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Worship is a Verb: Celebrating God's Mighty Deeds of Salvation
Worship isn't a showcase for talented performers, a lecture on textual criticism, or a social occasion. It's the most intimate relationship you can have with your Savior. This modern classic shows you how worship can transform your life by helping you leave the dull confines of the pew and enter the courts of the Living God. 240 pages, softcover from Hendrickson.
225 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 16, 2020
It's very rare that I can't finish a book. I gave it the ol' college try, but in the end I just couldn't stomach it any more.
I read about 80%. And during that time every chapter described how if you don't order your church services with the order of the church calendar then you are falling short and not offering up true worship.
I know that Webber has passed on, so I don't know his entire background, but in my opinion he has no clue about actual church ministry.
The only reason I gave this book 2 stars is because every once in a while he would give a small nugget of wisdom that I could actually use.
This is NOT book that I would recommend to anyone in ministry.
I read about 80%. And during that time every chapter described how if you don't order your church services with the order of the church calendar then you are falling short and not offering up true worship.
I know that Webber has passed on, so I don't know his entire background, but in my opinion he has no clue about actual church ministry.
The only reason I gave this book 2 stars is because every once in a while he would give a small nugget of wisdom that I could actually use.
This is NOT book that I would recommend to anyone in ministry.
December 13, 2023
I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. Despite its title, being a bit dated, and getting pretty repetitive half way through, I think the book did an excellent job of critiquing typical American Church worship and providing some compelling arguments for structuring the service in a more God-centered way. The best section of the book in my opinion is where the author argues for structure your service in four sections: preparation, the word, the lords table, and dismissal. An excellent argument for celebrating the Lords supper every Sunday is given that I really appreciated.
The biggest complaint with the book is the author does not have a grasp on the regulative principle of worship and so (especially towards the end of the book) his suggestions for worship get a little bit wild. Really, the main weakness of his whole argument is, in calling out an overly subjective form of worship in most evangelism churches, he ends up appealing to subjective worship experience to justify his advice. He recommends older forms of liturgy and elements of worship NOT because they are more biblical, but because they produce a more satisfying worship experience for the individual and the congregation. But this is nothing more than trading performance based subjective worship for more traditional subjective worship.
By sidestepping the regulative principle and failing to answer whether God actually prescribes in his word how to worship him, the author ends up undermining his own arguments and also ending up giving some very out there suggestions for worship.
Despite this rather glaring issue, I think this book is an easy and enjoyable read to get you thinking about HOW the church worships and how you as an individual should view going to church. Although not perfect, I recommend you read this book if your church has an order of service that more or less is “sing a few hymns and a prayer so we can get to the sermon (which is really the main event) then leave” type. It adds a much needed balance to worship particularly in elevating the importance of the lords supper to its rightful place.
The biggest complaint with the book is the author does not have a grasp on the regulative principle of worship and so (especially towards the end of the book) his suggestions for worship get a little bit wild. Really, the main weakness of his whole argument is, in calling out an overly subjective form of worship in most evangelism churches, he ends up appealing to subjective worship experience to justify his advice. He recommends older forms of liturgy and elements of worship NOT because they are more biblical, but because they produce a more satisfying worship experience for the individual and the congregation. But this is nothing more than trading performance based subjective worship for more traditional subjective worship.
By sidestepping the regulative principle and failing to answer whether God actually prescribes in his word how to worship him, the author ends up undermining his own arguments and also ending up giving some very out there suggestions for worship.
Despite this rather glaring issue, I think this book is an easy and enjoyable read to get you thinking about HOW the church worships and how you as an individual should view going to church. Although not perfect, I recommend you read this book if your church has an order of service that more or less is “sing a few hymns and a prayer so we can get to the sermon (which is really the main event) then leave” type. It adds a much needed balance to worship particularly in elevating the importance of the lords supper to its rightful place.
November 22, 2019
It's kind of crazy to think that Webber was writing this back in 1985. In a sense, I think he was a little ahead of his time as far as his vision of worship was concerned. Everything he is arguing for has been developed and more theologically and scripturally grounded in last decade or two (especially in the work of Jeremy Begbie, among other theologians and scholars). But apparently Webber was precursor to these more modern liturgical theologians.
That said, though his book is filled with personal stories of experiences of worship, he does express a longing for a deeper and richer worship experience for believers. He is especially concerned for believers in the Protestant tradition which has often rejected many artforms and over-elevated the place of preaching in the worship service.
I would consider this an entry point into liturgical theology. More than anything else, Webber raises the issue of embracing the arts in worship as well as intentional liturgical practices. He argues that they can be utilized and practiced in intentional ways that yield a massive harvest in the hearts of the people's walks with the Lord. I say "entry point" because though he does make the argument of what should be done, he does not quite satisfactorily establish why. There are more recent authors that have made more extensive and deep (theologically and scripturally as well as philosophically) arguments as to why such liturgical practices should be embraced.
I definitely would recommend this book to pastors and leadership in local churches. That seems to be Webber's intended audience. I would caution, though, not to let this be the last book one reads on liturgical theology. Grab some James K. A. Smith (You Are What You Love), Daniel Block (For the Glory of God), and definitely—at a minimum—read Constance Cherry (Worship Architect). Nothing is more damaging and frustrating to a church than a poorly executed transition to more liturgical forms of worship. But there are huge benefits if done well.
That said, though his book is filled with personal stories of experiences of worship, he does express a longing for a deeper and richer worship experience for believers. He is especially concerned for believers in the Protestant tradition which has often rejected many artforms and over-elevated the place of preaching in the worship service.
I would consider this an entry point into liturgical theology. More than anything else, Webber raises the issue of embracing the arts in worship as well as intentional liturgical practices. He argues that they can be utilized and practiced in intentional ways that yield a massive harvest in the hearts of the people's walks with the Lord. I say "entry point" because though he does make the argument of what should be done, he does not quite satisfactorily establish why. There are more recent authors that have made more extensive and deep (theologically and scripturally as well as philosophically) arguments as to why such liturgical practices should be embraced.
I definitely would recommend this book to pastors and leadership in local churches. That seems to be Webber's intended audience. I would caution, though, not to let this be the last book one reads on liturgical theology. Grab some James K. A. Smith (You Are What You Love), Daniel Block (For the Glory of God), and definitely—at a minimum—read Constance Cherry (Worship Architect). Nothing is more damaging and frustrating to a church than a poorly executed transition to more liturgical forms of worship. But there are huge benefits if done well.
February 4, 2024
Good premise but lacking in a lot of areas. His eight principles of worship are incredible, and it served as a solid reminder of the purpose and how we can return to a heart of worship as opposed to a routine. The fourfold structure of worship was also well introduced. However, the argument was repetitive and lacking in depth other than retelling of his experiences and other pastors.
I had an issue with how he frequently criticized charismatic churches yet then would turn around and encourage the very practices that many charismatic churches do (art, dance, certain forms of spatial organization, music types, etc.). It struck me as hypocritical how he didn't like this from the perspective of charismatic movements yet encouraged the practices in traditional worship.
Furthermore it was VERY American and Euro-centric and male dominated. Webber made no attempt to attack worship from a multicultural perspective, which meant his argument was only researched from the White male perspective. He talked to no female worship leaders or pastors nor any BIPOC churches despite the multitude of travel stories both within and outside the US he cited. The Bible discusses how worship is from every nation, tribe, and tongue. I am very disappointed to not see that mindset reflected in this book.
Overall, while a solid thesis, it lacks depth in research and argument and explores only one demographic of worship, which made the book extremely disappointing.
I had an issue with how he frequently criticized charismatic churches yet then would turn around and encourage the very practices that many charismatic churches do (art, dance, certain forms of spatial organization, music types, etc.). It struck me as hypocritical how he didn't like this from the perspective of charismatic movements yet encouraged the practices in traditional worship.
Furthermore it was VERY American and Euro-centric and male dominated. Webber made no attempt to attack worship from a multicultural perspective, which meant his argument was only researched from the White male perspective. He talked to no female worship leaders or pastors nor any BIPOC churches despite the multitude of travel stories both within and outside the US he cited. The Bible discusses how worship is from every nation, tribe, and tongue. I am very disappointed to not see that mindset reflected in this book.
Overall, while a solid thesis, it lacks depth in research and argument and explores only one demographic of worship, which made the book extremely disappointing.
January 1, 2020
I had a tough time getting into this book. It had a lot of the same content of “Worship Old and New”, but was far less interesting. Worship Old and New had the historical aspect of worship on its side, as well as clear cut examples of services and the church calendar. I would recommend reading that book (by the same author) instead. It is more all-encompassing.
December 27, 2019
Great framework for worship and its function in the church. Practical as well.
Worship as remembering the gospel. Worship as a form of communication. Mostly non-musical in its explanation and understanding - but great read for worship pastors.
Worship as remembering the gospel. Worship as a form of communication. Mostly non-musical in its explanation and understanding - but great read for worship pastors.
January 23, 2017
Very academic look at the structure of worship in the church.
October 31, 2011
I had been looking forward to reading this classic for some time. Originally published in 1985, it marked the beginning of a shift in approaches to worship in the evangelical world. I've read other works by the author and enjoyed them greatly. So, I was a little disappointed to realize that this book has become so heavily used that it no longer had much new to say to me. Also, Webber suffered from the "no saint like a reformed sinner" syndrome. He was so enthralled with the ancient forms of worship that he'd rediscovered that he no longer had any time at all for the plain evangelical worship of his childhood. Rather than offering points of synthesis between the two, he basically advocates for the abandonment of the simple evangelical style for the more ornate and liturgical style of the Anglican high church. While I don't disagree with him that most of his suggestions can be worked into an evangelical worship to its benefit, I found his repetitive insistence on the joys of liturgy to be mildly annoying and wished he'd been more open in his scope.
Recommended for those who are looking to help move a church out of the rut of simplicity but I'd also suggest you seek other resources to provide a wider range of options.
Recommended for those who are looking to help move a church out of the rut of simplicity but I'd also suggest you seek other resources to provide a wider range of options.
September 16, 2011
As an acquaintance of Dr. Webber's, I was struck even before I met him with the simplicity and the power of his insights. Unlike one other rude reviewer, who seemed more intent on ranting than reviewing with any intellectual honesty, I believe that Dr. Robert Webber contributed significantly to the conversation of defining worship at a time when it was easy to pickup sides and embrace one's own biases instead of seeing God at work on a grander scale. I am teaching a course on leading worship and will be using some of Dr. Webber's insights to guide my students toward a more comprehensive understanding of worship as an activity that is central to our privileged position of disciples who are invited near by a holy God.
November 24, 2010
A fair exposition to counteract the passive-observational type of services so many churches are stuck in.
Worship isn't supposed to be a showcase for talented performers, a lecture on textual criticism, or a social occasion. Although not explicitly Reformed, and a far cry from the theological astuteness of Jeff Meyers' "The Lord's Service", this book could bring a breath of fresh air into a congregation that watches worship being done, rather than doing it.
Worship isn't supposed to be a showcase for talented performers, a lecture on textual criticism, or a social occasion. Although not explicitly Reformed, and a far cry from the theological astuteness of Jeff Meyers' "The Lord's Service", this book could bring a breath of fresh air into a congregation that watches worship being done, rather than doing it.
October 1, 2012
The book gets 4 stars for being so thorough and practical. The ancient Christian 4-Fold pattern of worship is presented with useful guides for discussion. It almost gets 3 stars for the places where Webber's views seem a bit esoteric or high church-affected. But nobody else has done it better. Webber's material seeks to give worship back to the people, while retaining key roles for clergy as initiators and facilitators of worship as a lifestyle. Highly recommended.
July 29, 2007
Robert Webber can kiss my ass. He brings up some great topics, but butchers them with his inconsistency, redundancy, and shitty formulas for worship. I would love to have a word with this guy and tell him how I feel, but I'm afraid it would break out into a brawl.
May 24, 2009
While Webber is probably one of the most passionate evangelicals on the issue of liturgy, he's not a writer. Sorry, Bob. The stuff in here is thought-provoking and somewhat practical too, but it was so hard to get through...
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews