Worship Old and New

Here is a great book that I read on refurbishing the drive of worship through Biblical truths and examples. It is called 'Worship Old and New' and was written by Robert E. Webber. What I find most amazing about his writing is the logical and simple structure he puts it in. This book is meant for seminary level intro to worship classes and I think it is perfect for that role.

It talks about 4 main things:

1. Biblical Foundations of Worship (Very useful in establishing the 'why' of worship)

2. Biblical Theology of Worship (Looks at worship and the gospel message)

3. A Brief History of Worship (Chronologically follows the progression of worship - very interesting)

4. The Practice of Worship (Practical ideas/examples of symbolic & meaningful worship services)

He points out the Biblical foundations of worship, and examples of worship starting with Cain and Able in Gen 4 and continuing into Rev 4-5 with a truly amazing heavenly worship service. Webber says the essence of worship is two way both in God's initiation and the people's response, "What lies at the heart of worship is God's continual movement toward the peoples of the world and the continual response of the people of God in faith and obedience." It starts with God and ends in the glorification of God.

Webber depicts the most inspiring and natural connection of salvation between the Israelites and the Christian church as the "The Exodus Event and the Christ Event." He expounds on this connection and shows how the story of salvation and freedom from the slavery of Egypt are directly connected through various passages in scripture. We have all heard about this connection, because it is the most famous story of salvation, but the simplicity of Webber's telling is refreshing. He claims that this is the core foundation for our worship.

One of the most amazing aspects of this book for me was his study and historical basis for worship. He first tells of the foundations of worship, then the gives a strong theological argument for many aspects of our worship services. Next, he looks at the historical progression of worship through generations and movements and then lays out practical elements that should be seen in our worship services today.

Overall, I think this book is good for anyone who wants to understand worship in the bible. Although, I do not fully agree with every conclusion he makes, I would recommend this to most worship leaders and worshippers because of its holistic view of worship (not just music, but all aspects of the act of worship) and thought provoking ideas on renewing worship. He tends to focus on emphasizing the 'old' meaning the liturgies and rituals of the early/ancient/medieval eras... I take a slightly different approach when I read these truths. I think there is a way to hold the same, or similar, values yet do them in a new way. (I don't want to get into the details of an appropriate example here because I don't want to slide of topic. Webber alluded to a similar method, but in my understanding of his writings, fell back on implementation of traditions 'in a new way'. Meaning, do the exact same things and make them fresh.

Anyway, I really enjoyed reading 'Worship Old and New' and I'm bummed that I was borrowing it. Oneday soon I'll add it to my personal library. It is a great resource for worship leaders to have.