Christian Worship

The book is easy to read and understand. It presents clear explanations for basic tenets of the Christian faith that should help anyone who is confused about Holy Communion and Baptism.

Byars, writing for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), brings to light the importance of the Word and sacrament in worship. He suggests that the shape of Christian worship - the combination of Word and sacrament - "blends and balances the exercise of the mind with the nourishment of the soul" (2000:32). Prior to the Protestant Reformation the church had lost the idea of the Word in worship. Worshipers became so awed at the giving of the Sacrament that the service of the Word seemed forgotten. The Protestant Reformers sought to bring back the service of the Word while not neglecting the Sacrament of Holy Communion.The author carefully addresses the Sacraments and gives explanation and clarification for baptism and communion. The author's greatest fear is that the church has moved more to the service of the Word and thus a negation of the Sacraments.Byars concludes by saying, "worship that is identifiably Christian must be scriptural, oriented towards hope, serious about praying for and serving the world outside our doors, and confident that God is in charge. And it will always root itself in the two gifts that have distinguished it from the very beginning - Word and Sacrament" (2000:112).

Byars makes a brilliant case that "Fully Christian Worship must bring the Sacrament alongside the Word" (2000:100). Christian Worship is one volume of the Foundations of Christian Faith series published by the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. Its appeal is, however, not limited to Presbyterians. This relatively short book is helpful to Christians of all denominations. Byars begins by asking, "What's the point?" Why do people worship? He next explores the shape of Christian worship. He describes the distinction between tradition and traditionalism. Byars embraces Christian worship traditions rooted as far back as the Jewish synagogue. He suggests that Christians should utilize the traditions of word and sacrament, use their minds, but also respect the mysteries of faith. These traditions must, of course, be adapted to contemporary circumstances. In a brief historical review, Byars demonstrates how Roman Catholicism, strong on sacraments, gradually drifted away from the ministry of the word. He also shows that Protestantism, while strong on the ministry of the word, drifted away from sacraments. He argues, both Catholics and Protestants are moving toward restoring both word and sacrament in their worship. Byars is not stuck on a rigid of definition of sacrament. He appreciates the Orthodox use of the word "mystery". He writes: "Something is sacramental when it becomes a means by which Jesus Christ, in his life, death and resurrection, becomes manifest to his people" (2000:92). He helpfully discusses Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Byars closes by considering where the church is heading. He asks critical questions about seeker worship. Christian Worship is a timely, readable book that seeks to restore the importance of both word and sacrament to worship. I recommend it.

Christian Worship, Glorifying and Enjoying God, by Ronald P. Byars is packed with information about the development of Christian worship from its Mediterranean inception to a world-impacting religion of the twenty-first century. Byars conveyed the Christian commitment to Word and Sacrament noting times of persecution, decadence, and cynicism and times of renewal, reformation, and re-commitment. Byars concluded with this definition: 'Worship that is identifiably Christian must be scriptural, oriented towards hope, serious about praying for and serving the world outside our (Christian) doors, and confident that God is in charge' (112). The catholicity expressed in this definition made for a sense of 'time well-spent' with this book. Byars' literary style is a study in itself. It is vigorous, economic, astute, considerate, ecumenical, and politically correct. One finishes reading the book with a sense of joy at having been invited to share in a conversation with a Christian friend who has read widely, reflected deeply, and written about a complex subject in a deceptively simple way. Highlights sprinkled throughout the text provoke the reader to think with the author even as he inevitably draws one toward deeper reflective understandings. In Chapter 1, 'What's the Point?' Byars wrote: 'In worship, we gather in the presence of One who was before us; who will be after we are gone; and who, despite our smallness and the brevity of our lives, invites us to some kind of relationship' (5). Another way of expressing this same thought is that our 'infinite little' is drawn toward His 'Infinite Much'. Byars continued with this comforting thought: 'The whole thrust of Jesus' presence and activity among us was to say that God hasn't finished with the world yet' (12). Byars' rhetorical question: 'Can we measure God's work among us with some kind of electronic measuring device?' (16), is immediately answered: 'Of course not' (16). The point is that Christian worship is rooted in Christ because he chose us and is not finished with us yet. Byars traced the form of Christian worship from its Jewish roots in the synagogue and with the meal that accompanied them: 'Christian worship developed its unique shape, centered around scripture . . . and the meal . . . always both [reflecting] the conviction that the assembly met in honor of the risen Lord' (23-24). Jesus reflected this practice in what Christian's call, The Last Supper. Byars wrote: 'The purpose of worship is to participate, as God may make it possible, in God's own life' (27). The shape of Christian worship is to combine Word and Sacrament. It is the combination that helps provide congregational worship with spiritual meaning. It is not theater! It is not a smorgasbord! It is holy time in the presence of the living God. Byars wrote in Chapter 3: 'The preacher's task was not to moralize ' to find some tidbit of commonsense wisdom ' but, having studied and wrestled with its meaning, to pass on to the congregati