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Worshiptainment: The Modern Church's Golden Calf
The Modern Church's Golden Calf is a hard-hitting look at the ungodly practice of mixing Christian worship services with the popular entertainment practices of the secular world.
In this book, Presbyterian pastor Matthew Everhard offers a sincere, heart-felt critique of the availing techniques that are all-too-common in our day such as using worship as a platform to build celebrity pastors, gain large followings, and entertain the people. Meanwhile, such churches given to these theatrics are jettisoning traditional worship, Biblical doctrine, and reverent attention to the True and Living God.
In this work, Everhard looks at common "worshiptainment" practices as it regards preaching, liturgy, music, the sacraments, and Christian leadership. All the while, Everhard argues that the church should return to the Regulative Principle of Worship, the Reformation-era ideal of only doing in worship what God specifically requires us to do in Holy Scripture.
In this book, Presbyterian pastor Matthew Everhard offers a sincere, heart-felt critique of the availing techniques that are all-too-common in our day such as using worship as a platform to build celebrity pastors, gain large followings, and entertain the people. Meanwhile, such churches given to these theatrics are jettisoning traditional worship, Biblical doctrine, and reverent attention to the True and Living God.
In this work, Everhard looks at common "worshiptainment" practices as it regards preaching, liturgy, music, the sacraments, and Christian leadership. All the while, Everhard argues that the church should return to the Regulative Principle of Worship, the Reformation-era ideal of only doing in worship what God specifically requires us to do in Holy Scripture.
184 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 24, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
December 11, 2024
Smart, accessible, punchy, relatable, and clear, this is a fantastic entrée to the vast corpus of literature on Reformed worship. What’s the main point? Genuinely Christian worship aims to be biblically edifying rather than banally entertaining. The chapter on leaders at the end is an especially unique and valuable contribution.
January 17, 2025
"Worshiptainment" by Matthew Everhard is a clear call to Christians to evaluate their weekly gathering and hold it up against the teachings of the Bible. Everhard efficiently and effortlessly calls the reader's attention to a myriad of bizarre and even blasphemous examples of worshiptainment (his new word) occurring in evangelical churches. The reader should be left convicted, and Everhard has provided plenty of recommendations on how to more closely align the weekly gathering with what Scripture requires (Regulative Principle).
My critiques of the book are minimal, but worth noting. First, while Everhard is mostly generous to churches that would not fit his understanding of the Regulative Principle, there are a few moments of snarkiness. If I'm honest, they are nothing worse than I myself can be guilty of. (I must admit I did roll my eyes when the boogeyman of "Big Eva" was written sans definition.) However, it is noted that one of the blurbs supporting the book is from the online tabloid Protestia. I would call Protestia a bottom-of-the-barrel Internet discernment blog with the substantial purpose of tearing down reasonably conservative and evangelical pastors. Pastors whom I may have disagreements with, but nothing deserving of the scorn and arrogance of Protestia. My opinion of this discernment blog is so low I can't overlook it as a negative for the book.
The second critique may be a bit unfair. Perhaps it's because I'm simply looking for a book Everhard never intended to write. I would consider my theology Reformed Baptist, though I'm not angry about it. So I found much profitable insight from Everhard's use of Reformed history and the Westminster Confession of Faith. However, this book is so focused on using Reformed doctrine and documents, it seems the book may be preaching to the choir, and may not be as persuasive for the audience who needs to hear this message the most. Likely, most people who would pick up this book are already mostly in line with the author. His writing and examples probably won't say too much new. If we really want to see a change in American evangelical churches, a book with more encouragement and less WCF may nourish the nutrient-starved soil more. But again, maybe desiring something to reach lay level folks in generic seeker-sensitive megachurches was just a different goal than what Everhard had in mind.
I know I spent a lot of time on those two critiques, but the book was really very good. It is convicting and I so appreciate Everhard's pastoral approach to encouraging Christians to find ways to prod along their churches to a more reverent, meaningful, and biblical worship service.
My critiques of the book are minimal, but worth noting. First, while Everhard is mostly generous to churches that would not fit his understanding of the Regulative Principle, there are a few moments of snarkiness. If I'm honest, they are nothing worse than I myself can be guilty of. (I must admit I did roll my eyes when the boogeyman of "Big Eva" was written sans definition.) However, it is noted that one of the blurbs supporting the book is from the online tabloid Protestia. I would call Protestia a bottom-of-the-barrel Internet discernment blog with the substantial purpose of tearing down reasonably conservative and evangelical pastors. Pastors whom I may have disagreements with, but nothing deserving of the scorn and arrogance of Protestia. My opinion of this discernment blog is so low I can't overlook it as a negative for the book.
The second critique may be a bit unfair. Perhaps it's because I'm simply looking for a book Everhard never intended to write. I would consider my theology Reformed Baptist, though I'm not angry about it. So I found much profitable insight from Everhard's use of Reformed history and the Westminster Confession of Faith. However, this book is so focused on using Reformed doctrine and documents, it seems the book may be preaching to the choir, and may not be as persuasive for the audience who needs to hear this message the most. Likely, most people who would pick up this book are already mostly in line with the author. His writing and examples probably won't say too much new. If we really want to see a change in American evangelical churches, a book with more encouragement and less WCF may nourish the nutrient-starved soil more. But again, maybe desiring something to reach lay level folks in generic seeker-sensitive megachurches was just a different goal than what Everhard had in mind.
I know I spent a lot of time on those two critiques, but the book was really very good. It is convicting and I so appreciate Everhard's pastoral approach to encouraging Christians to find ways to prod along their churches to a more reverent, meaningful, and biblical worship service.
March 29, 2026
I liked it. I don’t know who the intended audience. Could be because of my lack of knowledge of the PCA.
July 13, 2025
I was hoping there would be a bit more depth and theological foundation provided for the kind of worship service Erverhard is advocating for here. There was some of that, and I mostly agree with his point of view in this book. But it feels like the sort of book that will just end up cementing both sides of the "worship wars" in what they already think and believe. I thought his use of the most outrageous examples of "worshiptainment" was mostly unhelpful (churches putting on Star Wars themed nativity plays, depicting Jesus as Batman on the cross in an Easter production, etc) as no one I know personally, even the most contemporary, production-minded church-goer in my circles would ever advocate for those kinds of things. Again, it just felt like it was meant to rile up both sides. Never a very convincing strategy to show the weakest examples of your opponents and then argue against that. Anyway, it was nonetheless a worthwhile quick read, and there was still plenty of thought provoking material to digest. It was a helpful guide to reflecting on the "why" of worship practices in my own life.
February 17, 2025
Absolutely fantastic. Probably the best book I’ve read in a little while. Matthew Everhard lovingly but firmly lays out the very real concerns with the modern church and urges the church to return to the regulative principle of worship. Everhard does show a little snarkiness at times that I personally enjoyed, but I do think those outside of the reformed camp could be turned off to that a bit (which unfortunately is probably more of his target audience). However, I think this book is MUCH needed and his writing is encouraging and easy to read. I think every Christian should read this book - especially those in leadership.
January 16, 2025
I listened to this as an audiobook. This is the second book by Pastor Everhard that I have read or listened to and it was great. I really appreciated how Pastor Everhard calls out the current and sad state of Christian worship. Our God deserves our love, respect, loyalty, and worship. The man focused entertainment, that has replaced the God focused worship we are commanded to give, is uninspiring and devoid of the awe and glory we should have for The Lord.
I hope everyone gets something from this book and your desire to glorify God is rekindled.
I hope everyone gets something from this book and your desire to glorify God is rekindled.
July 18, 2025
I will do my best to review this for what it is, rather than what it isn't. I'll start by saying that I do agree foundationally with Dr. Everhard's position that the influence of the entertainment industries has been poisonous for the church. He does clearly state early on and throughout that his stance is a distinctly Reformed Presbyterian one (which mine is not), and that he doesn't expect readers to necessarily share that. That said, his arguments lead to distinctly (though not always exclusively) Reformed solutions. As such, I took much of this with a grain of salt, though in one chapter, I did a lot of salting.
Everhard approaches the issue of worshiptainment directly and resolutely, as he should. My biggest critique of this, though, is that he (in one case admittedly) often uses caricatures, and in virtually all cases, uses the most extreme form of this enemy, real or fabricated. My issue with this is that, as a member of a church in-between Reformed and megachurch style and liturgy, I felt that a lot of this didn't apply to my situation or likely that of many. In the same way, I've had a hard time trying to discern where the line is (in general and for Everhard specifically). Everhard condemns repeatedly elements like drum kits, high-tech lighting, and projector screens (and fog machines, which I have told my wife that if our church uses fog machines, we're leaving immediately--that is a line for me). I understand how they CAN be used in a distracting or entertaining way, but I disagree with their inherent evil, even in a church setting. Everhard defines worshiptainment as "the combination of some aspects of worship along with heavy doses of entertainment." Since his examples are exclusively those that hardly resemble (in thought, word, or deed) a church at all to begin with, my concept of this line never got any clearer, especially since he seems to flip-flop on whether humor or anecdotes have any place in a sermon. Again, to me, these elements aren't bad themselves, but they are often used as crutches or as a vain attempt to stay relevant, even in strong, Gospel-preaching churches. Everhard asserts that it's worship or 'tainment, and one replaces the other. I see them mixed frequently. That doesn't justify it, but it does make it hard for me to grasp Everhard's stance on a church like mine.
This brings me to my next gripe: argumentation. While Dr. Everhard does use Scripture to support many of his stances (in a few cases, abundantly), there are weak spots. In some cases, he rattles off a myriad of verses for the reader to look up for themselves. Not exactly a problem, per se, and I won't call being directed to Scripture and inconvenience. However, in the instance I did take the time to look up 2-3 of the many more verses listed, it was as if he'd provided an index of every single time a word or phrase was used in Scripture, rather than a single strong verse in context. This happened in a couple of places.
In other places, he didn't provide any reference at all, instead just his conjecture, which I often disagreed with (He seems to have a personal vendetta against high school drama clubs. At least two negative comments there--I don't know why). In yet others he referred to the Westminster Catechism (not a problem in its own right) where I would have preferred a solid Scrupture reference.
My last gripe is probably the one that caused me the most grief, even if it isn't the most important: organization. I had a really tough time with a couple of early chapters (2-4) for reasons I identified above, but when I got to chapter 5, things started to click a little better. I realized that chapter 5 would be more effective (and as a result, 2-4) if it was came in tandem with (or as a part of) chapter 2. Chapter 2 contrasts a Batman crucifixion on Easter with the Reformed liturgy (inspired by the Regulative Principle, which he explains). What it doesn't do is properly contextualize what entertainment-heavy churches are missing and why. It posits that crucifying Batman on Easter Sunday is blasphemy (agreed), and that God has given us direction for how to properly worship Him. All well and good. Chapters 3 and 4 (as well as 6 and 7) break down specific problematic elements of worshiptainment (preaching, music, Sacraments, and pastor-as-influencer). Chapter 5 focuses on liturgy, which probably isn't the first thing people think about when considering what's wrong with megachurches (my mind goes to the concert-style environment and feel-good-spiritual-guru-nonsense, and I'm a recovering Lutheran!). I understand Everhard's thinking in ordering as he did, but my reading would have been better served had he flowed directly from this stylistic contrast to the foundation for why (Reformed) liturgical services exist the way they do. Would have saved me a lot of frustration, even though my other criticisms of vagueness would persist.
In the end, Dr. Everhard has a heart to see sick churches and their members draw closer to God and worship Him as He wills, not as we will. I can and do appreciate that mission. However, I really don't know who this book is for. The Reformed don't need it, those drawn to a crucified Batman would be much better served by a direct injection of Scripture (which would benefit all of us, of course) (I would say the caveat would be a splinter small group considering leaving or reforming their megachurch, though this is not something I've heard of), and people like me aren't provided quite enough practical application or clarity to do more than pray on it and do more research.
Everhard approaches the issue of worshiptainment directly and resolutely, as he should. My biggest critique of this, though, is that he (in one case admittedly) often uses caricatures, and in virtually all cases, uses the most extreme form of this enemy, real or fabricated. My issue with this is that, as a member of a church in-between Reformed and megachurch style and liturgy, I felt that a lot of this didn't apply to my situation or likely that of many. In the same way, I've had a hard time trying to discern where the line is (in general and for Everhard specifically). Everhard condemns repeatedly elements like drum kits, high-tech lighting, and projector screens (and fog machines, which I have told my wife that if our church uses fog machines, we're leaving immediately--that is a line for me). I understand how they CAN be used in a distracting or entertaining way, but I disagree with their inherent evil, even in a church setting. Everhard defines worshiptainment as "the combination of some aspects of worship along with heavy doses of entertainment." Since his examples are exclusively those that hardly resemble (in thought, word, or deed) a church at all to begin with, my concept of this line never got any clearer, especially since he seems to flip-flop on whether humor or anecdotes have any place in a sermon. Again, to me, these elements aren't bad themselves, but they are often used as crutches or as a vain attempt to stay relevant, even in strong, Gospel-preaching churches. Everhard asserts that it's worship or 'tainment, and one replaces the other. I see them mixed frequently. That doesn't justify it, but it does make it hard for me to grasp Everhard's stance on a church like mine.
This brings me to my next gripe: argumentation. While Dr. Everhard does use Scripture to support many of his stances (in a few cases, abundantly), there are weak spots. In some cases, he rattles off a myriad of verses for the reader to look up for themselves. Not exactly a problem, per se, and I won't call being directed to Scripture and inconvenience. However, in the instance I did take the time to look up 2-3 of the many more verses listed, it was as if he'd provided an index of every single time a word or phrase was used in Scripture, rather than a single strong verse in context. This happened in a couple of places.
In other places, he didn't provide any reference at all, instead just his conjecture, which I often disagreed with (He seems to have a personal vendetta against high school drama clubs. At least two negative comments there--I don't know why). In yet others he referred to the Westminster Catechism (not a problem in its own right) where I would have preferred a solid Scrupture reference.
My last gripe is probably the one that caused me the most grief, even if it isn't the most important: organization. I had a really tough time with a couple of early chapters (2-4) for reasons I identified above, but when I got to chapter 5, things started to click a little better. I realized that chapter 5 would be more effective (and as a result, 2-4) if it was came in tandem with (or as a part of) chapter 2. Chapter 2 contrasts a Batman crucifixion on Easter with the Reformed liturgy (inspired by the Regulative Principle, which he explains). What it doesn't do is properly contextualize what entertainment-heavy churches are missing and why. It posits that crucifying Batman on Easter Sunday is blasphemy (agreed), and that God has given us direction for how to properly worship Him. All well and good. Chapters 3 and 4 (as well as 6 and 7) break down specific problematic elements of worshiptainment (preaching, music, Sacraments, and pastor-as-influencer). Chapter 5 focuses on liturgy, which probably isn't the first thing people think about when considering what's wrong with megachurches (my mind goes to the concert-style environment and feel-good-spiritual-guru-nonsense, and I'm a recovering Lutheran!). I understand Everhard's thinking in ordering as he did, but my reading would have been better served had he flowed directly from this stylistic contrast to the foundation for why (Reformed) liturgical services exist the way they do. Would have saved me a lot of frustration, even though my other criticisms of vagueness would persist.
In the end, Dr. Everhard has a heart to see sick churches and their members draw closer to God and worship Him as He wills, not as we will. I can and do appreciate that mission. However, I really don't know who this book is for. The Reformed don't need it, those drawn to a crucified Batman would be much better served by a direct injection of Scripture (which would benefit all of us, of course) (I would say the caveat would be a splinter small group considering leaving or reforming their megachurch, though this is not something I've heard of), and people like me aren't provided quite enough practical application or clarity to do more than pray on it and do more research.
March 10, 2025
In the simplest of terms, this book addresses the right questions and aims at the guilty parties. But at times, it’s a notch snobby.
Everhard pushes “decent and in order” farther than the Bible—in order to read “traditional” (his word, not mine) high-church Presbyterian liturgy into the text of Scripture. While it may be a good idea, you simply cannot mandate something the Bible doesn’t command. In his defense, he does add, “Of course there is great freedom in Reformed churches, as the NT does not prescribe a particular order of worship anywhere.” And yet, he comes across pretty firm on his own church’s order (again, Presbyterian). I’m certainly not sure he’d completely love ours (Baptist). I do wholeheartedly agree that worship should be organized and well-thought out (Biblically). However, since there was no Biblical order precisely as he recommended, he spent far more time in historical practices. For a guy that pushed hard for the preaching of the Bible (and rightly so), this was a little bit of a disappointment.
Liturgy can become legal (I've seen it)—and, no doubt, has in some places. If we believe the Scripture is sufficient, we must be resigned to the fact that church services will look different in different places—but as long as the Biblical requirements for NT worship are included, it is accepted by God. There’s simply zero indication that Jesus and the apostles followed such a strict liturgy. In fact, the lack of a strict order seems to have been one of the things that made the religious leaders angry.
Also—his visual image of baptism would be so much better if he practiced immersion and not pouring. And it would have the added benefit of being Biblical.
All that said, I do greatly appreciate the call to at least take a moment and reflect on the current "rock star worship" that is so common nowadays. This book is a call to get back to worship that honors God and for that reason, I do highly recommend it.
Everhard pushes “decent and in order” farther than the Bible—in order to read “traditional” (his word, not mine) high-church Presbyterian liturgy into the text of Scripture. While it may be a good idea, you simply cannot mandate something the Bible doesn’t command. In his defense, he does add, “Of course there is great freedom in Reformed churches, as the NT does not prescribe a particular order of worship anywhere.” And yet, he comes across pretty firm on his own church’s order (again, Presbyterian). I’m certainly not sure he’d completely love ours (Baptist). I do wholeheartedly agree that worship should be organized and well-thought out (Biblically). However, since there was no Biblical order precisely as he recommended, he spent far more time in historical practices. For a guy that pushed hard for the preaching of the Bible (and rightly so), this was a little bit of a disappointment.
Liturgy can become legal (I've seen it)—and, no doubt, has in some places. If we believe the Scripture is sufficient, we must be resigned to the fact that church services will look different in different places—but as long as the Biblical requirements for NT worship are included, it is accepted by God. There’s simply zero indication that Jesus and the apostles followed such a strict liturgy. In fact, the lack of a strict order seems to have been one of the things that made the religious leaders angry.
Also—his visual image of baptism would be so much better if he practiced immersion and not pouring. And it would have the added benefit of being Biblical.
All that said, I do greatly appreciate the call to at least take a moment and reflect on the current "rock star worship" that is so common nowadays. This book is a call to get back to worship that honors God and for that reason, I do highly recommend it.
November 7, 2025
A very accessible introduction to the regulative worship principle.
July 15, 2025
Everhard’s books are always a blessing. This is well articulated and timely. Highly recommend!
April 18, 2026
Quenching those demons fr
April 26, 2026
I picked up Worshiptainment by Matthew Everhard with a pretty good idea of where I’d agree and where I might push back. And after working through it, I think that instinct was right.
At its core, this book is a critique of what modern evangelical worship has become. Everhard’s argument is that much of what we see today isn’t really worship at all… it’s been reshaped into something designed to attract, entertain, and hold attention. Loud music. High production. Carefully curated experiences. Messages that are easy to digest. All of it aimed, at least in part, at making church more accessible to the unbeliever.
And to be fair, that’s not a completely crazy goal. We should care about the lost.
But Everhard’s point is that when you build a service around that goal, something has to give. And what often gets pushed out are the very things God has actually prescribed for worship. Scripture reading gets minimized. Confessional prayer disappears. The sacraments are sidelined. Expositional preaching gives way to something lighter and more palatable.
In other words, the focus subtly shifts.
From God… to people.
That’s the heart of his argument, and honestly, that’s where I find myself nodding along the most. Because whether you land fully in his camp or not, it’s hard to deny that this drift is real.
Where I knew I’d have to wrestle a bit more is in how he applies the Regulative Principle of Worship.
I don’t think he’s wrong to bring it into the conversation. In fact, I think it’s a necessary corrective. Scripture should drive worship, not preference. That’s a hill worth standing on.
But the question is: how far do you take that?
If the RPW is applied in a way that governs the elements of worship, I’m all in. Scripture tells us to preach the Word, pray, sing, and observe the ordinances. Those are non-negotiables. That’s the foundation.
But when it starts to regulate every expression of those elements, I think we have to be careful. Because at that point, we may end up adding constraints that Scripture itself doesn’t explicitly require.
That’s where questions start to surface for me.
Does this mean we only do what is explicitly commanded, down to the smallest detail?
Does that push us all the way back to exclusive psalmody?
And if so, how do we reconcile that with the reality that hymns were “modern” once too?
I don’t land there.
I don’t think Scripture demands exclusive psalmody. I do think the Psalms should absolutely have a place in corporate worship, but I don’t see a biblical requirement that they be the only songs we sing. Colossians 3:16 seems to leave room for a broader expression than that.
And as for modern worship music… I don’t think the issue is modern vs traditional.
The real question is:
Is it true?
Is it God-centered?
Is it shaping people theologically, or just moving them emotionally?
Because there are modern songs that pass that test. And there are older hymns that don’t.
So I’m not ready to throw out everything “modern.” But I am more convinced than ever that we need to be far more discerning about what we bring into corporate worship.
Where this book really lands, though, is in its call to return to the ordinary means of grace.
Preach the Word.
Pray.
Administer the sacraments.
That’s it.
No gimmicks. No need to manufacture an experience. No chasing after what will keep people engaged.
Just faithful obedience to what God has already given.
And if I’m being honest, that’s where this hit me the hardest.
Because it’s easy to critique what’s happening in churches. It’s harder to recognize the same tendencies in my own life.
I feel the pull toward what’s easy. What’s engaging. What holds my attention. And if I’m not careful, I can start to shape my walk with God around those things instead of around what actually grows me.
Time in the Word.
Honest, sometimes uncomfortable prayer.
Sitting under truth that challenges me instead of just encouraging me.
Those aren’t always the most exciting parts of the Christian life.
But they’re the most necessary.
And even in leadership, this forces a gut check.
Whether I’m writing, teaching, or just talking about Scripture with my family, I have to constantly ask:
Am I trying to keep people engaged… or am I trying to be faithful?
Because those two things don’t always line up.
I don’t think the answer is to swing the pendulum all the way in the other direction and strip everything down to the bare minimum. But I do think this book is a needed warning.
We don’t need to go back in time to be faithful.
But we do need to stop drifting forward without asking what we’ve lost along the way.
At the end of the day, this book leaves me with a question I can’t really shake:
Am I prioritizing what honors God… or what appeals to people?
And if those two ever collide…
Do I actually have the courage to choose God?
At its core, this book is a critique of what modern evangelical worship has become. Everhard’s argument is that much of what we see today isn’t really worship at all… it’s been reshaped into something designed to attract, entertain, and hold attention. Loud music. High production. Carefully curated experiences. Messages that are easy to digest. All of it aimed, at least in part, at making church more accessible to the unbeliever.
And to be fair, that’s not a completely crazy goal. We should care about the lost.
But Everhard’s point is that when you build a service around that goal, something has to give. And what often gets pushed out are the very things God has actually prescribed for worship. Scripture reading gets minimized. Confessional prayer disappears. The sacraments are sidelined. Expositional preaching gives way to something lighter and more palatable.
In other words, the focus subtly shifts.
From God… to people.
That’s the heart of his argument, and honestly, that’s where I find myself nodding along the most. Because whether you land fully in his camp or not, it’s hard to deny that this drift is real.
Where I knew I’d have to wrestle a bit more is in how he applies the Regulative Principle of Worship.
I don’t think he’s wrong to bring it into the conversation. In fact, I think it’s a necessary corrective. Scripture should drive worship, not preference. That’s a hill worth standing on.
But the question is: how far do you take that?
If the RPW is applied in a way that governs the elements of worship, I’m all in. Scripture tells us to preach the Word, pray, sing, and observe the ordinances. Those are non-negotiables. That’s the foundation.
But when it starts to regulate every expression of those elements, I think we have to be careful. Because at that point, we may end up adding constraints that Scripture itself doesn’t explicitly require.
That’s where questions start to surface for me.
Does this mean we only do what is explicitly commanded, down to the smallest detail?
Does that push us all the way back to exclusive psalmody?
And if so, how do we reconcile that with the reality that hymns were “modern” once too?
I don’t land there.
I don’t think Scripture demands exclusive psalmody. I do think the Psalms should absolutely have a place in corporate worship, but I don’t see a biblical requirement that they be the only songs we sing. Colossians 3:16 seems to leave room for a broader expression than that.
And as for modern worship music… I don’t think the issue is modern vs traditional.
The real question is:
Is it true?
Is it God-centered?
Is it shaping people theologically, or just moving them emotionally?
Because there are modern songs that pass that test. And there are older hymns that don’t.
So I’m not ready to throw out everything “modern.” But I am more convinced than ever that we need to be far more discerning about what we bring into corporate worship.
Where this book really lands, though, is in its call to return to the ordinary means of grace.
Preach the Word.
Pray.
Administer the sacraments.
That’s it.
No gimmicks. No need to manufacture an experience. No chasing after what will keep people engaged.
Just faithful obedience to what God has already given.
And if I’m being honest, that’s where this hit me the hardest.
Because it’s easy to critique what’s happening in churches. It’s harder to recognize the same tendencies in my own life.
I feel the pull toward what’s easy. What’s engaging. What holds my attention. And if I’m not careful, I can start to shape my walk with God around those things instead of around what actually grows me.
Time in the Word.
Honest, sometimes uncomfortable prayer.
Sitting under truth that challenges me instead of just encouraging me.
Those aren’t always the most exciting parts of the Christian life.
But they’re the most necessary.
And even in leadership, this forces a gut check.
Whether I’m writing, teaching, or just talking about Scripture with my family, I have to constantly ask:
Am I trying to keep people engaged… or am I trying to be faithful?
Because those two things don’t always line up.
I don’t think the answer is to swing the pendulum all the way in the other direction and strip everything down to the bare minimum. But I do think this book is a needed warning.
We don’t need to go back in time to be faithful.
But we do need to stop drifting forward without asking what we’ve lost along the way.
At the end of the day, this book leaves me with a question I can’t really shake:
Am I prioritizing what honors God… or what appeals to people?
And if those two ever collide…
Do I actually have the courage to choose God?
January 13, 2025
Worshiptainment, is a timely book for our cultural moment that seeks to recover a strong, biblical, and orthodox theology of worship, all through the simple question, “why?” Though, despite the strength in examining our motives for worship, the book suffers from snarky comments that are unnecessary.
Everhard examines the state of worship in the church, and provides a pathway forward, offering guidance by looking to the past. He asks the simple question, “why,” when it comes to how we approach preaching, music, and the sacraments, and unmasks the reality that often churches are driven to entertain rather than to worship. He shows how we have adopted cultural aspects with no real reasoning beyond remaining culturally relevant, and how we run the risk of descending into theological chaos if we don’t guard our services and continue to ask, “why are we doing this?”
Perhaps the greatest strength of the book, is that Everhard not only offers these critiques, but also solutions throughout. For example, when tackling the tricky topic of musical genre and performative tendencies we have in many churches, he suggests a return to the historical practise of psalm singing, a practise abandoned by many because of how ‘uncool’, and ‘non entertaining’ it is.
Though, despite these strengths, the book is a little rough around the edges. Unfortunately, Everhard can come across as somewhat snarky when dealing with traditions other than the reformed. As the book progresses, it becomes apparent that he is not seeking to combat ‘worshiptainment’ alone, but also any form of worship that exists outside the reformed stream. This sadly comes across as bitter, and frustrated at points, whereby he moves beyond theological reasons, and descends into anti-leftist political narrative. At points these criticisms are valid, but have nothing to do with the premise of the book.
In conclusion: a worth-while read, but not without its flaws.
Post script, lest you think I write these critiques as a leftist non reformed writer who is feeling personally attacked: I am not on the political left, and am in ministry within the reformed tradition.
Everhard examines the state of worship in the church, and provides a pathway forward, offering guidance by looking to the past. He asks the simple question, “why,” when it comes to how we approach preaching, music, and the sacraments, and unmasks the reality that often churches are driven to entertain rather than to worship. He shows how we have adopted cultural aspects with no real reasoning beyond remaining culturally relevant, and how we run the risk of descending into theological chaos if we don’t guard our services and continue to ask, “why are we doing this?”
Perhaps the greatest strength of the book, is that Everhard not only offers these critiques, but also solutions throughout. For example, when tackling the tricky topic of musical genre and performative tendencies we have in many churches, he suggests a return to the historical practise of psalm singing, a practise abandoned by many because of how ‘uncool’, and ‘non entertaining’ it is.
Though, despite these strengths, the book is a little rough around the edges. Unfortunately, Everhard can come across as somewhat snarky when dealing with traditions other than the reformed. As the book progresses, it becomes apparent that he is not seeking to combat ‘worshiptainment’ alone, but also any form of worship that exists outside the reformed stream. This sadly comes across as bitter, and frustrated at points, whereby he moves beyond theological reasons, and descends into anti-leftist political narrative. At points these criticisms are valid, but have nothing to do with the premise of the book.
In conclusion: a worth-while read, but not without its flaws.
Post script, lest you think I write these critiques as a leftist non reformed writer who is feeling personally attacked: I am not on the political left, and am in ministry within the reformed tradition.
May 15, 2026
This book really encourages me to think about what truly honors and pleases God through worshipping Him. Am I going to a church that purposes to reach as many people as they can through trying to please and connect with the world and bring them into the church through their music style or am I going to a church that desires to worship God in spirit and in truth? The author , Matthew mentioned that Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire to the Lord and used that analogy that some worship that is done today in churches is not commanded in Scripture. Matthew says God says for us to sing psalms , hymns and spiritual songs . Using different methods of worship other than what God has commanded does not please Him. I didn’t think about this before when I have read some books about the warnings of listening to contemporary Christian music. Another question of personal application that I got out of reading this book that I haven’t thought about is am I going to church to be entertained , to listen to a praise team or a choir sing or to listen to the instruments being played or am I going to church to genuinely only worship God through singing along with others without going for the lights and to be entertained? I know from experience that going to a church that has limited instruments , no drums ,no praise team , no choir but singing every song as a congregation I enjoy it more , I can focus on the words of the songs more , I don’t feel like I am being entertained and I am distracted by who is singing as a special or on the praise team or with the drum but genuinely worshipping God. I also love the harmony of the voices , and of how everyone sings with all of their heart without instruments at times. This book was so eye- opening to me and motivates me to go to a church that is not for worshiptainment but for truly worshipping God in the way He said He wanted us to worship Him in His Word.
November 29, 2024
A timely & necessary wake-up call
Worshiptainment is a timely and necessary wake-up call for the modern church. Matthew unapologetic calls the church to embrace the regulative principle of worship; anchoring our worship in God’s Word and ensuring that Christ remains the center of our worship rather than the whims of human creativity.
This book doesn’t just critique; it equips. Pastors, worship leaders, and congregants alike will benefit from its practical guidance on recalibrating worship practices to align with Scripture. It encourages churches to prioritize simplicity, reverence, and gospel clarity, reminding us that the power of worship lies not in the lights and sound but in proclaiming the greatness of our Savior.
If you’re concerned about the direction of worship in today’s church, Worshiptainment is a must-read. It offers both a diagnosis of the problem and a hopeful vision for a Christ-centered future where God’s people gather to worship Him faithfully, not for entertainment, but for His glory.
Worshiptainment is a timely and necessary wake-up call for the modern church. Matthew unapologetic calls the church to embrace the regulative principle of worship; anchoring our worship in God’s Word and ensuring that Christ remains the center of our worship rather than the whims of human creativity.
This book doesn’t just critique; it equips. Pastors, worship leaders, and congregants alike will benefit from its practical guidance on recalibrating worship practices to align with Scripture. It encourages churches to prioritize simplicity, reverence, and gospel clarity, reminding us that the power of worship lies not in the lights and sound but in proclaiming the greatness of our Savior.
If you’re concerned about the direction of worship in today’s church, Worshiptainment is a must-read. It offers both a diagnosis of the problem and a hopeful vision for a Christ-centered future where God’s people gather to worship Him faithfully, not for entertainment, but for His glory.
February 25, 2026
Sacraments or Ordinances
The book does the main point and gives a good attempt to bring God people to true spirit of worship. I do not agree on the Lord’s Table or Baptism as Sacraments - this implies a means of Grace. They are Ordinances. The act of Baptism is identifying with Christ and His command to do so when someone comes to Christ. The Lords Supper or Table is an act of Remembrance , as Jesus said “as oft as you do it in remembrance of me,”. Within the book in could be taken to mean an act of Grace. This is not so Grace is Christ alone. No other act or deed the church does imparts anything. The need is what and how are hearts are with the Lord, and do we come with reverence and a sense of awe, having looked at our conscience, and asked forgives for our trespasses I do thank you Matthew to tackle an issue which one wonders why it has to be done, and where has the body of Christ lost discernment on this issue. Keep up the good work The Lord Bless you and Keep you. I will recommend this book to others.
The book does the main point and gives a good attempt to bring God people to true spirit of worship. I do not agree on the Lord’s Table or Baptism as Sacraments - this implies a means of Grace. They are Ordinances. The act of Baptism is identifying with Christ and His command to do so when someone comes to Christ. The Lords Supper or Table is an act of Remembrance , as Jesus said “as oft as you do it in remembrance of me,”. Within the book in could be taken to mean an act of Grace. This is not so Grace is Christ alone. No other act or deed the church does imparts anything. The need is what and how are hearts are with the Lord, and do we come with reverence and a sense of awe, having looked at our conscience, and asked forgives for our trespasses I do thank you Matthew to tackle an issue which one wonders why it has to be done, and where has the body of Christ lost discernment on this issue. Keep up the good work The Lord Bless you and Keep you. I will recommend this book to others.
October 16, 2024
This book is a much needed critique of the modern church’s worship practices. So much of what is commonplace today is done without asking “why?” By and large we have completely made up much of the way we worship God solely on preferences, ours or the unbelievers’, rather than on what God has commanded. Everhard articulates and defends the Regulative Principle well, calling us to reform our worship according to God’s Word.
Pastors, especially Reformed pastors would do well to read this book and begin to implement some of what Everhard is presenting. Most needed is the retrieval of singing the Psalms. This is the practice of the early church (not to mention the old covenant church) and was distinctive of the Reformed churches until just 100 years ago. It is also affirmed in the Westminster Confession as a command of God.
If we take worship seriously, not only will we begin to see revival in our world, but we will also be pleasing our Heavenly Father.
Pastors, especially Reformed pastors would do well to read this book and begin to implement some of what Everhard is presenting. Most needed is the retrieval of singing the Psalms. This is the practice of the early church (not to mention the old covenant church) and was distinctive of the Reformed churches until just 100 years ago. It is also affirmed in the Westminster Confession as a command of God.
If we take worship seriously, not only will we begin to see revival in our world, but we will also be pleasing our Heavenly Father.
March 25, 2026
Ive been following mathew on YouTube for a good while now and have wanted to read this book also for some time.
Recommend his channel Daniel, he is pca and makes watchable videos.
This book is pretty solid, 3 stars isnt a bad thing here at all, I liked particularly his section on the regulative principle of worship and other aspects of what true Church worship looks like.
What tarnished it for me is its American Centric writing, obviously this comes when the writer is American writing to an American audience but i tbink alot of what he touched on is primarily American issues such as church at the movies or pastors dressing up as superheros. While im sure the pentecostals push the boundaries at worst over here they still arent like mega churhes, personally I would’ve liked him to focus his efforts past the clearly obvious stuff. But thats not a problem as his following is American and undoubtedly affects them.
Otherwise pretty solid book.
Recommend his channel Daniel, he is pca and makes watchable videos.
This book is pretty solid, 3 stars isnt a bad thing here at all, I liked particularly his section on the regulative principle of worship and other aspects of what true Church worship looks like.
What tarnished it for me is its American Centric writing, obviously this comes when the writer is American writing to an American audience but i tbink alot of what he touched on is primarily American issues such as church at the movies or pastors dressing up as superheros. While im sure the pentecostals push the boundaries at worst over here they still arent like mega churhes, personally I would’ve liked him to focus his efforts past the clearly obvious stuff. But thats not a problem as his following is American and undoubtedly affects them.
Otherwise pretty solid book.
May 19, 2025
This is a great book and impressively well put together for the self-published route.
I found this book through Everhard’s YouTube channel, which I’m assuming many of its initial readers will, and I’m so glad I picked it up.
Coming from a more evangelical/non-denominational background, the churches I have experienced, served under, and led, have all to some extent been to at-fault with the majority of the valid criticisms of modern worship culture laid out in this book.
However, thankfully I’m a part of a gospel-centered church that reflects many of the helpful prescriptions laid out by Pastor Everhard.
Modern worship has a problem. Many broken pastors are leading it. What is the solution?
I think this book offers many solutions, the primary being: to glorify God and worship him in accordance with what he has prescribed in scripture.
Great advice and a needed anecdote.
I found this book through Everhard’s YouTube channel, which I’m assuming many of its initial readers will, and I’m so glad I picked it up.
Coming from a more evangelical/non-denominational background, the churches I have experienced, served under, and led, have all to some extent been to at-fault with the majority of the valid criticisms of modern worship culture laid out in this book.
However, thankfully I’m a part of a gospel-centered church that reflects many of the helpful prescriptions laid out by Pastor Everhard.
Modern worship has a problem. Many broken pastors are leading it. What is the solution?
I think this book offers many solutions, the primary being: to glorify God and worship him in accordance with what he has prescribed in scripture.
Great advice and a needed anecdote.
February 19, 2026
For someone who is a slow reader, and tends to drift, the author’s writing style kept me locked in and able to get all the information being presented. The book was excellent. There are things that I’ve felt over the years about how the modern church operates that doesn’t always sit well with me. The title itself is what got me to read it. For years my biggest concern/complaint with my church’s worship service, is that it’s a concert. And a LOUD one at that. Like around 120 decibels loud. Yes I have an app that measures the volume of the concert. That’s really my biggest issue with my church. The Word preached is good, and they do practice the 2 Ordinances/Sacraments. It’s just hard to sing along when my ears hurt so much that I have to wear ear protection. And the lights do a number on my eyes. Anyways, rant over. Excellent book. I highly recommend.
January 7, 2026
I agreed with many of the points Everhard made about what proper worship is and found that the book correctly identified many of the shortcomings of modern worship. However, the biggest issue in this book was Everhard's distinct bias toward Reformed worship. Granted, he was up front and honest about his allegiance to Reformed theology. However, as someone who comes from a theologically conservative and orthodox Wesleyan background, I felt that Everhard believed that the only way a person can actually engage in Christian worship is to be a Reformed Calvinist and no other background can claim to be faithful Christians. Of course, I could be wrong in my assessment, but that was just the impression I got.
March 2, 2025
Having recently completed "Worshiptainment: The Modern Church’s Golden Calf" by Dr. Matthew Everhard, I was struck by the author's poignant question: has the modern church been reduced to a concert followed by a TED talk? This is a pressing concern that warrants consideration from evangelical, Bible-believing Christians. Dr. Everhard's Reformed Presbyterian perspective informs his writing, but the biblical principles he references are broadly applicable to any New Testament church. He promotes a gentle and measured return to the Regulative Principle of Worship. I strongly recommend this book to regular churchgoers.
August 4, 2025
Much needed book on the need to recover the Regulative Principles of Worship in modern Evangelical and Reformed churches. Many churches today don’t realize just how unbiblical and untethered from the historic worship of the church their liturgy (and lack thereof) actually is. Everhard’s book is a good introduction to the topic and worth reading.
My only critique would be that I wish he used some examples that weren’t quite as extreme - since I think there would be some that would read the extreme examples of Worshiptainment and think “well, my church isn’t THAT bad, so he just not be talking about me.” Overall though, it’s a well written book.
My only critique would be that I wish he used some examples that weren’t quite as extreme - since I think there would be some that would read the extreme examples of Worshiptainment and think “well, my church isn’t THAT bad, so he just not be talking about me.” Overall though, it’s a well written book.
January 6, 2025
In my personal opinion, this is the best available book today about the issues related to contemporary worship, and Dr. Everhard does a far better job than I could ever do in highlighting the main issues. He uses scripture and its mandates to call us towards a reformation of worship towards the regulative principle rather than pragmatism! If you are a reformed leaning Christian or you are curious about reformed theology outside of TULIP, this is the book to start!
March 5, 2025
Great short read about the problems of the American evangelical church and how we have strayed from what worship truly is, mandated in Scripture and the heart of our motives behind it as well. I liked the thoughtful examples behind he gave of churches gone wrong and how we need to get back to basics, also talking about how worship can easily slide into distortion if we aren’t vigilant about worshipping God and not ourselves on Sundays. Really solid read, I would recommend this.
June 19, 2025
For years, I've been deeply frustrated by the worship in many churches and the worship culture that I've seen. I couldn't fully articulate why I was feeling this way or what about worship seemed off. This book helped me understand and verbalize what I was experiencing.
Matthew Everhard takes a humble yet convicted approach to addressing some of the major tumors in modern worship. This book does not take a condescending tone of judgement on other churches, but concern for the holiness of God, worshiping as God prescribes, and the fellowship of saints worshipping together. He does address specific worship situations and isn't afraid to call it idolatry, but does so in a pastoral way, calling for churches to faithfulness in their worship of God.
Matthew Everhard takes a humble yet convicted approach to addressing some of the major tumors in modern worship. This book does not take a condescending tone of judgement on other churches, but concern for the holiness of God, worshiping as God prescribes, and the fellowship of saints worshipping together. He does address specific worship situations and isn't afraid to call it idolatry, but does so in a pastoral way, calling for churches to faithfulness in their worship of God.
November 11, 2024
Highly recommended! I've been watching Everhard for years on YouTube and would highly recommend his videos as well as this book. Absolutely excellent book. Totally agree with everything he said. The odd phrase is a bit American but I Googled them and figured it out. This book is an oasis in the midst of the madness that is most of the modern Church. Highly recommended!
January 3, 2025
I absolutely loved the book. I also love the author. Having followed his YouTube channel for years, and it is my favorite channel, I knew the book was going to deliver. Great assessment of the failures of what we see in modern evangelicalism, and a much needed call back to the Reformed standard of expositional preaching, the regulative principle of worship, and the ordinary means of grace!
September 9, 2025
4.5/5
This book got recommended to me by one of my closest friends, and maaaannn this was a good book! I loved that it didn’t just go into the issue with idolatry in the church, but Everhard gave solutions/replacement for the issue going on in modern churches. I can tell lots of research was done to write this book. Super interesting topic too, love love love
This book got recommended to me by one of my closest friends, and maaaannn this was a good book! I loved that it didn’t just go into the issue with idolatry in the church, but Everhard gave solutions/replacement for the issue going on in modern churches. I can tell lots of research was done to write this book. Super interesting topic too, love love love
April 13, 2026
Typical argument for the Regulative Principle of Worship that ignores the slippery fact that circumstances are in the eye of the beholder (or conveniently defined for us by "wise men" from an earlier generation who therefore MUST have greater insight than we). Most of Everhard's examples, although quite outrageous, can easily be addressed without appealing to the regulative principle.
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