Missional Worship, Worshipful Mission: Gathering as God's People, Going Out in God's Name

Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Liturgical Studies

by Ruth A. Meyers

A common perception among Christians is that worship is only a Sunday morning activity done within the walls of the church, while, by contrast, mission involves how the church engages the outside world. But Ruth Meyers argues that there is a dynamic correlation between worship and mission, and she explores that relationship in this book. Meyers takes the reader chapter by chapter through the various parts of the Sunday worship service, incorporating stories of worship practices in different churches, and shows how the actions of worship relate to mission in the world. The book's last chapter offers a conceptual tool for preparing worship that is a rich celebration of the mystery of God's love.

256 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 2014

About the author

The Rev. Dr. Ruth A. Meyers is Hodges-Haynes Professor of Liturgics at Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, California.

Reviews

[Aldon Hynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for a seminary class that is normally taught by Dr. Meyers. Unfortunately, she was on sabbatical. However, the professor that taught the course in her place did a great job.

This is an important book for anyone thinking about how liturgy and social justice relate. I highly recommend it.

[Terrance Lively · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good text that really dives deeply into worship and the aspects of it that truly enrich our experience. Some good perspectives in here and ideas to bring forth in the modern church context (or at least to consider). Really a good book that starts the process for many in the church.

[Fred Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well researched and well written book on the connection between worship and mission. I was wondering if it was more appropriate for my next course, a course on missiology.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can worship be missional and does being missional have anything to do with worship? The answer, Ruth Meyers says is yes. If being missional defines the life of the church and is not something separate from it, then most assuredly worship should stand at the center of missional life. In fact, Meyers describes worship through the metaphor of a spinning top. Worship is, in her thinking, the core of the top. Everything we do as missional congregations streams out of the center that is worship.

With this in mind, she describes what missional worship looks like, beginning with the gathering moments and moving through the worship experience, including proclamation and response to the Word of God, praying for the world (she reminds us that too often our intercessions don't take into consideration the world), enacting reconciliation (confession and absolution), celebration of the communion (has a helpful discussion of the relationship of baptism to communion for those of us with an open table), and then moves toward going forth from worship. She also gives guidance as to how to set up missional worship, which she notes is not technique but attitude and tone.

This is an important book for all of us who don't wish to separate mission from worship. It is not an either/or situation. True mission will be rooted in the worship of God. Otherwise our mission activities will simply become duties and not expressions of faith.

[Preston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Will come back to this at a later time. Just not the right book on worship for this season of my life. More of a seminary text to me.