With Reverence and Awe: Returning to the Basics of Reformed Worship

by D.G. Hart, John R. Muether

Even among Reformed Christians, worship is a fighting word. Conflicting expectations for worship reveal that there is significant confusion about its nature, purpose, and practice. Originally designed for Sunday school classes, this book is a primer to the fundamentals of worship, drawing from Scripture and Reformed confessions. By overviewing how Reformed theology informs how we think about, put together, and participate in a worship service, Hart and Muether prepare us to gather corporately for worship in ways that are appropriate to our Triune God.

Genres: Theology, Christian Living, Nonfiction, Christian, Ecclesiology, Reference

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

About the author

Darryl G. Hart (Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University) directs the honors programs and faculty development at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and serves Westminster Seminary California as adjunct professor of church history. He has written or edited more than fifteen books, including Defending the Faith, a biography of J. Gresham Machen. He is coeditor of the American Reformed Biographies series.

Reviews

[Mak · Rating 3 out of 5]

good basic ideas, but there’s honestly better stuff out there! Instead, I strongly recommend “What Happens When We Worship?” by Jonathan Cruze and “Worshipping with Calvin” by Terry Johnson.

[Brittany Petruzzi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hart has many an accurate censure of modern casual-style worship, but his arguments come more often from the Westminster Confession and Catechism than from Scripture itself. As a result, the book seems more an apologetic for creedal worship than for biblical worship. Don't get me wrong: creeds, confessions, and catechisms have their place, but if you're going to argue that Reformed worship is biblical worship, you'd better actually refer to Scripture in more than just a handful of circumstances outside of John Calvin block quotes.

Chapter 5 & 6 (Acceptable Worship & Reformed Liturgy) found themselves particularly susceptible to my angry marginalia because of Hart's repeated false dichotomies, hypocrisy, preferring of the individual to the corporate, and generally faulty argumentation. I particularly enjoyed how he reviled the dogmatism of those who reject the regulative principle, which, it could be argued, is itself dogmatic.

In short, Hart is at his strongest early in the book as he expounds on the purposes of worship, but when it gets down to the nitty gritty practice of the thing, he seems to have more reverence and awe for John Calvin and the Westminster Divines than he does for Scripture itself.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for anyone who is Reformed or Presbyterian. Straightforward, compelling Biblical arguments for what Reformed worship should look like including topics such as the regulative principle of worship, the argument for a liturgy and of correct forms of the elements of worship, discussion of the activeness of worship for all congregants whether leader or layperson and the appropriate roles for each within the service, and a brief chapter on song selection.

This book was convicting and gave me a lot to think about in regards to my own views of and participation in the worship service. The only downside to this book is that it may lead one to feel dissatisfied with one's church - the author's perspectives seem to reflect the ideal for Reformed worship, but the worship service they describe is going to be hard to come by in modern America.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a few early thoughts. It is basic, but there is a lot of good thoughts in here. The authors lay a good foundation by explaining what the Church is, what worship is (service not experience, for example), who public worship is for, and what the Sabbath is (a neglected subject, for sure).

They then cover the Regulative Principle of Worship (why it is necessary), the need for a deliberate and theological structure to our liturgy, and the dialogical principle (that we find all through Scripture).

I have greatly appreciated the emphasis on otherness from the world and the need for sober reverence (with joy) in our gatherings. I have been a little less convinced by the particular arguments set out against any other men leading in prayer during a service than those ordained. There are also a few hints here and there of R2K theology, but they are not enough to spoil things.

the above was written as I pasted half way, Now that I've finished I have only three extra things to offer. The first is that the authors did a decent job explaining the division of worship into elements, forms, and circumstances. The inclusion of the category of Forms is vital to applying the RPW in a way that actually is workable and doesn't result in three psalms and a sermon.

Secondly, they briefly covered the topic of the efficacy of the means of grace. I like that they built this on an exposition of the shorter catechism to show that the classic reformed view is indeed one where the Spirit ordinarily uses means (though is not tied to them).

And thirdly, the authors did some good work addressing The Good, The True, and The Beuatiful in their discussion of congregational singing (which falls under 'Prayers' as an element). Thy also drew a good line from doctrine to the content of praise. But they did not delve into the exclusive psalmody debate and made a few unnecessary concessions to choirs.

Liked it a good deal.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought a used copy of this book and the previous owner was neither convinced nor particularly happy about the arguments in this book; made for some interesting reading.

Anyways, not every argument was convincing, but the cumulative weight of the whole book is convincing.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monarchy vs. Democracy

Rather than espousing the view that the entire Bible should be sung via Sola Scriptura, the book frames its analysis largely in terms of the Reformed tradition as a whole. I will present three axes, two of which are modified axes of those used by Alexis Tocqueville. The first is the Aristocracy/monarchy “Lord” axis used by those in a monarchy or aristocracy, who focus on God, rather than the individual. The second is the Democracy/individualism “bride” axis used by those who are citizens in a democratic and or individualistic culture who focus on the individual rather than God. The third is the Patriarchal/paternal “Father” axis, used as a subset of the “Lord” axis.
Rather than using Sola Scriptura in the sense that it is that all of Scripture should be preached and sung, the book emphasizes that those parts of the Bible which are most conducive to the edification of the church are to be preached and sung. Those parts of Scripture that are deemed most edifying are those that pertain to justification or those parts which can be shown retroactively as fulfilling the promise of Christ’s work. This emphasis on the sovereign power of an omnipotent God is conducive to those who live under the “Lord” axis of which citizens under a monarchy would find natural. It naturally follows that if justification is the most important part of Scripture to emphasize, that this must be done in a reverent manner, especially in worship. Brutal battle hymns that show the destruction of those who engage in cosmic treason (sin) against an omnipotent and holy God are highly conducive to worship with reverence and awe. Drowning of Egyptians and a man’s head being nailed to the ground with a tent peg are good examples songs of this brutality of just judgment which is conducive to reverence and awe. These songs encourage solemnity, focusing on God as the mover and creator of the universe, and a focus on the long arc of His actions of the distant past as well as the far-off future.
The authors of the book attack what I call the more individual and democratic “bride” axis. The bride axis emphasizes the metaphor of Christ being the husband of the anthropomorphized bride of Christ, the song versions of which inevitably lead to romance, and the use of the Song of Solomon as a proof-book. The advocates for this form of looser worship settings tend criticize the translators for the King James version for veiling the graphic nature of the Song of Solomon, and proverbs, but ironically not the references to the negative aspects of the female reproductive system referenced in Isaiah 64:6. (Any mention of this verse as pertaining to good works is eisegesis, because the context shows that “good works” of vain religiosity are as pleasing to God as menstruous rags.) A consistent application of singing the entire Bible equally would lead to a singing of more sensual passages, such as the first chapter of Hosea. Those under the Lord axis find a presentation of God as a spouse who drags His whore of a wife away from her whorings more acceptable than would those of the bride axis. Those of the bride axis would not find this nonconsensual act of forced covenant faithfulness as appealing to their egalitarian soaked mindset. The bride axis also abhors John Donne’s Holy Sonnet in which regeneration and sanctification are compared to rape. The bride axis tends to focus, like those of a Democracy, on the present, and ignore the long-term implications of a given mindset or set of beliefs and accompanying actions. This tends toward organizations which become more and more similar to fertility cults found in Israel from time to time. The watchword of this axis is “self-fulfillment” (17).
The third axis is a more patriarchal, fatherly “Father” axis which is a middle ground between the two axes. The Father axis emphasizes the adoption that flows through justification and its resulting sanctification. The Father axis emphasizes the fatherly love of God which unlike the unconditional love of Justification, is conditional upon obedience. Approval is given to children based on at least partial sincere obedience in spirit and truth to given divine rules. Chastisement is given to children based on failure to obey the rules in spirit and truth. Reward is given to children based on sincere obedience in spirit and truth to given divine rules.
The first chapter of the book set up a dichotomy of church and world, which follows from classical fundamentalism of reestablishing the fundamentals of the gospel. If followed properly, this axis leads to holiness, not thinking like the world (31), stewardship, evangelism, and idol smashing (29). The dark side of this axis is that it may lead to viewing anyone outside of the church as a culturally-repugnant-other, unworthy of interaction by the holy elite. Many unbelievers view Christians as worshiping a skygod, drinking his blood, and praying for protection. Avoiding interaction with unbelievers would be counter-productive, and encourage false perceptions.
The second chapter of the book sets the doctrine and worship focus of fundamentalism against what could be called the more democratic “Christianity +” emphasis on social change and a marketplace of various permutations of worship and accompanying accoutrements (41). This environment of extreme individualism of the bride axis is what Larry Crabb would call a “tick mentality” which views the church as a dog which gives the congregation its nutrients in the forms of various programs. This mindset is in contrast to the Lord Axis view of the congregation of giving God the worship that He deserves, and the congregants as receiving life from the joining of Christ’s body in formal worship of God. The democratic bride axis tends to find the male headship prooftexts of the Lord and Father Axes about discipleship (which is in effect macro-sanctification) as outdated.
The third chapter of the book states that because the Lord axis of worship is the church’s purpose, precise rules are necessary. In this time of extreme prevalence of the bride axis’s focus on leisure, those of the Lord axis are pilgrims, tempted to give up (54-56). The possible dark side of the Lord axis is that those in a system of precise rules have a tendency to act like those in an aristocracy, and those in an aristocracy tend to become arrogant, and look down on the other classes.
The fourth chapter of the book shows the Lord axis to have much slower perceptible progress than the bride axis. The Lord Axis takes the long view, and sees sanctification as a long progress with many set-backs, which therefore needs a system appointed by God to succeed. The bride axis sees the experience of the individual of prime importance, and focused on short superficial goals of passion that lack real importance. In the bride axis, the minister of the gospel becomes a salesman for God; under the Lord axis, the minister of the gospel is an evangelist foretelling the doom of the city of destruction.
The fifth chapter brings up the somewhat more monolithically governed reformed in general, and English in particular, regulative principle (Lord axis) with the somewhat more democratically governed Lutheran normative principle (bride axis). The first only allows what God has explicitly stated as acceptable, while the second allows everything that is not explicitly rejected. The regulative principle is used by the Lord axis to emphasize justification, because Christ is the center of the universe. John Calvin is cited by the authors to show that that which delights is suspect, because of man’s propensity to worship anything put in front of him. Zeal + variance to God’s commands = abomination. The normative principle is used by the bride axis to emphasize personal experience, because the individual is implicitly the perceived center of the universe. Delight tends to be the measure of whether worship is acceptable to the individual using the normative principle under the bride axis.
The regulative principle of the Lord axis states that “the regulative principle is the surest guarantor of Christian freedom” (81). Worship cannot be will-worship (as opposed to self-control) (82). Worship can have no human invention (82). Anything that has these attributes is “spiritual whordom,” even if it is sincere (83).
The sixth chapter brings more monarchic themes of the Lord axis with the fact that worship is not a meeting of equals (92). Liturgy must be structured according to the doctrine of covenants, in a dialogic fashion, with gospel logic, that leads to a “cycle of confession” (93, 95, 98). Chapter seven highlights the difference between the spiritual growth engendered by the Lord axis and the numerical growth sought for by the Bride axis.
The eighth chapter reaffirms that the Lord axis seeks to channel scripture alone through the regulative principle of only worshipping as God commands in holy fear, unqualified precision, and unwavering obedience (122, 123). Though Christ transformed the “cowering fear of God in Leviticus into bold access,” approaching God as if without sin is a mistake (125). The bride axis seeks entertainment, because it is democratic and focusses on the present; the Lord axis seeks lasting purpose, because it is aristocratic and focusses on the distant future. The Lord axis sees no morbidity in comparing how one should feel in a normal worship service to how one should feel in a funeral worship service (127). The bride axis sees no irreverence in using disco balls in worship services.
The ninth chapter states the Lord axis view of the impossibility of being a son of God without being a son of the church (139). Due to a focus on extreme individualism, the bride axis is less concerned with the nuclear family as a concept. The Lord axis stresses corporate worship, such as evening services, which are viewed as nourishing (140). The Lord axis views those in the bride axis who cut themselves off from others in the same service through acts of individualism such as raising hands and closing eyes. The Lord axis also views worship as a special blessing, while the bride axis wants something flashy and amusing (141, 144).
The tenth chapter states that the Westminster Confession of Faith indicates that worship should be in “fear, love, praise, and trust” (151). This chapter also mentions that the content of theology cannot be separated from the form of worship (154). The bride axis focusses on ecstasy of passions.
The eleventh chapter is about songs. It mentions that for a song to be worthy of worship, it must reflect the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as shown in Scripture, have stood the test of time, and link praise and fulfilment as psalms does (163). The bride axis would point out that there is no fulfillment in psalm 88. Due to the aristocratic nature of the Lord axis, the authors state that songs about romantic love cannot be worshipful: “Song about romantic love or our favorite sports are clearly inappropriate in public worship” (164). The bride axis would interject that the Song of Solomon is a romantic love song that is presumably inspired by the Holy Spirit. The bride axis would further point out that if “The Garden (He walks with me)” is purged from public worship, human sexuality may be stunted and diverted from healthy relationships into pornographic material. The bride axis would further state that the regulative principle is not an application of sola scriptura, but an application of the elite choosing a tradition of which parts of scripture are deemed edifying enough to sing.
The authors mention that worship is discipleship, and not soul-winning. The bride axis would claim this as an inconsistency, because the authors previously said that worship is primarily for God, and not for the church. The bride axis would further state that the castigation of rock culture is legalistic, because it ignores the genre’s ability to tap into feelings of despair that result from sin and distance from God, like that found in Ecclesiastes. The authors respond that this view is multiculturalism, which “is a popular doctrine that regards standards for evaluating cultural expression as simply the concoction of the most dominant and powerful groups in society - a case of elites imposing their preferences on everyone else” (166).
The authors would state that saying that an elite is imposing preferences is irrelevant, because the Bible clearly prescribes principles for how song is to be used in worship. The bride axis would say that this is dodging the issue, because parts of Scripture are clearly avoided. The authors would argue that there are some topics that transcend all classes, like Milton or Shakespeare. The bride axis would respond that Milton inaugurated Romanticism by making Lucifer the villain-protagonist, and legalizing divorce in England; Shakespeare also wrote passages of a sensual nature, so invoking Shakepeare is also a double-edged sword. The authors respond that this is just aesthetic relativism, that nothing can transcend other levels (169). Music should be chosen to help believers fight against temptation: “Selection of song should be part of an effort to discern the ways in which she is tempted by worldliness, what is means to be set apart from the world, and how avoiding worldliness promotes holiness” 169). The bride axis would respond that if everyone must be “ever alert to the ways in which preferences for certain kinds of music may indeed reflect attitudes unbecoming of saint,” then the Song of Solomon should be deemed uncanonical. The authors respond that “the sensuality and violence that characterize music of the last decade are simply not congruent with Christian values” (170). The bride axis responds that if sensuality is ungodly, then the Song of Solomon needs to be deemed uncanonical; if violence is ungodly, then all references to the crucifixion needs to be deemed uncanonical. The authors mention that “a strong emotional appeal in our music without accompanying theological content is manipulative” (173). This would lead to the equation: emotion – content = manipulation. The bride axis would ask what the theological content of the Song of Solomon is.
The conclusion mentions a quotation of questionable accuracy about traditions in the North and South. If Puritans in the North viewed worship as a profound conversation between God and man, while Baptists in the South viewed worship as a more mystical experience, it does not follow that those in the South would say that they would worship God His way. Furthermore, the OPC was formed in the North, so this quotation undercuts the authors’ position (186).
The strengths of this book are in the portions of the book where a clear and unmistakable tie is formed between reformed orthodoxy and Scripture’s usage of covenant dialogic structures in worship. The weaknesses of the book are where this is not the case. The book emphasizes the reformed tradition, which is assumed to be based on Scripture itself, but is not shown without a doubt to be objective and arbitrary. Much of the book comes off as aristocrats telling a democratic people that they need to be more aristocratic and focus on their tradition. The book fails when it emphasizes tradition to the exclusion of a direct connection with Scripture.

[Tom F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick and easy read. The author's get to the heart of the problem. Though, there could be more depth, and I wish the Regulative Principle of Worship would have been considered more as it relates to the Psalms. Not that this was ignored, it wasn't, but I would have liked to see more argument regarding exclusive psalmody, and even a mention of a capella only singing. They do, however, argue for more use of the Psalms in worship, but not exclusively.

As for the depth, the book does call itself a primer, so the lack of depth in some areas is understandable.

Overall, great book, would gladly recommend. Especially so for those who are new to Reformed Worship, or that think it is acceptable for contemporary worship to be used in congregations calling themselves Reformed.

One note, most these days seem to think worship is singing, however worship is everything in the Lord's service, not at all limited to singing. The authors do a great job at addressing this.

[Ryan Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hart and Muether describe With Reverence and Awe as "A brief overview of how Reformed theology informs the way we think about, put together, and participate in a worship service."
This book seems to be intended for those already in Reformed and Presbyterian churches and wish to understand how worship should look in light of reformed theology. Those outside of the reformed tradition would probably benefit more from reading Reformed Worship by Terry Johnson to get a grasp of why us reformed Christians view worship the way we do. I agree with the authors and would recommend With Reverence and Awe especially to those new to the reformed tradition.

[Donald Owens II · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I've met and respect Hart, and I don't disagree with many of his conclusions, his logic and exegesis are horrendous. Basically he believes what he does because he's Presbyterian, as far as I can gather here. This book adds nothing to the current conversation on worship.

[Brendan Westerfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Federal agents don't learn to spot counterfeit money by studying the counterfeits. They study genuine bills until they master the look of the real thing."

It seems like the big problem with worship these days is twofold; 1) there is a common understanding that worship can be whatever we want, whenever we want, and however we want, because 2) there is no specific mandate in Scripture as to how a worship service should look in light of the new covenant. In other words, do we have a "real thing" to study in order to know the counterfeit?

Hart and Muether give a convincing introduction into the basic principles of Reformed worship that so many seem to have forgotten. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a place to start contemplating what worship should look like according to God's Word. Perhaps most important of all is the increasingly revolutionary idea that worship should be theocentric, as God's people have gathered corporately to worship Him. It's never been about the individual. Once that principle is understood and agreed upon, I feel the rest (with helpful conversation) can sort itself into place. Let our theology always inform our worship!

Hart and Muether's basic principles:
Reformed Worship is founded on the Word of God.
Reformed Worship is theocentric.
Reformed Worship nurtures God's people through the means of grace.
Reformed Worship is dialogical.
Reformed worship is simple.
Reformed worship is eschatological (I was particularly interested in this one, but it wasn't given all that much treatment).

Helpful book!

[Dwayne Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Primer on the relationship between theology and worship within the Reforned tradition. Articulates confessional and scriptural support for the regulative principle, dialogical principle, and distinctions of element, circumstance, and form.

Concise, plain language and a careful approach (details of music in worship are not discussed until the end) make this book both a good introduction and a plea for a hearing to sympathetic skeptics.

[John Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very thoughtful book on the church and the worship of God. The American church today has devised its own methods of worship which are not found in Scripture. God has prescribed for us in His Word how we are to worship Him. This book dives into the heart of worship. This is a must read on the topic of worship.

[Md Meiser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very God-honoring treatment of worship. Although i disagreed with a lot of the comments about candles, praise choruses, and guitar, i thought the overall spirit was honest. Their view of the Sabbath needed more explaining than just an offhand comment about thise who think the Sabbath is just a ceremonial law of the Old Covenant.

[Christopher David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book in understanding what true worship is and understanding the RPW properly. Nowadays, sadly too many Reformed churches hold to such a loose understanding of the RPW, that the worship is anything but reverent and awesome. This is a great book that brings us back to the basics of worship and should be required reading for all in a Reformed church.

[Greg Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

With Reverence and Awe is a primer in the best sense, an introductory overview. For that reason, it is nontechnical and thus very readable. It gave me a good overview of the very solid arguments for the Reformed approach to worship and, most important, abundant scriptural backing for those arguments.

[Maxwill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful over all, excellent summary of the general Scottish Presbyterian Reformed perspective on Biblical worship. Lots of good stuff in here, several things I wish were said more clearly and given more biblical proof texts. Several major points that I would take some issue with, but over all helpful.

[Coleson White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great central thrust. Might be anachronistic of me, but parts felt angry, condescending, and overly binding. I agree with what they said (mostly), but they didn’t really convince me of what they said.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I don’t always 100% agree with some of the reasonings of this book, it is a fantastic study of worship and what it should look like in a church.

[Tim Vander Meulen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is where I stand.

[Coram Deo Church]

With Reverence and Awe is not currently available at local libraries.

[Stephen P · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent review of what makes Reformed worship Reformed and Biblical and what makes it distinctive from other types of worship of God.

[Hammer Shalawylo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but will likely not change anyone’s mind who doesn’t already agree with the general principles

[Paul Wichert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a challenging book on the meaning and centrality of worship in the life of the church -- and all the specifics thereof. The call to reverence and awe is needed and appreciated and there were many helpful discussions about worship throughout. I especially appreciated the recognition that our doxology is grounded in our theology. But this book is about the regulative principle: worship that contains only elements and forms that are expressly prescribed by Scripture. The authors did a good job of describing and prescribing the details of how this is worked out in the life of the church and were clear about what sorts of practices didn't qualify in their view. While evidence from Scripture and the Reformed confessions and catechisms was presented, I didn't think the argumentation was as clear or balanced as it could have been. Nevertheless, this book is highly recommended and will help you think through your attitude and approach to worship as a (reveret and awesome) "holy conversation between the Creator of heaven and earth and His redeemed creatures."

[Chad Newton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The early chapters if this book are pretty solid, as well as the chapter on approaching worship with reverence (which I do agree has been generally lost in this generation, of which I am a part), however my problems with this book are that his arguments against modern worship seem to be very reactionary and also not completely accurate, and even more so is that many of his cases were for "Reformed Worship" in which he quotes many reformers such as Calvin and Luther, as well as many Presbyterian theologians, but he never really makes a strong biblical case, using actually scriptural texts, when it comes to the practical aspects of song and musical styles.

Overall, this book gives some great reminders on the purpose of the churches worship and the right heart attitudes that should accompany it, but he uses far too many straw man arguments and argues far too much for "the Reformed tradition" of worship rather than giving scriptural proofs.

[Christopher · Rating 1 out of 5]

D.G. Hart and Muether recognize some of the feel-good errors outside of the reformed church, but they're preaching to the choir in this book. More importantly, their response and answer to these problems is poor. Emotion based worship cannot be fought off with a bah-humbug kind of dryness. We must respond with strong worship; not the "simple" worship choked by the strict regulative principle that they argue for. The book was also profoundly abiblical. Nary' a biblical argument in there. The book can be summed up in two words: stodgy Presbyterianism (and don't forget, I'm a Presbyterian!).

[John]

A presentation of the Reformed emphasis of the so-called regulative principle of worship (according to Scripture) commending close adherence to confessional standards, interacting with looser approaches in sometimes too emphatic terms. Good reinforcement for those who agree, potentially off putting to those of other persuasions.

[Tj Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading but far too polemical for me. Also tends to set up straw-man arguments for their opponents, which I'm not a fan of at all. I agreed with their general argument but disagreed with many of their applications of it.

[Ross H · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent explanation and defense of Reformed worship. The authors demonstrate that Reformed doctrine and Reformed practice are inextricably linked. You cannot be truly Reformed, unless your worship is Reformed according to Scripture.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely one of the better books I've read on the subject.

[The Book Distiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting take on how worship should be in the church. Worth a read!