Rhythms of Worship, by John G. Stevens and Michael Waschevski

First of all I want to thank Westminster John Knox Press for making a review copy of this book available to me through Net Galley. I appreciate their kindness to allow me an advance look at a wonderful book.

This very short work, about 70 pages, is indeed a fabulous study guide for the lay person and lay leadership of a church. It takes much of the thought process about Worship Planning and some Theology and narrows it down into very short, very succinct, but very important chapters about each area of worship.

It breaks down the different aspects of worship and addresses them;

1.              The Worship Order

2.              The Gathering (Invocation, repentance and worship in song)

3.              Addressed by the Word (Scripture and Spoken Word)

4.              The Joyful Feast (Communion)

5.              Sent to Serve (Benediction and sending scripture)

They then go on to address several other aspects of worship, specifically Music and the Arts in Worship as well as special seasons of worship.

There are Chapters dealing with;

            Christmas and Epiphany

            Advent

            Easter

            Lent and Holy Week

            The Fifty Days Leading up to Pentecost

They then summarize some others items they call odds and ends. Finally they end with a chapter on “Is Worship Important?”

This little booklet would be a great item for church members to be asked to read during a membership class as it would give them a good overview of why the church calendar is arranged the way it is and what the purpose of worship is all about.

Each chapter in the book ends with discussion questions, so it makes it a good small group study book.

Further, there are extensive notes at the end of the book, about 20 pages worth. So, you have plenty to dig into to further any area of interest that you have.

All in all this is one of the best little books I have read in several years, it would be right up there with Greg Gilbert’s book, What is the Gospel.

Buy, read, contemplate and share with others!