Worship Matters (Bob Kauflin)

In Worship Matters, Bob Kauflin provides some thoughts for those who lead musical ministry on what matters in worship. Though 'worship' often denotes the musical portions of a church service, and the book is focused on that element, the author does well to point out that worship is a good deal more- it ultimately involves everything we do- and so this work goes well beyond musicianship.

"Worship is about what we love. What we live for." And worship matters "because worshiping God is the reason for which we were created . . . that's why it's so important to think carefully about what we do and why we do it." The first thing to realize is "that worship isn't primarily about music, techniques, litrugies, songs, or methodologies. It's about our hearts. It's about what and who we love more than anything." So in part one (The Leader), Kauflin covers the important things, focusing on:

- Heart (what do I love?)

- Mind (what do I believe?)

- Hands (what do I practice?)

- Life (what do I model?)

In part two (The Task), he argues that "a faithful worship leader magnifies the greatness of God in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, skillfully combining God's Word with music, thereby motivating the gathered Church to proclaim the Gospel, to cherish God's presence, and to live for God's glory." He spends this portion unpacking each phrase in that sentence.

In part three (Healthy Tensions), he looks at guiding principles before delving into the tensions we hold in worship concerning attributes of God, man, music, and events, to include:

- transcendent and immanent

- head and heart

- internal and external

- vertical and horizontal

- planned and spontaneous

- rooted and relevant

- skilled and authentic

- for the church and for unbelievers

- event and everyday

In part four (Right Relationships), he talks about people, church, team, and pastor, and each's role and relationship.

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The foreword notes that "Bob leads us skillfully through the Scriptures and through his experiences to better understand the why and how of biblical worship, regardless of style or form." I would agree. This book doesn't make the case for a certain style of music (like contemporary or hymns), and it does a good job of not being prescriptive, but rather providing principles or elements to consider as you plan the music ministry of the church. It is thoroughly biblical and profoundly helpful.

I'm not sure why I bought this book (I've owned it for years). I'm not involved in my church's music ministry, and the piano duet I performed years ago in a service ended in disaster, so I have no plans to change that. Nevertheless, I'm glad I read this fundamental and sound contribution to the topic. We're never not worshiping, so as a leader or participant, it's important to do it correctly.

Rating: A