Good Books on Worship

Having been involved in leading worship in some form of ministry for the past ten years, I have met a lot of people that are in different places in ministry now. Often I will get an email, facebook message, or text from these people all asking a similar question of a recommendation on a good worship book. Many times the recommendation is for a student that feels called to be a worship leader, but sometimes its just for personal use. Naturally the first book that we have on worship is the bible; containing examples of worship songs, and how people have worshiped God throughout time. The Bible is always a good place to start and to end up when reading about worship.

However throughout my time in school and leading worship I have collected a few favorites worship books that I would like to share with you if you're curious on what good books have been written on worship.

Matt Redman - The Unquenchable Worshipper: Coming Back to the Heart of Worship

Matt Redman has been a leader in the worship movement for the past ten years writing songs such as Better Is One Day, Blessed Be Your Name, You Never Let Go, and The Heart of Worship. This book is a perfect book to get for the youth that feels called to Worship/Music Ministry because of its readability and great insights.







Matt Redman - Facedown

This is also a great book to get for a youth that is called to Worship/Music Ministry as well as a great read for anyone who has lost the "facedown" fear that we should have of the Lord.







Gordon Borror - Worship: Rediscovering the Missing Jewel

Dr. Borror was one of my main professors at SWBTS. His insight is priceless. Having lived a life of leading worship for over 60 years the wisdom that this book displays is amazing.






Bob Kauflin - Worship Matters

As one of the leading Reformed Worship Leaders and founder of Sovereign Grace Music, anything Bob Kauflin writes or says, you need to listen to it. Including this book.








Robert Webber - Worship Is A Verb

Robert Webber is one of the most well-known worship pioneers of our day. His writing has a learning curve to it and is not for the beginner; however it is worth taking the time to ponder upon and understand.










Robert Webber - Worship Old And New

Robert Webber in this book speaks of Historic Worship and its transition to Today's worship and what they have in common and how they are different. This book is for the person who wants to go a little deeper in understanding worship.





Segler/Bradley - Understanding, Preparing For, and Practicing Christian Worship

For the Person who is called to the ministry. I cannot tell you how many times I have pulled this book out for help in funeral orders, wedding orders, and just general day to day items that come up for the Music Minister.



Bradley - From Postlude to Prelude

What does a Music Minister do the other 6 days of the week? This will help you grasp a vision of that.





Herbert Bateman - Authentic Worship

Having had Dr. Bateman as a professor at SWBTS I know that he has forgotten more than I will ever learn. His book on worship is a must read for those who are looking to go deeper.






Segler/Bradley - Christian Worship

Eskew/McElrath - Sing With Understanding

Have you ever wondered where the songs come from that we sing each week. What is the history of how worship music evolved to what it is today? This book will help you learn that.






Music/Price - A Survey of Christian Hymnody

Beale - We Become What We Worship

One of the newest books that I have read. Not particularly a music worship book, but a great book in understanding Christian Worship.







Best - Unceasing Worship

Harold Best hits the mark with this book. It is a must read if you want to understand humanities necessity to worship.








I hope that hopefully this book list will help someone. If you have any to add that I missed feel free to leave a comment with it included.

Life and Death

Life and Death

This weekend has been interesting for me. The first part of the weekend I spent it by learning of the miracle of life. A child being born is truly one of the greatest miracles that everyone of us experiences (because we were all born). It is amazing to know that everything turns out just how it is meant to turn out while growing from a microscopic sperm and egg into a fully developed baby nine months later. The later part of my weekend, however, has been quite the opposite, filled with attending and planning funerals at the church that I work at for those who have died in the past week.

Eight months ago almost to the day we found out that Natalie was pregnant. It was such a shock and something that we were not expecting. A new life was beginning inside of Natalie and it was something that we were not ready for, nor was it something that we thought we could handle at the time, but God is gracious. When I went to my pastor to share my fears with him and sort of voice out my doubting my ability to be ready to be a father or to lead a family, he comforted me by reminding what I already knew that God is the giver and taker of life, and He had chosen to give us this baby even though we, as a young married couple, didn’t think we could handle it, He was entrusting this child and life in our hands so that He could receive the ultimate glory of how we reacted in raising our child and how our child reacted with the life that it was given.

Five months ago I experienced the first death of a person that I had been close to my entire life, my grandmother. It was not such a shock that my grandmother died because her health was fading quickly, but it was something that we were not expecting to happen as soon as it did. There was a life that had begun probably with shock as our daughters did inside of Natalie, it was a life that probably her parents were not ready for or might have been more than they could handle at the time. But God gave my grandmother her life and had a plan for her. God chose to give her life just as He chose to take it away at the very moment that he did.

Life and death are both joyous and stressful. A new life is stressful when we think we are not ready for it or don’t know how to provide for it; it is joyous because when you see the life that God has entrusted you with there is a joy in knowing that is your child. Death is stressful because it is a loss of someone that we are comfortable in having in our lives and someone that has quite possibly been there as long as we can remember; death is joyous because we realize that whatever a person prized the most on earth they will spend eternity worshiping that very thing. For my grandmother, the thing that she prized the most on this Earth was God and bringing God glory through her life. I know that she will spend eternity worshiping God and enjoying Him forever.

I realize that my life, my wife’s life, and my soon to be daughters life are all a gift that can be taken in an instant. I hope that in my life, my wife’s life, and my daughter’s life that it is evident that the thing I prize the most is worshiping the one who has given all to me.

Life is temporary and Death is approaching.