Two Books on Worship Arts that Came to Mind

I never thought I was the type of person to do this.

Nonetheless, it’s a frequent question, both in a prospective pastor’s interview and even on a church website’s “get-to-know-the-pastor” profile. Books. Favorites? Recently read? Most inspirational or recommended?

I mostly have dodged such questions because I want to avoid a simple label, when my views on certain things (theological non-essentials, philosophy, worship and the arts) are a bit more complex in their development. However, the alternative to being “labeled” is being a mysterious question mark.

So, as best as I can, I’ll try to answer the question.

As I envision and program, transferring my learnings of Scripture into church service production, influential words from the following books still come to mind every week.

How to Read the Bible as Literature by Leland Ryken.

This book was required reading for an Old Testament survey class in my undergrad, and it’s actually one of the books that helped piqued my music-major-brain’s interest in biblical studies. I’d recommend it to any Christian (and even curious non-Christians), not because it helps you “get the most out of reading the Bible,” but that it helps you to realize what the Bible truly is: a bottomless well of poetic Truth, love and wisdom, beautifully and masterfully handcrafted by the most creative Creator God.

Through exegesis and explanation of literary devices such as genre and poetry forms, Ryken did well to inspire me toward a deeper appreciation, understanding and even love for the Scriptures, also clearing up the confusion of some misconceptions about certain verses and themes that Christians and non-Christians today hold even today.

Music Through the Eyes of Faith by Harold Best

This book, believe it or not, was something I read on my own time (for those who know me well, that’s a rare thing). But I was inspired to read it after having met Harold Best, a seeming creative genius whose tenure as Dean at Wheaton College’s Conservatory of Music was more than fruitful for the institution.

Out of all the works on worship I’ve experienced (e.g. Robert Webber, Tim Keller and even arts philosophers like Gadamer and Kant), Best’s writing best links worship to creativity and creation, answering questions that linger in my heart and in those of other artistically-driven people I want to reach. I’ll never forget his phrase, as he wants to dance and worship to “a Pentecost of musics.” Best’s work celebrates Truth and creativity, and brings one’s appreciation of the Creative God to another level.

These are just books that come to mind as described above. When it comes to other areas of theology, philosophy and church practice, other books come to mind. But that's another post . . . maybe.