Everybody talks about the worship, but nobody does anything about it. The well-known quote associated with Mark Twain actually goes like this—Everybody talks about the weather ... But changing it to "worship" seems appropriate. With Worship Essentials, Dove Award-winning worship leader Mike Harland helps leaders do something about it. Perhaps no subject about church generates more opinion and passion than worship. Walk with the typical church-going family on their way to the car after the service and just listen. Everybody really does talk about worship. Now, veteran worship leader and experienced ministry coach Mike Harland offers the tools worship leaders need to build biblically-faithful and effective worship ministries without bringing the disruption that often accompanies change. Psalm 67:5 reads, "Let the peoples praise you, God, let all the peoples praise you." Worship Essentials is here to help.

If anyone offers me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, and water, I receive that, offered in devotion by the persons whose soul is disciplined. Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. The various religions of world have different rituals and objects used in worship. Offerings to the Divine vary according to region, tradition or availability. But only one stream of thought runs though them all like a pure, flowing river. The predominant idea behind all offerings and prayers and puja (rituals of worship), is the surrender of oneself to the All Powerful, Absolute and Almighty and to seek His blessings, protection and forgiveness in our passage through life. Many of our traditions and rituals of worship have been lost over time- victims to the drift of cultures. Today, amidst the rush of modern living, our ways of the worship have become practice-by-rote, without the individual understanding the actual meaning of either the object used or the ritual and ultimately, the form of worship itself. With the loss of this rich legacy of deeper meaning, puja is bereft of that special communion with God, which all humans desire. This accessible and beautifully presented book, re- acquaints us with the meaning and purpose behind the objects we use in our puja, whether at home or in the temple. It gently informs and adds meaning and value to that most private of all human practices-worship.

Everyone worships. But Jesus tells us that God is seeking a particular kind of worshiper. In True Worshipers, a seasoned pastor and musician guides readers toward a more engaging, transformative, and biblically faithful understanding of the worship God is seeking. True worship is an activity rooted in the grace of the gospel that affects every area of our lives. And while worship is more than just singing, God’s people gathering in his presence to lift their voices in song is an activity that is biblically based, historically rooted, and potentially life-changing. Thoroughly based in Scripture and filled with practical guidance, this book connects Sunday worship to the rest of our lives—helping us live as true worshipers each and every day.

Much more than a "how-to" for worship planners. Drawing on more than two decades of collaborative worship planning, as well as numerous conversations with other worship planners. Pastor Howard Vanderwell and musician Norma de Waal Malefyt lay out a thoughtful, field-tested process for planning, implementing, and evaluating life-enriching weekly worship. Well over a dozen field-tested tools and a selected bibliography round out this invaluable resource for worship planners.

Publisher Description

This practical manual details a culturally relevant, biblical alternative to both evanglistic and seeker sensitive worship models. It is a ground-breaking work for worship musicians and pastors. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.