What Happens When We Worship - by Jonathan Landry Cruse

God not only cares that we worship, He also cares how we worship.

A lot of modern evangelicals would balk at that - as long as we worshiping "in spirit and in truth" - we're good, right?  But what happens in and around us, when we worship?

 

 "What Happens When We Worship" by Jonathan Landry Cruse is an excellent (in his word, "brief") primer on Christian worship.

He says, 

"This book seeks to remedy that ignorance and indifference that have plagued and continue to plague many worshiping Christians.  By exposing what's really happening in these moments of corporate worship, I  hope to take the rote out of routine and in its place produce a zeal for God and gratitude to Him for what He's done for us in worship."

The book is not quite conversational, but it's very easy to read.

Whether you're in a church where the worship is weak, or if you're in a church with great worship - this book reminds us that everything that happens in Lord's Day Service is worship and how we respond matters.

As a Reformed person, I get the "elements of worship" of the Regulative Principle; "What Happens When We Worship" does a wonderful job explaining what the elements are and why they matter.

I belong to a great church and all of the elements are really well done, and this book brought another wave of thanks to God for bringing us here.

The final part of the book is about preparing to worship.  It's easy to know, sometimes not so easy to do.  Don't stay up late on Saturday - what?  Pre-start breakfast the night before - that takes thought!

Some of the men in our church get together for encouragement once a month, and it's a hard and fast rule that it will never be on Saturday night, because that's when they're with they're families, praying and preparing for the Lord's Day.  That was encouraging!

 Most of the books I've read on worship are by "worship leaders" and focus on the singing part.  "What Happens When We Worship" is a holistic view into the service, from start to finish.

Cruse reminds us that yes, we sing and pray, but the sermon is part of it also; how we listen is part of our worship.

 

My verdict is:  Read this book if...well, just read this book.

Review: The Life We Bury

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 I rarely give four stars for a fiction book, but "The Life We Bury" made that cut. (This is a short review, since I don't want to give any spoilers)

Written in first person narration, a college student has a writing assignment, that begins with an assumption that quickly turns into a mission.

While the assignment plays a central role, there are sub-plots that add layers of "what kind of person do I want to be?"

Guilt of the past, obligations of the present and a plan for the future - all there.

This book is the first in a series of five and I've already purchased the next one.

(Spice level = may 1/3 out of five?

There is place in the book that simply says "we made love" without describing the act.

There are a few place with rough language, but no probably less than you might expect if you were witnessing what was happening in the book, 

It's been a while since I've *FELT* a book.  I can be entertained, but this one I felt.  The hopelessness, the mission, the frustration, the victory, the sadness - all without requiring deep thought.

If you want a fiction book that will give you a couple of unexpected plot twists and wrap up in a satisfying way, read this.

 

 

The Biblical Headcovering: Scarf of hidden power - by Renee R. Ellison

The Biblical Headcovering: Scarf of hidden power - by  Renee R. Ellison

 

Holy Hedge Laws!

This was a quick read, but oh my my my.

(full disclosure, I do cover my head for worship.  If this had been the first book I read, I would have bagged the whole thing, due to extra-biblical influences.)

So...not only do you have have to cover your head, it must be full-time.  Not only must it be full-time, it must not be a hat, it must be a veil-style.  Not only must it be a veil-style cover, it must not be sheer or lace.

Not only must it be a veil-style, full time, opaque but you must also give up slacks, jewelry and makeup.

Plus, the dress/skirt must be plain.

False dichotomy alert:  If you give up trying to look nice for your husband, he'll find something even nicer - your inner self.  Um...the Bible says nothing about not looking as nice as you can, it only says to not find your value in it.

Other statements that...well...

What the Bible doesn't say about head-coverings:

They protect your from demonic interference and harassment.
They place us under God's *special* protection.
They may help break some addictions.
It seems that God has provided extra protection for a woman through the covering (mugging/robbing)

Not wearing a head-covering full time will attract in a "more intense way, sexually"

If the author had stuck to what the Bible says, it would have been about one-third the length, but less "hedge-law-ish"

I'm writing on the topic, and one of the main questions women ask when starting or considering is about those hedge laws (not their term, but it's what they mean.)  

The London Baptist Confession of Faith (Chapter 21, paragraph 2) says:

God alone is m Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and
commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to his Word, or not contained
in it. So that to believe such doctrines, or obey such commands out of conscience, is to
betray true liberty of conscience; and the requiring of an implicit faith, an absolute and
blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience and reason also.

Let us not destroy the liberty of conscience of another by making commands that we do not find in Scripture.

The Didache: The Original Greek Text with Four English Translations

The Didache:  the Original Greek and Four Translations.

Okay, I admit that the reason I got this particular version was because I suspected somebody was quoting it wrong.

The word Didache comes from the Greek word related to doctrine, didactic, teaching.  Some believe that this short group of teachings was written by the original apostles.  Others says it was put together by the earliest students of the Twelve.

Either way, the Didache is a short summary of "the teachings" - and so it is named.

It also leans toward a "church order" (or "order of service") sort of book, and tells what the elements of worship ought to be.

This is a handy reference book, it has good information and it's short enough to memorize the whole things and you will see the teachings reflect Scripture.

I can tell you what the content is, but since it is so Scripture-bound, it's hard to rank.

Having four translations was good for the purpose I needed it for.