamut from biblical theology to historical assessment all the way to sample service sheets, Worship by the Book shows how local churches in diverse traditions can foster corporate worship that is God-honoring, Word-revering, heartfelt, and historically and culturally informed.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1881.

The most impressive thing about Wayne Keller's body of ideas for worship throughout the Christian Year is his boldness. He is bold in demanding that we, his colleagues in liturgical leadership, plan worship that has to do with the reality of our congregations' experience in the world, rather than just leading people through a proper agenda of acts and words that have no bearing on what we do the rest of the week. He is bold in challenging us to bring that real world -- with its pains and its pleasures, its hungers and its feasts, its beauty and its ugliness -- to exposure before the living God. And he is bold in helping us shine the strong, exposing light of the transforming Word on our real lives and on that real world, so that we may move beyond planning worship as a "nice," safe, feel-good routine from which we depart the same people we were when we arrived. We are thrilled by the seriousness and authentic reverence with which this author approaches the planning of worship. Thank God for Wayne Keller and for his deep respect for the central act of the Christian community: the blessed and life-transforming experience of the worship of God. Richard Avery and Donald Marsh Port Jervis, New York Wayne Keller's method creates not only a contemporary appeal, but also effects a congregational involvement so necessary today within the liturgical context. His approach is fresh and practical and yet a reflection consistently of a solid liturgical and homiletical background. Keller has the ability to appeal to the everydayness of congregational experience. Donald Macleod Francis L. Patton Professor Emeritus Princeton Theological Seminary The good humor of Wayne Keller's work helps us feel at home in our imperfect world and feel more empathy for the rough edges of others and ourselves. Wayne's work encourages hope and faith with the way we are. Doug Adams Professor of Christianity and the Arts Pacific School of Religion and Graduate Theological Union A cascade of insights, ideas, suggestions, and plans for stimulating the working pastor's imagination and guiding in worship planning. Robert Coote Professor, San Francisco Theological Seminary Editor, Mustard-Seed Churches Wayne Keller elevates us to an authentic bring-your-warts-and-smiles encounter with the living God... a remarkable year-round resource for the entire worship team. Paul Hackett Former pastor and member, First Presbyterian Church Puyallup, Washington Keller says, "I have seen people bored to death in worship, seemingly because they come to worship as spectators, not as participants. For me no spectators are allowed! Soren Kierkegaard's analogy of worship as drama has guided my thinking and planning." Wayne H. Keller graduated from Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He has served pastorates in Pennsylvania, Washington, and Oregon, and has also been the director of a halfway house for recovering mental patients. A member of the Presbyterian Writers Guild, Keller has published several books and numerous articles, and has been a columnist for the Bellingham Herald. He has also appeared frequently on radio and television programs and co-hosted a call-in counseling program and talk show.

What exactly is worship? How can we account for its power? In Worship Seeking Understanding, noted worship expert John Witvliet mines the riches of the Bible, theology, history, music, and pastoral research to provide windows into the practice of Christian worship. With this work, Witvliet attempts to build bridges between theory and practice, among various worship-related disciplines, and across denominational lines. If worship renewal is to occur, each bridge must be formed. His hope is that this work will not only articulate questions about worship but also enrich the practice of worship in congregations today. Witvliet's broad scope and insightful advice will be welcomed by pastors, worship leaders, church leaders, and students.

This practical manual details a culturally relevant, biblical alternative to both evanglistic and seeker sensitive worship models. It is a ground-breaking work for worship musicians and pastors. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.