La adoración reformada (Bendiciones de la Fe)

Blessings of the Faith

by Jonty Rhodes

Have you ever woken up on a Sunday morning and wondered if it was worth getting out of bed? Have you wondered why you should bother to attend corporate worship every week? Unfortunately, it can be easy to miss the excitement of corporate worship―but the excitement is there. Because God is all-sufficient, he commands worship for his glory but our gain! A Reformed view of worship is shaped by God’s Word, with the gospel as its God desires to meet with his people, and that meeting comes only in and through Christ, by the Holy Spirit. Jesus is our worship leader, and as our prophet, priest and king he teaches us what worship should look like. Writing with winsome enthusiasm, Jonty Rhodes celebrates the simplicity and freedom of Reformed worship and shows readers the joys of meeting with God in the means and manner he promises to bless.

Genres: Theology, Christian

168 pages, Paperback

Published June 19, 2024

Reviews

[JT Stead · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great primer on biblical worship, a biblical theology of worship, the regulative principal, and common questions related to worship. The brevity of this book is what makes it a great and simple read.

For many modern evangelicals Rhodes will sounds like he is from another planet (really a biblical one) when it comes to worship. Today worship is centered around expressive individualism, moralistic ted talks, emotive entertainment, and worldly compromise. Biblical worship is all about coming to receive from Christ. It’s characterized by corporate unity, congregational repentance, singing (Psalms primarily), prayer, reverence, encouragement, feasting with Christ (Lord’s Supper), and commissioning.

More I can say, but this little book was really clarifying and a great case to make reformed worship great again.

[Peter Bringe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. This is a book which every Christian would do well to read, especially those who worship with a Reformed church or are thinking about it.

[Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and succinct introduction to the whys and hows of worship in the Reformed tradition. I was surprised at the breadth of topics Rhodes managed to cover in fewer than 150 (small) pages. I read through this to decide if I wanted to make use of it at my church -- and I've decided I will.

[Gavin Spradlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started going to a Presbyterian church I was confused but intrigued by the liturgy that went on every Sunday. This book has beautifully explained why we do what we do, and how it glorifies Christ.

[Luke Rasmussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful thought provoking introduction to reformed worship. It is worth reading for the summery on how Old Testament worship foreshadows the gospel...beautiful!

[Raf Nieves · Rating 2 out of 5]

toooo dogmatic. Jonty should read W. David O. Taylor.

[Danny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this as a simple and well-written introduction to worship that follows the patterns of the Regulative Principle. Having said that, this isn't a simplistic book. Rhodes makes his arguments clearly from Scripture and delivers them in an engaging and modern style.

I would recommend this before Sam Waldron's excellent book, 'How Then Shall We Worship?', as it is more concise and an easier starting point. Both are great - start here, though.

[Levi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonty Rhodes, Reformed Worship, is the new go-to resource for your congregants wanting to learn more about the distinctives of worship within the Presbyterian and Reformed tradition. The author should be commended for packing so much information—an overview of the biblical theology of worship, an introduction to the Reformed church’s worship practices, the importance of structure and liturgy in worship, a discussion of the elements and circumstances, and a long list of frequently asked questions with thoughtful answers. Any of those topics could be books of equal length in their own right but are packaged here together in a wonderfully concise volume.

I found the discussions on the blessings of the Reformed Regulative Principle (chapter 3), and the overview of each element of worship in a structured Reformed liturgy (chapter 5) to be the most helpful parts of this book. I find that many in our churches are immediately taken aback by the simplicity and ‘rigidity’ of our worship practices, that it is sometimes impossible to even start the conversation about why we do what we do. In his discussion on the blessings of our worship practice (chapter 3), I found new language to describe our Reformed worship. We worship in this way because we know definitively through his word that it pleases God, that God meets with us, and that ultimately Christ himself (not the pastor, elder, or anyone else) is leading his congregation in his worship.

The only bad thing I could say about this book is that I wish it was longer! But this book does its job well as a great introductory resource, and the author helpfully points interested readers at the end to other resources for further study. Pastor Rhodes, again, does a commendable job in putting so much information into such an accessible book. This resource will be helpful everyone in our churches, for newcomers certainly, but also for our mainstays who will also benefit from the clear exposition of our values in worship. I will be recommending it to all our people.

[Sarah Kroese · Rating 5 out of 5]

This refreshed my idea of worship. It helped me think about it in new ways.

[Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super helpful little intro to Reformed worship.

[Todd Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of the five (so far) in the “Blessings of the Faith” series this is my favorite. There are some authors that you find that are so good at writing in a clear legible manner that you don’t want to put the book down. I would read anything Jonty Rhodes writes. It’s that good.
A great book to pass on to anyone to help them understand the what’s and whys of Reformed worship. I highly recommend it.

[Francesca DiGiacomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet, but a worthwhile read.

[Ricardo Lezama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breve, concisa y magistral explicación sobre la adoración corporativa y su significado, importancia y profundidad.

[Laura M.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so beautiful!
A clear picture of worship and its true purpose, straight out of scripture.

What does the entire Bible say about worship?
How does God want us to worship him?
What are we made for?

I'm so grateful for the teachers given who do such a diligent work as Jonty Rhodes to answer these questions faithfully according to scripture and clearly cut off from the influence of imaginations and devices of men or the suggestions of satan.

"It is possible to meet him through other means (speaking donkey, angels, writing on the wall) but seeking him there would miss the point. He is meeting his people faithfully through his appointed means of grace [...] freeing us from displeasing God and from fearing doing so."

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding! Clear, readable, helpful, and thoroughly Biblical. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to grow in their understanding of worship in the Reformed tradition. The question and answer section in the back is exceptionally well-done. I had only read Jonty Rhodes earlier book on covenants (also outstanding), and now having read this, I really hope he continues to write, as he brings a wonderful simplicity and clarity to communicate theology and practice to the man and woman in the pews.

[Joseph Wolcott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent and concise summary of Reformed worship. As with all the books in this series, the Q&A in the back is particularly helpful for people unfamiliar with Reformed worship who may still have questions. This book has valuable insights about weekly worship that you don't have to be Reformed to appreciate. Every Christian should read this.

[Kim N' · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great introduction to the concepts of worship ordered after the patterns of Scripture. Short chapters, easy to read without lot of doctrinal terms that lay out the thinking behind the orderly worship found in most Presbyterian and/or Reformed churches. The tone of the book is thoughtful,kind, and non-abrasive.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful and short read. This might be one of the best introductions to better understanding Reformed worship, and particularly the covenant renewal worship model. This would be the book to give to someone coming from the outside.

[Andrew Canavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good intro to Reformed worship with some helpful biblical insights that can be lacking in other similar introductions.

[Zack Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really solid, accessible introduction. I plan on distributing it as a companion book for a youth Sunday school course.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't stand the narrator in the audio version....