On Worship
What does God have to say about how we are to worship him? In On Worship, H. B. Charles Jr. presents a short guide to understanding, participating in, and leading corporate worship.
To Please God
At around 175 pages separated into 30 chapters, this book is clear and concise. By using direct passages from Scripture and extrapolating Biblical principles, Charles Jr. keeps his points grounded in God’s Word. Worship is for God, not for man, and we should do our best to please him.
I was most encouraged to see that Charles Jr. explains how the church is not a social club, political action committee, or civil rights organization. The church is the assembly of redeemed disciples. When the world calls us to act on the latest movements and trends, the Word calls us back to the work of Christ. By Jesus’ authority, we make disciples locally and globally.
Active Participation
I was most challenged to see how Charles Jr. calls us to active participation in our local church. Instead of clamoring for online comments and meaningful DMs, we need the encouragement that comes from the physical assembling of the saints (Hebrews 10:24-25). While much ministry is done with technology, public and corporate worship is the central place where you exercise your spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:12). And while we like to check-in online, our regular attendance in the local church serves as a positive example and influence for others.
Active participation is further echoed in the book as Charles Jr. exhorts us to do whatever it takes to make sure that the convenience of technology does not become a distraction in worship. There must be a sacredness in our service, and we must learn to move away from ourselves and more towards God. Charles Jr. does not claim to have all the answers, but his assessment of our current situation is accurate.
Spirit and Truth
The book ends with a section on leading worship, and I was moved to see how youth are not the church of tomorrow. God wants all of his children to come to him today. We must worship him rightly, and this book is an excellent guide to help us see what Scripture says. We can learn what it means to worship in Spirit and Truth.
I received a media copy of On Worship and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.