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Worship: Adding Depth to Your Devotion
When you think of the word worship, do you think of such devotional acts as praying or partaking of the sacrament or performing temple rites or even just enjoying the beauty of God's creation?
Do you remember times when those moments felt flat, devoid of the influence of the divine?
Do you also remember moments when the very air seemed charged with divinity, with connection between you and God?
What, then, makes the difference? Why do we sometimes struggle to connect with God through our worship? How do we connect—and how can we more consistently reach that level of connection?
In this engaging and thoughtful book interlaced with poignant personal experiences, Latter-day Saint author Eric D. Huntsman explores how worship works—what it is about our acts of devotion that can connect us to the divine and the eternal.
Brother Huntsman writes: "We assume that we are worshipping when we pray, go to church, take the sacrament, serve in the temple, sing hymns of praise, or care for others as Jesus would. But what makes a prayer different from simply reciting a list of things we need or items for which we are grateful? How is participating in an ordinance different from simply going through the motions of a traditional ritual? What makes feasting upon the word of the Lord different from simply reading the scriptures? And what makes singing or playing beautiful music an act of praise? Because our words and actions are all that appear above the surface, how can we add true depth to our devotion?"
You will find perceptive, thought-provoking answers to these questions and more in Worship: Adding Depth to Your Devotion.
Do you remember times when those moments felt flat, devoid of the influence of the divine?
Do you also remember moments when the very air seemed charged with divinity, with connection between you and God?
What, then, makes the difference? Why do we sometimes struggle to connect with God through our worship? How do we connect—and how can we more consistently reach that level of connection?
In this engaging and thoughtful book interlaced with poignant personal experiences, Latter-day Saint author Eric D. Huntsman explores how worship works—what it is about our acts of devotion that can connect us to the divine and the eternal.
Brother Huntsman writes: "We assume that we are worshipping when we pray, go to church, take the sacrament, serve in the temple, sing hymns of praise, or care for others as Jesus would. But what makes a prayer different from simply reciting a list of things we need or items for which we are grateful? How is participating in an ordinance different from simply going through the motions of a traditional ritual? What makes feasting upon the word of the Lord different from simply reading the scriptures? And what makes singing or playing beautiful music an act of praise? Because our words and actions are all that appear above the surface, how can we add true depth to our devotion?"
You will find perceptive, thought-provoking answers to these questions and more in Worship: Adding Depth to Your Devotion.
170 pages, Hardcover
Published August 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 12, 2016
Review
======
Title: Worship: Adding Depth to Your Devotion
Author: Eric D. Huntsman
Publisher: Deseret Book
Genre: Devotional
Year Published: 2016
Number of Pages: 180 + xii
Binding: Hardcover
ISBN13: 978-1-62972-098-2
Price: $19.99
Reviewed by Jenny Webb for the Association for Mormon Letters
======
Eric Huntsman's latest book, *Worship: Adding Depth to Your Devotion*, provides a thoughtful, devotional look at the various worship practices common within the LDS faith. Huntsman is clear from the outset that this volume is designed to promote a reflection upon the forms and value of LDS worship while simultaneously contextualizing those forms within a broader religious context (most often through connections found with Judaism, Islam, and other Christian denominations). This comparative perspective allows Huntsman to make the argument that "worship is natural, that all men and women are drawn to seek an encounter with God that can change and improve their lives. The details of their practices may differ from our own, but ... [suggest] that we can and should be inspired by their devotion" (132). Understanding LDS worship within the narrative of global religious traditions and practices is, I think, a useful way to contextualize individual Mormons' religious experiences and connect Mormonism with a vibrant global religious community. While this connection is not the book's primary focus, it demonstrates a more sophisticated understanding of Mormonism's faith practices than that traditionally found in devotional books from this publisher, and is to be commended.
The primary focus here, though, is to help Latter-day Saints identify, understand, and consciously reflect upon their worship practices. Huntsman sees worship as an integral component to the process of becoming more like God, something necessary to our returning to live with him (see pp. 2–3). He defines worship as "an actual encounter with God, whose most important purpose is to change *us*" (3). This encounter has a distinctly active component: "worship inspires us and enables us to serve him afterwards" (5). Huntsman is reverently optimistic regarding our capacity to improve our worship, and the tone throughout is one of gentle encouragement. "In most cases, improving and deepening our worship is more about doing better what we already do well. We may simply need to be more deliberate about how we worship, trying harder to keep God as its focus. [...] True worship requires intentionality.... Transformative worship requires mindfulness" (133). The end result of a more thoughtful and focused worship, according to Huntsman, is "action" (134). "[W]orship is an encounter with God that transforms us as worshippers, sanctifying us and empowering us to better serve him and his children" (11–12). This emphasis on improving worship in order to more effectively serve others appears as a variation on a familiar Mormon theme: when you are in the service of your fellow men, you are only in the service of your God (Mosiah 2:17). Here, Huntsman advocates the service of God through worship so that we might ultimately be propelled outwards to an active serving of those around us.
The book is structured around the exploration of six specific forms of worship, each of which receives a chapter-length exploration:
Prayer: Communing with God and Feeling His Spirit
Ordinances and Other Rituals: Sacred Acts and Words That Unite Us with God
Holy Places: Points of Contact between Heaven and Earth
Sacred Time: Remembering, Recreating, and Anticipating Meetings with God
Reading, Preaching, and Teaching God's Word: Discovering God While Feasting upon His Word
Worshipping God through Music: The Song of the Righteous Is a Prayer unto the Lord
Each chapter follows the same essential format: title, subtitle, and scriptural epigraph orient the reader to the topic under consideration; the opening paragraphs explain how this particular form of worship connects people with God and fits with the LDS normative practices. Huntsman then provides a more general overview concerning how this practice developed historically, often within a variety of faith communities, all while providing examples from both within and without the LDS faith. One feature found in every chapter is a variety of personal vignettes, recollections, and meditations. Huntsman draws upon his own personal experiences and memories, such as a story involving one of his children or an experience gained during his travels. These personal reflections occur as distinct breaks—they are set in a different font, and are visually distinct from the more historical and scriptural consideration of the topic. They are also a clever and effective way for Huntsman to provide a means of connecting rather abstract concepts of religious practice with concrete, personal experiences. They break of the pacing of the book, giving readers a chance to pause and enjoy a personal story (and who doesn't like a good personal story!) before diving back into the more conceptual discussion of the topic at hand.
Overall, Huntsman has created a thoughtful and approachable orientation that connects LDS worship practices to a larger historical and cultural religious heritage of religious worship. Huntsman writes well, and the volume is both readable and approachable. Although the work is decidedly popular in its tone and orientation, Huntsman's profession as professor is evident in the accompanying apparatus (endnotes, bibliography, and index). There were a few questions I had regarding minor inconsistencies in formatting, mainly in the notes (e.g., p. 145, n. 13) and the bibliography seemed a bit loose at times (e.g., p. 162, where entries have inconsistent capitalization and issues with subtitles; also, the non-standard entry for Bushman's *Rough Stone Rolling* surprised me), but these are all truly minor quibbles, especially in a non-academic text, and do not detract from the success of the volume's primary aim and focus. It is clear throughout the text that Huntsman sees his work here as devotional in the broad sense: meant to inspire, yes, but also meant to empower. By providing cultural and historical connections to a variety of other religious practices, Huntsman frames the experience of Mormon worship as part of a received heritage and community that exceeds denominational identification. These connections also then serve as a space within which to act: "[e]ach act of worship has the potential to soften, comfort, and change our hearts and then empower us to do something here and now" (136). I find Huntsman's gentle insistence upon action heartening; I find his expanded contextualization of the ecumenical space for such action useful. As a non-specialist in religious history, I enjoyed the learning. And as individual, I enjoyed the implication that worship as practice was something that I could improve. Recommended.
======
Title: Worship: Adding Depth to Your Devotion
Author: Eric D. Huntsman
Publisher: Deseret Book
Genre: Devotional
Year Published: 2016
Number of Pages: 180 + xii
Binding: Hardcover
ISBN13: 978-1-62972-098-2
Price: $19.99
Reviewed by Jenny Webb for the Association for Mormon Letters
======
Eric Huntsman's latest book, *Worship: Adding Depth to Your Devotion*, provides a thoughtful, devotional look at the various worship practices common within the LDS faith. Huntsman is clear from the outset that this volume is designed to promote a reflection upon the forms and value of LDS worship while simultaneously contextualizing those forms within a broader religious context (most often through connections found with Judaism, Islam, and other Christian denominations). This comparative perspective allows Huntsman to make the argument that "worship is natural, that all men and women are drawn to seek an encounter with God that can change and improve their lives. The details of their practices may differ from our own, but ... [suggest] that we can and should be inspired by their devotion" (132). Understanding LDS worship within the narrative of global religious traditions and practices is, I think, a useful way to contextualize individual Mormons' religious experiences and connect Mormonism with a vibrant global religious community. While this connection is not the book's primary focus, it demonstrates a more sophisticated understanding of Mormonism's faith practices than that traditionally found in devotional books from this publisher, and is to be commended.
The primary focus here, though, is to help Latter-day Saints identify, understand, and consciously reflect upon their worship practices. Huntsman sees worship as an integral component to the process of becoming more like God, something necessary to our returning to live with him (see pp. 2–3). He defines worship as "an actual encounter with God, whose most important purpose is to change *us*" (3). This encounter has a distinctly active component: "worship inspires us and enables us to serve him afterwards" (5). Huntsman is reverently optimistic regarding our capacity to improve our worship, and the tone throughout is one of gentle encouragement. "In most cases, improving and deepening our worship is more about doing better what we already do well. We may simply need to be more deliberate about how we worship, trying harder to keep God as its focus. [...] True worship requires intentionality.... Transformative worship requires mindfulness" (133). The end result of a more thoughtful and focused worship, according to Huntsman, is "action" (134). "[W]orship is an encounter with God that transforms us as worshippers, sanctifying us and empowering us to better serve him and his children" (11–12). This emphasis on improving worship in order to more effectively serve others appears as a variation on a familiar Mormon theme: when you are in the service of your fellow men, you are only in the service of your God (Mosiah 2:17). Here, Huntsman advocates the service of God through worship so that we might ultimately be propelled outwards to an active serving of those around us.
The book is structured around the exploration of six specific forms of worship, each of which receives a chapter-length exploration:
Prayer: Communing with God and Feeling His Spirit
Ordinances and Other Rituals: Sacred Acts and Words That Unite Us with God
Holy Places: Points of Contact between Heaven and Earth
Sacred Time: Remembering, Recreating, and Anticipating Meetings with God
Reading, Preaching, and Teaching God's Word: Discovering God While Feasting upon His Word
Worshipping God through Music: The Song of the Righteous Is a Prayer unto the Lord
Each chapter follows the same essential format: title, subtitle, and scriptural epigraph orient the reader to the topic under consideration; the opening paragraphs explain how this particular form of worship connects people with God and fits with the LDS normative practices. Huntsman then provides a more general overview concerning how this practice developed historically, often within a variety of faith communities, all while providing examples from both within and without the LDS faith. One feature found in every chapter is a variety of personal vignettes, recollections, and meditations. Huntsman draws upon his own personal experiences and memories, such as a story involving one of his children or an experience gained during his travels. These personal reflections occur as distinct breaks—they are set in a different font, and are visually distinct from the more historical and scriptural consideration of the topic. They are also a clever and effective way for Huntsman to provide a means of connecting rather abstract concepts of religious practice with concrete, personal experiences. They break of the pacing of the book, giving readers a chance to pause and enjoy a personal story (and who doesn't like a good personal story!) before diving back into the more conceptual discussion of the topic at hand.
Overall, Huntsman has created a thoughtful and approachable orientation that connects LDS worship practices to a larger historical and cultural religious heritage of religious worship. Huntsman writes well, and the volume is both readable and approachable. Although the work is decidedly popular in its tone and orientation, Huntsman's profession as professor is evident in the accompanying apparatus (endnotes, bibliography, and index). There were a few questions I had regarding minor inconsistencies in formatting, mainly in the notes (e.g., p. 145, n. 13) and the bibliography seemed a bit loose at times (e.g., p. 162, where entries have inconsistent capitalization and issues with subtitles; also, the non-standard entry for Bushman's *Rough Stone Rolling* surprised me), but these are all truly minor quibbles, especially in a non-academic text, and do not detract from the success of the volume's primary aim and focus. It is clear throughout the text that Huntsman sees his work here as devotional in the broad sense: meant to inspire, yes, but also meant to empower. By providing cultural and historical connections to a variety of other religious practices, Huntsman frames the experience of Mormon worship as part of a received heritage and community that exceeds denominational identification. These connections also then serve as a space within which to act: "[e]ach act of worship has the potential to soften, comfort, and change our hearts and then empower us to do something here and now" (136). I find Huntsman's gentle insistence upon action heartening; I find his expanded contextualization of the ecumenical space for such action useful. As a non-specialist in religious history, I enjoyed the learning. And as individual, I enjoyed the implication that worship as practice was something that I could improve. Recommended.
February 18, 2018
Parts I liked or things I learned:
*For worship to be powerful and transformative you must be sincere and focused.
*Worship is equated both with how we feel about God and what we do for Him.
*To show submission, adoration and loyalty to God through how we speak and through the words that we use represents worshipping Him with all our mind. The language we use influences how we think and feel. Worshipping God with our mind is more than just the words we use. It also includes the gestures associated with certain ordinances and how we act. How we act because we have worshipped God is an important part of showing our love for Him. It's not just about what we do while we're worshipping Him but about what we do after the worship is over.
*The words for "fear of the Lord" in Greek and Hebrew refer to a deep love, respect, admiration and reverence. They mean to be in awe.
*We should prepare for worship by inviting the spirit, singing the hymns, arriving early, turning our thoughts to Christ. His Sunday School teacher, over 40 years ago, told him that each week during the sacrament she would try to picture each of the things that the Savior did for her as he went to the Garden of Gethsemane, suffered on the cross and was resurrected. She would envision each of these acts of love and mercy and grace so that she would feel a deeper love and gratitude for the Savior.
*Jewish word: kavanah. Kavanah is the mindset needed for true worship. It turns reading or prayer into true worship. For that tohappen, we must experience that what we are doing brings us into the presence of the Lord. we must feel as if we are standing before him as we read scripture or pray.
*Intentionality: Praying benefits us little if the prayers don't ascend beyond our bedroom walls. Singing hymns does little if we're just saying words and not using the words and music to praise God and testify of truth. Our actions need to intentionally remind us of our relationship with our Beloved Father in Heaven.
*Back in 1885, the Lutheran Bishop of Stockholm, Krister Stendahl proposed 3 rules of religious understanding: 1. Individuals should ask adherents rather than opponents about a religion and its beliefs. 2. Refrain from comparing your best with their worst. 3. Leave room for holy envy...by which he meant that we should be willing to see beauty in another tradition that we would like to see in our own religious tradition. (I really love this!!!)
*Temples both recreate Eden and help us prepare for the Celestial Kingdom. Hugh Nibley said, " a temple is the place where order and the pattern of Heaven are brought to Earth." Temples are places where we seek to feel God's presence and power with our hearts, learn about His ways with our minds, and go forth with power to serve with our strength."
*Worship makes a place holy.
*Paul wrote to the Corinthian Saints, "Know ye not that yea re the temple of god and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy....For the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." In Paul's writings, he speaks of the Corinthian Saints in plural as collectively being the temple of god singular. His concern is how individuals can deprive the group of God's spirit. This reading of Paul's teachings has implications for creating and maintaining sacred space for worship. Whenever we meet together to worship, regardless of where we might actually be meeting physically, we should do so after we have made an effort to set aside sin and to seek the Lord in peace and love.
*This is kind of random but it struck me a lot because I was reading this the week that a dear friend of mine died. He described a funeral (his dad's, I think) where between talks and musical numbers, verses of scripture were read. I love the idea of having specific verses of scripture that I love be incorporated into my funeral. (I plan to write out what I'd really like at my funeral...but who knows if my wishes will actually be followed...funerals, after all, are planned and are done for the living.)
*If one of the purposes of worship is to encounter God, then serving others is an important part of accomplishing that.
*Worshipping, especially worshipping by serving others, purifies us.
*Each act of worship has the potential to soften, comfort, and change our hearts. And then empower us to do something here and now.
*For worship to be powerful and transformative you must be sincere and focused.
*Worship is equated both with how we feel about God and what we do for Him.
*To show submission, adoration and loyalty to God through how we speak and through the words that we use represents worshipping Him with all our mind. The language we use influences how we think and feel. Worshipping God with our mind is more than just the words we use. It also includes the gestures associated with certain ordinances and how we act. How we act because we have worshipped God is an important part of showing our love for Him. It's not just about what we do while we're worshipping Him but about what we do after the worship is over.
*The words for "fear of the Lord" in Greek and Hebrew refer to a deep love, respect, admiration and reverence. They mean to be in awe.
*We should prepare for worship by inviting the spirit, singing the hymns, arriving early, turning our thoughts to Christ. His Sunday School teacher, over 40 years ago, told him that each week during the sacrament she would try to picture each of the things that the Savior did for her as he went to the Garden of Gethsemane, suffered on the cross and was resurrected. She would envision each of these acts of love and mercy and grace so that she would feel a deeper love and gratitude for the Savior.
*Jewish word: kavanah. Kavanah is the mindset needed for true worship. It turns reading or prayer into true worship. For that tohappen, we must experience that what we are doing brings us into the presence of the Lord. we must feel as if we are standing before him as we read scripture or pray.
*Intentionality: Praying benefits us little if the prayers don't ascend beyond our bedroom walls. Singing hymns does little if we're just saying words and not using the words and music to praise God and testify of truth. Our actions need to intentionally remind us of our relationship with our Beloved Father in Heaven.
*Back in 1885, the Lutheran Bishop of Stockholm, Krister Stendahl proposed 3 rules of religious understanding: 1. Individuals should ask adherents rather than opponents about a religion and its beliefs. 2. Refrain from comparing your best with their worst. 3. Leave room for holy envy...by which he meant that we should be willing to see beauty in another tradition that we would like to see in our own religious tradition. (I really love this!!!)
*Temples both recreate Eden and help us prepare for the Celestial Kingdom. Hugh Nibley said, " a temple is the place where order and the pattern of Heaven are brought to Earth." Temples are places where we seek to feel God's presence and power with our hearts, learn about His ways with our minds, and go forth with power to serve with our strength."
*Worship makes a place holy.
*Paul wrote to the Corinthian Saints, "Know ye not that yea re the temple of god and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy....For the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." In Paul's writings, he speaks of the Corinthian Saints in plural as collectively being the temple of god singular. His concern is how individuals can deprive the group of God's spirit. This reading of Paul's teachings has implications for creating and maintaining sacred space for worship. Whenever we meet together to worship, regardless of where we might actually be meeting physically, we should do so after we have made an effort to set aside sin and to seek the Lord in peace and love.
*This is kind of random but it struck me a lot because I was reading this the week that a dear friend of mine died. He described a funeral (his dad's, I think) where between talks and musical numbers, verses of scripture were read. I love the idea of having specific verses of scripture that I love be incorporated into my funeral. (I plan to write out what I'd really like at my funeral...but who knows if my wishes will actually be followed...funerals, after all, are planned and are done for the living.)
*If one of the purposes of worship is to encounter God, then serving others is an important part of accomplishing that.
*Worshipping, especially worshipping by serving others, purifies us.
*Each act of worship has the potential to soften, comfort, and change our hearts. And then empower us to do something here and now.
March 15, 2019
I learned a lot, both intellectually and spiritually, about how to take the good things I'm doing to worship God and make them better. I really love the concept of "holy envy," looking at the faith traditions of others to discover how my own traditions can be enriched.
I listened to a BCD during my commutes, read by the author.
I listened to a BCD during my commutes, read by the author.
December 11, 2017
3,5 stars.
It was a good book to help the general LDS reader to add more depth to worshipping God.
Main focus is on music, the word of God and prayer. Attention is also given to making time to be holy and holy places.
What I like about this book is that the author has been to Israel where he compares a lot of these religious practices with the Jews and Muslims, and sometimes even other Christian faiths.
What I do not like, which took the 0,5 star off was that the author seemed to like these faiths better sometimes.
It was a good book to help the general LDS reader to add more depth to worshipping God.
Main focus is on music, the word of God and prayer. Attention is also given to making time to be holy and holy places.
What I like about this book is that the author has been to Israel where he compares a lot of these religious practices with the Jews and Muslims, and sometimes even other Christian faiths.
What I do not like, which took the 0,5 star off was that the author seemed to like these faiths better sometimes.
May 18, 2018
All you need know: mindfulness. Basically just saying do what you already do but with mindfulness and intentionality. So, if you have ADD you have no hope. It was just a struggle getting through this book. It was very repetitive and it says be mindful, have intention. But I think most people who would read this, realize that’s what they need but want some insight on how to achieve that. IDK, I just didn’t find it helpful.
November 20, 2018
This book gave me a renewed desire to be more intentional about my worship. It helped me remember and more deeply understand the importance of religious rituals. I really appreciated the descriptions of various faiths’ modes of worship and the ideas about what we can learn from those different worship traditions.
October 29, 2022
This was a fine book. I really like Eric Huntsman when I’ve heard him speak or as a guest on podcasts. The reason I didn’t give it more stars is because I didn’t find much that was new. I think I have read too many similar books. But it is good and gives short histories and tips for different ways of worshipping.
August 1, 2017
Quite an insightful book on improving your personal worship. With perspectives from Judiasm, Islam, and historical Christian movements; the author helps the Latter Day Saint with helpful ideas and perspectives in coming closer to God.
January 26, 2018
I love this beautiful book which stretched my heart and understanding. This is a book I want to purchase and study in greater depth. I was grateful for the perspective of a more accurate understanding of ancient text and words and how this understanding can connect me with things that are holy.
June 26, 2017
I found this book to be very inspiring and educational! Would highly recommend it!
August 24, 2017
I can sum up this book in two words. Be present. Good advice for life in general, not just Worship.
December 6, 2017
Good book. detail oriented, not touchy feely
December 29, 2017
This was the tiniest step of scholarliness above pure devotional, but it was still ok.
September 17, 2018
Definitely gave me food for thought and gave me points to ponder.
December 6, 2018
More of an essay than a book for me.
January 16, 2019
It was alright. I expected it to be more academic and less of a fireside talk, but that disappointment came from my own expectations about the book.
March 12, 2019
Love love love this book
April 9, 2019
That was really wonderful because he brought what other religions do to deepen their faith. Very good and mind opening!
June 3, 2019
I just couldn't get into this one.
July 8, 2022
The book was good, but nothing really new or revealing. I gave to DI.
September 21, 2022
3.5 stars. I heard the author on a podcast and was anxious to read this book. Parts of it I really enjoyed and other parts were good but not great.
August 30, 2022
I listened to Eric Huntsman on the Follow Him podcast with John Bytheway and Hank Smith, and sought out this book afterward. It gives good insights on how we can worship God each and every day. It shows respect and appreciation for people of other faiths and it exhibits a bit of “holy envy” for some traditions from other faiths. I feel a greater desire to worship God in meaningful ways.
February 10, 2017
Wonderful book. Thoughtful and insightful. I'm particularly impressed with how he draws respectfully from other faith traditions to provide ideas for improving our own worship. One of the best books on this topic that I've ever read. I highly recommend it.
October 29, 2016
A great book with lots of insight into how to make our worship more meaningful and thoughtful. I especially like the role that music plays in cultivating spiritual environments.
March 9, 2020
Very meaningful book. It helps me want to be a better person and be better in my prayers and other parts of my worship. Thank you a Eric!
April 12, 2017
Really insightful. Mormons definitely don't have a monopoly on worship as is very evident in this book. The author pulls from numerous other religions to learn from what they do. It really got me thinking about my own worship. Do I really worship when I gather with other Saints, pray, study scripture or attend sacrament? True worship will not leave a person the same, but over time will shape us to be like the Savior himself. I really appreciated this book and feel like it has chapped me. I really felt the Spirit strongly as I read and pondered it.
April 12, 2017
loved how huntsman brought in the worship activities from other faith traditions to add depths and meaning to our 9wn spiritual experiences. I've often thought we lack depth in our everyday, and even weekly and holiday traditions when compared to others, but we can find depth and meaning and truth in many places. sonthoight.provoking. I wish I had this in hard copy so I could reference and take notes, but alas, audio books give me access I would otherwise not enjoy, so I am grateful.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews