Book: How Shall We Worship? Biblical Guidelines for the Worship Wars

Marva Dawn. Carol Stream, Ill.: Tyndale, 2003. 191 pp. $8.79.

Marva Dawn’s latest offering shows her persistent desire to connect with a broad spectrum of worshipers and worship leaders, and to offer them help in their important work. In this volume she turns from offering lots of answers to asking insightful questions in order to assist others in thinking more deeply about worship. In each chapter, Dawn observes God’s character and, with the help of Psalm 96, explores a particular question or series of questions about worship. An appendix offers even more helpful points of inquiry. Of course, there are answers here too, but the questions are more often than not thoughtful and genuine and wonderful fodder for individuals and worship committees.

Rev. Dr. Ron Rienstra has been a regular contributor to Reformed Worship over the years. He is the director of worship life and professor of preaching and worship arts at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. He is an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America , author of Church at Church, and coauthor with his wife, Debra, of Worship Words: Discipling Language for Faithful Ministry. Together they have three grown children, a multiplicity of living-room instruments, and a tame backyard they are slowly rewilding.

Reformed Worship 71 © March 2004 Worship Ministries of the Christian Reformed Church. Used by permission.