WiseReader

Worship by the Book
D.A. Carson, Mark Ashton, R. Kent Hughes, Timothy J. Keller
Zondervan, 2002
ISBN: 0310216257
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I’ve been reading books on the theme of worship in conjunction with teaching a course on that subject at the Toronto Baptist Seminary. And given the sheer magnitude of titles available, it has been challenging to settle on one or two titles to use as texts for the course.

In my view, there is far too much emphasis given to music in worship discussions. Without doubt, music plays a key role in corporate worship, but a New Covenant understanding of worship compels us to see that worship embraces all of life. My thoughts, actions, words - everything about my existence - is wrapped up in worship. I am always worshiping - and my worship is either good or bad worship. So, when it comes to corporate worship, we need more than discussions about musical instruments, licks and runs, segways from one song to another, power point vs. hymnbooks and discussions about contemporary vs. classical music.

Beginning with the spiritual state of my heart and life, corporate worship involves singing, praying, confession, reading God’s Word, the Lord’s Table, baptism, giving, and hearing the Word of God.

One text used by my predecessor in teaching the course is Worship by the Book, edited by D.A. Carson. Though it is not the last word on the subject, it is nevertheless a very good first word. As many have said, and I now whole-heartedly concur, Carson’s opening essay is worth the price of the book. I chose this as a required text for the class, and am using Carson’s essay as the core, the skeleton, around which I am building the course.

Carson begins by underscoring the challenge in providing a workable definition of worship. How the English word “worship,” in both its noun and verb forms, has changed over the centuries, along with the fact that our English Bibles use ”worship” to translate at least eight Hebrew words and ten Greek words, means that there is “no one-to-one relationship between any Hebrew or Greek word and our word worship.”

Furthermore, a survey of books and articles on the subject clearly exhibit the challenge involved in crafting anything like a sound theology of worship. Such things as the relationship between the Jewish synagogue and the early church are view differently by writers. And then there is the matter of finding unambiguous “detailed first-century evidence of an entire Christian service.” Carson contends that this evidence is just not available.

But the challenges aside, Carson does provide a lengthy definition of worship which he then, in “an apostolic number of points”, seeks to explain. I think he succeeds in doing so.

The remaining three chapters are provided by pastoral leaders writing from three distinct perspectives. Mark Ashton writes from the perspective of an Anglican utilizing the Prayer Book. R. Kent Hughes writes from the free church tradition, and Timothy J. Keller writes from the Reformed tradition. Each writer provides several samples services that illustrate their particular approach to corporate worship. 

Despite coming from three different perspectives, one is struck by the overlap among these men. In the core essentials, a conservative, evangelical approach to corporate worship looks pretty much the same wherever one may be.

This book is worth reading. Purchase Worship by the Book here.

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