Robert Webber. Wheaton, IL: Worship Resources, 1989. Three video tapes (13 sessions, approximately 15 minutes per session) with Leader's Guide and Seminar Notebook, $199.95 direct mail ($129.95 by-passing direct mail)
Copies available from: Worship Resources, Inc., 219 Franklin, Wheaton, IL 60187, telephone (708) 665-3895. Additional Leader's Guide or Seminar Notebooks, $3.00 each.
Reviewed by Linda Male, minister of youth and education at Plymouth Heights Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Robert Webber's Worship Is a Verb (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1984) has become a widely read and much-appreciated resource for worship renewal. Recently Webber produced Principles of Worship, a thirteen-part video series based on the outline of that book.
Originally prepared for leadership training in the North American Baptist Conference, this video course (which is accompanied by a well-written Leader's Guide, a helpful Seminar Notebook, and a copy of Worship Is a Verb) follows a no-frills, no-gimmicks lecture format. The thirteen video sessions can be used in thirteen regular classroom periods of one hour each or as a retreat based on three two-and-one-half-hour sessions, possibly interspersed with worship.
Webber's premise is that churches need worship renewal that is grounded on a biblical and historical understanding of worship. Because he goes back to the basic concepts of worship, these presentations are a profitable study resource for nearly any Christian community. The Reformed emphasis on Word and Sacrament is very clearly presented, although Webber's vocabulary reflects traditional usage. For example, he speaks of "Word and Table" and refers to the Lord's Supper as "Eucharist."
This video series is intended to be cumulative, but it is possible to use a single session meaningfully. For example, segment three discusses the Old Testament Exodus story and the New Testament Gospel story as the narrative bases for worship, and segment six presents a clear pattern for the order of worship, applicable to either traditional or modern worship styles.
A video series cannot take the place of a good, lively teacher; however, a group discussion leader who is familiar with his or her own worship tradition could effectively use this material to challenge a congregation to evaluate the form and content of their worship. While not distinctively Reformed in all its parts, this educational tool will lead to worship renewal through cautious, thoughtful change.