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Scripture-Guided Worship: A Call to Pastors & Worship Leaders
Joseph R. Crider, experienced worship leader and dean of the School of Church Music and Worship at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, provides a guide for church worship leaders to cultivate worship services driven by God’s Word. Scripture-Guided Worship teaches readers how to plan and prepare worship services that are grounded in and based upon the Bible. Teaching from the Old Testament story of Uzzah and the Ark of God, Crider underscores the importance of congregational worship service in light of the transcendence and immanence of God.
- GenresNonfictionReligion
193 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 11, 2024
As a Sydney Anglican (yup. I said it.) Crider’s book addresses a church worship infrastructure - horrible word to place next to the word “worship” - quite different to my own church culture. His is a world of large churches with specialised worship pastors, professional musicians and amped up tech. That is the culture he is taking on - but not as a conservative barbarian, riding in from the hills to burn the village, but as one calling his own familiar practises to account.
Crider admits early on that this book is the product of his own journey out of the pragmatic, professionalised, emotion-driven consumerism of the industrialised church. He’s a musician who has come to see the shortcomings of his own methodology and sought to scale the hill and plant his flag in a biblical approach to worship.
But that doesn’t make this book a slam at PA systems, accomplished musicianship or large gatherings. Crider hangs the book around the events in 2 Samuel 6. It’s the account of the death of Uzzah, who - well meaning as he may have been - was smitten when he touched the cart carrying the ark of the covenant. The ark was being moved by King David, in the midst of a huge and exuberant worship fest which was, despite its sincerity, at odds with God’s clear commands. Crider’s thesis is that as the worship of Almighty God, our gatherings should be centred on and driven by the word of Almighty God. Otherwise, with the best of intentions, we may be working hard to achieve things for God that he doesn’t require in ways he doesn’t approve. (It’s a solid truth, perhaps slightly overworked and overstated from the passage.)
Although part one sets up the thesis, it also critiques practices I don’t really encounter in our more straighforward, less-produced gatherings. There are valid observations, but it’s about setting the scope of works. If I shared it with our music and gathering leaders I think I’d need to explain that although the specific structures Crider addresses aren’t ours, it’s worth sticking with him.
Part 2 explains seven aspects of worship to hold in balance - for example, God’s imminence and God’s transcendence. It’s a series of helpful tensions and a great introduction to thinking more critically and biblically about where the biblical path lies for Christians as we gather and how we might be best led to truly worship God on his terms.
Crider says it often, but I think for good reason: our worship will be groundless if it is based on personality, popularity, emotionality or production value. Scripture must be our driver, because Scripture will propel us to see the nature and character of God, to encounter his Son, to treasure the gospel, to share the words of worship contained therein.
The last part of the book is a deliberate outline of practical examples and implications of scripture driven worship. The suggestions are not utterly prescriptive but they are helpfully specific. A leader could lift them as they are, but I expect as the principles sink in they would find their own way to bring the Bible into the centre of the gathering of God’s people.
There are a helpful bunch of verses arranged for leaders to use as the theme for a whole gathering or for specific sections. To articulate the upshot of this book, Crider’s ultimate intent is that the words of Scripture will, by deliberate, purposeful design, appear in our gatherings in what is said and prayed and sung. Seems simple. But it is so easily overlooked.
An Anglican ought to get to the end of this books and say, “I think Lattimer did this for us in the 17th century with his Prayer Book. Old news, Joe.” However, I’ve found myself, as a conservative evangelical, watching our gatherings drift away from liturgy and established, traditional forms into what you might call contemporary worship.
In fact, if I was to be a little cruel, I’d say a lot of what the conservatives do now is like 80’s Pentecostal worship without the Pentecostalism. Informal, extemporaneous, chasing “relevance”, jettisoning the deliberate touch points that created the gospel arc that was built into the traditional worship forms we mothballed. Crider’s book doesn’t specifically call us back to liturgy or traditional forms but he does call us back to the bible. (You never know, you might just pull out a creed or confession and marvel at the life still left in its old bones.)
One final comment - despite the clear logic and tone of the book, there was something in the delivery that made it a little hard going at time. Writing is a fickle beast. If the writing was an Uber, I’d say Crider got us home in one piece but it was no limo ride. (His longer quotes from Bryan Chappell reveal a contrast in the command of wordsmanship.) It’s not a huge criticism, but it’s worth a mention.
Ultimately, Crider has created a useful handbook to shape the mind, heart and practice of anyone who plays a part in the gathering of God’s people for worship. Even Sydney Anglicans.
Crider admits early on that this book is the product of his own journey out of the pragmatic, professionalised, emotion-driven consumerism of the industrialised church. He’s a musician who has come to see the shortcomings of his own methodology and sought to scale the hill and plant his flag in a biblical approach to worship.
But that doesn’t make this book a slam at PA systems, accomplished musicianship or large gatherings. Crider hangs the book around the events in 2 Samuel 6. It’s the account of the death of Uzzah, who - well meaning as he may have been - was smitten when he touched the cart carrying the ark of the covenant. The ark was being moved by King David, in the midst of a huge and exuberant worship fest which was, despite its sincerity, at odds with God’s clear commands. Crider’s thesis is that as the worship of Almighty God, our gatherings should be centred on and driven by the word of Almighty God. Otherwise, with the best of intentions, we may be working hard to achieve things for God that he doesn’t require in ways he doesn’t approve. (It’s a solid truth, perhaps slightly overworked and overstated from the passage.)
Although part one sets up the thesis, it also critiques practices I don’t really encounter in our more straighforward, less-produced gatherings. There are valid observations, but it’s about setting the scope of works. If I shared it with our music and gathering leaders I think I’d need to explain that although the specific structures Crider addresses aren’t ours, it’s worth sticking with him.
Part 2 explains seven aspects of worship to hold in balance - for example, God’s imminence and God’s transcendence. It’s a series of helpful tensions and a great introduction to thinking more critically and biblically about where the biblical path lies for Christians as we gather and how we might be best led to truly worship God on his terms.
Crider says it often, but I think for good reason: our worship will be groundless if it is based on personality, popularity, emotionality or production value. Scripture must be our driver, because Scripture will propel us to see the nature and character of God, to encounter his Son, to treasure the gospel, to share the words of worship contained therein.
The last part of the book is a deliberate outline of practical examples and implications of scripture driven worship. The suggestions are not utterly prescriptive but they are helpfully specific. A leader could lift them as they are, but I expect as the principles sink in they would find their own way to bring the Bible into the centre of the gathering of God’s people.
There are a helpful bunch of verses arranged for leaders to use as the theme for a whole gathering or for specific sections. To articulate the upshot of this book, Crider’s ultimate intent is that the words of Scripture will, by deliberate, purposeful design, appear in our gatherings in what is said and prayed and sung. Seems simple. But it is so easily overlooked.
An Anglican ought to get to the end of this books and say, “I think Lattimer did this for us in the 17th century with his Prayer Book. Old news, Joe.” However, I’ve found myself, as a conservative evangelical, watching our gatherings drift away from liturgy and established, traditional forms into what you might call contemporary worship.
In fact, if I was to be a little cruel, I’d say a lot of what the conservatives do now is like 80’s Pentecostal worship without the Pentecostalism. Informal, extemporaneous, chasing “relevance”, jettisoning the deliberate touch points that created the gospel arc that was built into the traditional worship forms we mothballed. Crider’s book doesn’t specifically call us back to liturgy or traditional forms but he does call us back to the bible. (You never know, you might just pull out a creed or confession and marvel at the life still left in its old bones.)
One final comment - despite the clear logic and tone of the book, there was something in the delivery that made it a little hard going at time. Writing is a fickle beast. If the writing was an Uber, I’d say Crider got us home in one piece but it was no limo ride. (His longer quotes from Bryan Chappell reveal a contrast in the command of wordsmanship.) It’s not a huge criticism, but it’s worth a mention.
Ultimately, Crider has created a useful handbook to shape the mind, heart and practice of anyone who plays a part in the gathering of God’s people for worship. Even Sydney Anglicans.
June 2, 2023
I’ve read so many books on church worship and many of them end up saying the same things. Dr. Crider offers a fresh perspective for worship planning that should’ve been the focus all along. Planning worship according to scripture sounds rudimentary, but it hasn’t been the trend. Dr. Crider does an excellent job of explaining not only it’s superiority, but it’s practicality and do-ability.
May 17, 2023
Wonderful! This book has much needed guidance and encouragement for the body of Christ.
He brings us back to the example of David and Uzzah from 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 13 and fills the pages with scripture teaching regarding worship and the lives of believer’s and leaders.
I highly recommend this book. It is a must read especially for those involved in church leadership and worship ministry.
“Those who teach and lead are those who protect the flock with sound doctrine and biblical clarity. Let’s not settle for pragmatism in our gatherings; too much is at stake — people’s view of God.” (p.190)
He brings us back to the example of David and Uzzah from 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 13 and fills the pages with scripture teaching regarding worship and the lives of believer’s and leaders.
I highly recommend this book. It is a must read especially for those involved in church leadership and worship ministry.
“Those who teach and lead are those who protect the flock with sound doctrine and biblical clarity. Let’s not settle for pragmatism in our gatherings; too much is at stake — people’s view of God.” (p.190)
July 1, 2024
I was fortunate enough to meet Joseph Crider and I received this book from him in person at Texas Baptist College Worship Camp (2024). Great book! It really helped me understand why we worship, who we worship, and how we should worship.
January 12, 2025
Incredible. As a worship pastor, this book helped me think rightly about worship and how to help lead the congregation in how we respond appropriately to God’s Word.
July 9, 2025
I agree with his overall points, but a lot of the arguments seemed half-baked. I think he reads into the Uzzah story much more than is there.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews