We are living in a time when worship has become a distinct priority for the Christian community. For years, the church has emphasized evangelism, teaching, fellowship, missions, and service while neglecting the very source of its power--worship.
"Enter His Courts with Praise, " a course for small-group or individual study, consists of thirteen easy-to-understand sessions. Part One, "Music in Worship, " explores the purpose of music in worship, the way in which musical praise can express our relationship to God, the varieties of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and the role of instruments. Two sessions study contemporary praise music and a worship style that blends this newer music with more traditional forms. Part Two, "The Arts in Worship, " studies the physical and ceremonial settings of worship and the use in worship of drama and dance. A final session encourages reflection on the future of Christian worship.
Robert E. Webber (1933 - 2007)
was an American theologian known for his work on worship and the early church. He played a key role in the Convergence Movement, a move among evangelical and charismatic churches in the United States to blend charismatic worship with liturgies from the Book of Common Prayer and other liturgical sources. Webber began teaching theology at Wheaton College in 1968. Existentialism was the primary focus of Webber's research and lectures during his first years at Wheaton. However, he soon shifted his focus to the early church. In 1978 he wrote Common Roots, a book that examined the impact of 2nd-century Christianity on the modern church.In 1985 Webber wrote Evangelicals on the Canterbury Trail: Why Evangelicals Are Attracted to the Liturgical Church, in which he described the reasons behind his own gradual shift away from his fundamentalist/evangelical background toward the Anglican tradition. Webber faced an enormous amount of criticism from evangelicals in response to this book. Nevertheless, his work was highly influential, and his ideas grew in popularity in evangelical circles. During the latter half of his life, Webber took a special interest in Christian worship practices. He wrote more than 40 books on the topic of worship, focusing on how the worship practices of the ancient church have value for the church in the 21st century postmodern era. Among his books are Ancient-Future Worship, Ancient-Future Faith, Ancient-Future Time, Ancient-Future Evangelism, The Younger Evangelicals, and The Divine Embrace.
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