John Jefferson Davis - Worship and the Reality of God: An Evangelical Theology of Real Presence

If youre wondering why evangelical worship is often so thinand what can be done about ityou could hardly do better than to read this book. Professor Davis offers a cogent and deep analysis combined with arresting reflections on the nature of worship. Ill be reading it again, to be sure. Mark Galli, senior managing editor, Christianity Today

John Jefferson Davis is one of the most thoughtful persons I know. In his new book, Worship and the Reality of God, he reminds us that a follower of Jesus inhabits an alternate reality. With passion and verve, he invites readers to a deeper sense of what it means to worship God. He casts a grand vision that is Reformed in its soteriology; trinitarian in its understanding of theology; doxological in seeing worship as the highest priority of the church; charismatic in its affirmation of the gifts and presence of the Spirit in the life of the congregation; and liturgical in its ancient-modern form of worship. I dare say this vision will find resonance with all kinds of Christians, from emerging Christians to traditionalists; from the new monastics to the megachurches. Not everyone will agree with Davis at every point, but I promise you, he will make you think.

Frank A. James, provost and professor of historical theology, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

Professor Davis recaptures what has been lost in most contemporary worship: a theologically rich understanding of the presence of God in our midst during congregational worship and of how we should rightly respond to this incomparable Reality. This is a book to reawaken the heart and mind to true worship, and as such, it is desperately needed.

Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, Denver Seminary

Scene Two: We were a few minutes late that Sunday morning for a contemporary worship service at a well-known evangelical megachurch in the Denver area, so we decided to make our way up to the second floor balcony to look for a seat. As I looked around, I noticed more coffee cups than Bibles in the hands of those who were present. I settled back in the comfortable theater-style seat, and my eyes were immediately drawn to one of the large TV monitors suspended from the ceiling to the left and the right, projecting the larger-than-life images of the praise band musicians who were live on the stage. I found myself thinking, Here I am in church, and I find my attention focused on the television screens, not on the real human beings down front. After the service we went downstairs and spent a few minutes looking around the churchs gift shop, where many who had attended the service were doing some last-minute Christmas shopping before heading home. As we left the church, I had something of an epiphany, realizing that even the church furnishingsin this case, the theater-style seatingwere sending a subliminal message, one that my culture sends continuously: Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. When, indeed, does the churchs attempt to be culturally relevant cross the line and become entertainment, or, so to speak, worshedutainment? Those questions continue to haunt me.

Those services were only two of the thirty-five different church services that my wife and I attended that fall in the greater Denver area. When we are at home, we are not church hoppers, but since I am a seminary professor, training future pastors and teachers, when I am away for a research sabbatical, as was the case that fall, we try to visit as many churches as possible to see how theological education is being played out at the retail outlets. These thirty-five worship services ran the entire gamut from very traditional to very contemporary, from the very quiet to the very loud, from the very large to the very small. In terms of denominational traditions, these churches included Quaker, Pentecostal, charismatic, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Nazarene, Congregational, Episcopal, Anglican, Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Antiochian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, independent and nondenominational, several varieties of emerging churches, and several seeker churches, including Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois.