Robert E. Webber. Published by Star Song Group for The Institute of Worship Studies, Box 89, Wheaton, II. 60187, 1994.103 pages.
This small-group study course on Christian worship is the first of seven courses in the Alleluia! Worship series being prepared by Robert Webber.
The Learning to Worship course leads a small group into an understanding of the basic concepts of worship that are found in both the Old and the New Testaments. The course is divided into three parts: Part I—Worship and the Story of Salvation; Part II—Worship and the Response of God's People; Part III—Biblical Institutions of Worship.
There are thirteen sessions in Learning to Worship, each divided into two parts. The first part of each session is a study group members complete on their own. The second part is a one-hour interaction and application with the members of the group. In the group meetings the leader serves as facilitator rather than instructor. The success of the program depends on each member of the group doing the personal study before meeting as a group.
Those who use this study will discover that there is opportunity to move beyond the material provided by each lesson. For example, session 3, which makes a study of the place of covenant in worship, does not draw out the implications the covenant concept has for the way the members of the church relate to each other. Also, session 7, which brings into discussion the biblical names of God, does not make reference to the name JHWH. There will be other instances in which the group may add its insights to the study material. However, each group may be assured that this study will enhance the concept of worship for each member.