Worship Is a Verb
Book Review
Worship is a Verb: Eight Principles for Transforming Worship by Robert E. Webber
The title of this book, Worship is a Verb, might suggest that it is the major premise of the book.
Indeed, in the first chapter Webber lays out his contention that worship is a verb – something we are to be doing. He continues to come back to this thought throughout the book.
Description of the Book
Chapter 1, Winds of Change
The author begins the book with his personal frustration with worship and his perception that there is a widespread shift in thinking concerning worship. He lists five new insights he has had concerning worship and eight principles of worship. The author expands on these eight principles in the next nine chapters.
Chapter 2 covers the first principle that “worship celebrates Christ” (Webber, 2004, p. 21).
Webber tries to lay out the Biblical basis for worship in this chapter. This chapter is mostly theoretical, but does include one illustration of how Webber sees a proper worship time unfolding. Chapter 3 talks about the second principle that “worship tells and acts out the Christ-Event”
(Webber, 2004, p. 43). In this chapter Webber talks about the historical order of worship.
Chapter 4 talks about the third principle, “In Worship God Speaks and Acts” (Webber, 2004, p.
65). Webber says that God speaks through the Word and acts through the Bread and Wine (pp.
71-80).
Chapter 5 is on principle four – “Worship is an act of communication” (Webber, 2004, p. 85).
Webber talks about the communication of the primary symbols, the Word and Table, and of the secondary symbols, which include personal preparation, the Preparation and Dismissal movements of worship, and body language.
Chapter 6 covers the fifth principle which is, “In worship we respond to God and each other”
(Webber, 2004, p. 109). Webber talks about how we respond to God Himself, God’s actions, and the specific. He spends some time talking about images and their use in
Worship is a Verb: Eight Principles for Transforming Worship by Robert E. Webber
The title of this book, Worship is a Verb, might suggest that it is the major premise of the book.
Indeed, in the first chapter Webber lays out his contention that worship is a verb – something we are to be doing. He continues to come back to this thought throughout the book.
Description of the Book
Chapter 1, Winds of Change
The author begins the book with his personal frustration with worship and his perception that there is a widespread shift in thinking concerning worship. He lists five new insights he has had concerning worship and eight principles of worship. The author expands on these eight principles in the next nine chapters.
Chapter 2 covers the first principle that “worship celebrates Christ” (Webber, 2004, p. 21).
Webber tries to lay out the Biblical basis for worship in this chapter. This chapter is mostly theoretical, but does include one illustration of how Webber sees a proper worship time unfolding. Chapter 3 talks about the second principle that “worship tells and acts out the Christ-Event”
(Webber, 2004, p. 43). In this chapter Webber talks about the historical order of worship.
Chapter 4 talks about the third principle, “In Worship God Speaks and Acts” (Webber, 2004, p.
65). Webber says that God speaks through the Word and acts through the Bread and Wine (pp.
71-80).
Chapter 5 is on principle four – “Worship is an act of communication” (Webber, 2004, p. 85).
Webber talks about the communication of the primary symbols, the Word and Table, and of the secondary symbols, which include personal preparation, the Preparation and Dismissal movements of worship, and body language.
Chapter 6 covers the fifth principle which is, “In worship we respond to God and each other”
(Webber, 2004, p. 109). Webber talks about how we respond to God Himself, God’s actions, and the specific. He spends some time talking about images and their use in