A Book Review of “Worship Matters” by Bob Kauflin
About the Author
Bob Kauflin is a worship leader who serves as the Director of Sovereign Grace Music. He received a Piano Performance degree from Temple University in 1976. Bob has served in a variety of roles including church planter, pastor and worship leader. Kauflin is the author of two books called Worship Matters and True Worshipers. He currently serves as one of the pastors at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville.
Summary
The title of the book provides a summary of what this book is all about: worship matters. Kauflin writes that worship “matters to God because He is the one ultimately worthy of all worship. It matters to us because worshipping God is the reason for which we were created. And it matters to every worship leader, because we have no greater privilege than leading others to encounter the greatness of God. That’s why it’s so important to think carefully about what we do and why we do it” (19).
Kauflin structures his book into four principal parts: the leader, the task, healthy tensions and right relationships. He believes that the worship leaders must give thought and attention to these areas on order to lead people to glorify God with all of their heart, soul and mind.
In the first section of Worship Matters, Kauflin addresses the worship leader holistically as as a worshiper themsleves. He thinks that before the worship leader can dive into technical aspects of leading worship, they must open themselves up to evaluate their heart, mind, hands and life.
In the second section, Kauflin provides a defintion for the task of a worship leader. He writes that, “a faithful worship leader magnifies the greatness of God in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit by skillfully combining God’s word with music, thereby motivating the gathered church to proclaim the gospel, to cherish God’s presence, and to live for God’s glory” (55). He uses each part of this definition to develop a rubric for worship that helps leaders serve their congregations each week.
The third section of his book deals with the healthy tensions that worship leaders wrestle with on a regular basis. Whether it's the tension between the “transcendent” and “immanent” worship or the dichotomy between “planned” and “spontaneous” elements during the service, worship leaders must identify how to achieve the right balance for their congregation.
In the final section, Kauflin writes about how the worship leader must cultivate healthy relationships within the church. Kauflin writes, “the church does need leaders who love to lead people in worship, but don’t love the people they are serving” (216).
Quotes
“How do I know what I love the most? By looking at my life outside of Sunday morning. What do I enjoy the most? What do I spend most of my time doing? Where does my mind drift when I don’t have anything to do? What am I passionate about? What do I spend my money on? What makes me angry when I don’t get it? What do I feel depressed about? What do I fear losing the most? Our answers to those questions will lead us straight to the God or gods we love and worship” (26).
“The better (i.e. the more accurately) we know God through His Word, the more genuine our worship will be. In fact, the moment we veer from what is true about God, we’re engaging in idolatry. Regardless of what we think and feel, there is no authentic worship of God without a right knowledge of God” (28).
“How would your wife and children evaluate your example of love? Your pastor? Your church? Non-Christians? When we fail to set an example in love, our ability to lead others in worship is seriously compromised” (46).
“The gospel is not merely one of many possible themes we can touch on as we come to worship God. It is the central and foundational theme. All our worship originates and is brought into focus at the cross of Jesus Christ” (72).
“If I trust the Spirit’s activity, I don’t have to be defensive, angry, or frustrated when people seem disinterested. Rather than focusing on their apparent lack of response, I can draw attention to what God is already doing” (126).
“One reason we so often fail to be humbled by worship is that we focus on other things and end up obscuring God’s glory. It would be like visiting the Grand Canyon and foolishly being enthralled by parking signs, souvenir shops and the railings. We enjoy a picnic lunch, toss a football around, and leave — happy but unaffected by the glory of God’s creation” (144).
“When we grasp the majesty of God, the mercy of the Savior, and the meaning of our salvation, we’ll be more inclined to respond with physical acts of worship” (170).
“If planning is classical music, spontaneity is jazz. Both are important for serving the church faithfully with our gifts” (184).
“Sunday may be the high point of our week, but it’s not the only point” (210).
“Pray for the church when you’re planning songs. Pray for them during rehearsals. Pray for them as you are getting ready to lead. And pray for them also in your regular times with the Lord” (219).
“Expressing gratefulness can have a dramatic effect on a team that’s not used to it” (233).
Strengths
Rooted in Scripture- One of the greatest compliments I can give an author is to say that they consistently rooted their content in Scripture. Kauflin is very careful to make sure he consults the biblical text as he develops his arguments for acceptable worship before God. This is evident in his writing as he seeks to make sure that his readers have a gospel centered life and thereby a gospel centered worship.
Action, Reflection, Action- Kauflin may not realize it, but he employs action, reflection, action practices in his writing. He will start off by recounting some of his past actions as a worship leader. He reflects on those actions in light of biblical truth and probing questions. Then, he uses this information to change the way he acts in the future. This practice is very helpful for those who read this book as it could help them embrace a model of reflective practice that will grow them as worship leaders.
Weaknesses
Redundancy- I recently took some of my student worship leaders through this book and found that they became better worship leaders as a result of engaging with the material in this book. One of the criticism they had was that some of concepts in the book are often repeated in later chapters. On one level they found this helpful as it helped them fortify some of the more difficult concepts in their hearts and minds. However, there were other times where the redundancy of certain concepts was tedious and potential unnecessary.
Dated- Another criticism of the book is that it is somewhat a product of its time. There are numerous illustrations that make reference to contemporary musicians who are no longer contemporary. There are references to technologies that are mostly out of use (i.e. CD’s). Thankfully, these examples do not detract from the overarching message of Worship Matters. The value truly lies in the principles behind the examples. I recommend that Kauflin writes a 2nd edition of Worship Matters to more accurately reflect the contemporary artists and technological innovations of our time.
Value to the Church
Bob Kauflin is truly a gift to the church. He has a heart for biblical worship and fully devoted worshippers of God. I can honestly say that I, along with the worship leaders in my ministry, are better worshippers and worship leaders after reading this book. If you want to know why Worship Matters, I highly recommend that you pick up this resource.
