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.