Kim Gentes

Revelation is something that must not only be received by the mind, but lived in the present reality of our bodies and spirits. In "The Worship God Is Seeking", pastor, worship leader and songwriter, David Ruis takes this difficult road of attempting to connect theology and passionate service. He succeeds wonderfully! This is a book that should be read by everyone, not just pastors and worship leaders and musicians. This is a prophetic message for all of us in the Body of Christ.

In the first 3 chapters, Ruis examines God-centered devotion in which the centrality of the Cross, the foundation of God's love, the necessity of the power of the Spirit, and the essential gathering of the community of Christ are the basis of "The Worship God is Seeking". As the chapters continue, David argues convincingly that true worship will be a journey not only marked by discovering God more fully as the fuel of all things "spirit and truth", but the center of creativity itself, as initiated by His actions at the creation of the universe. He goes on to link our relational connection to God as "Abba Father" as an important truth in unlocking authenticity and freedom in worship, not just in our culture, but around the globe.

But do not think the book aspires to some unreachable utopia. Ruis takes careful aim to ground his theological outline (which is heavily influenced by theologians N.T. Wright and Don Williams) in a lifetime of personal experience. Ruis's constant call in this book is for the church to focus on God, remember the community of Christ and show the fruit of worship through the fragrance of justice.

On the whole, this book is substantially more challenging to pastors and leaders than a simple book on worship. On practical terms, he covers everything from the place of artists and musicians in our churches to the importance of expectation in our gatherings. But this book is not really a practitioners guide as much as it is a prophetic challenge to the church. It is a distinct call to complete surrender to Christ, who has done all that is needed for worship, and an ongoing welcome to those who would walk in step with the advancing kingdom of God as we become participants that "let justice roll".

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Review by Kim Gentes

I stopped recommending a plethora of books for people to read who are trying to get a common-sense grasp of one of the most conjectured topics in Christendom- hearing God. Now I recommend they read this book first. It has such breadth and practicality to it, it really leaves no stone unturned on this topic. Well organized and well thought, the book is not simple, but is simply read. Some books on this topic easily burp with sectarian or theological bias, but Willard doesn't fall into that trap. Instead, he retains clear convictions while being spectacularly Biblical.

In the end, he gives excellent fore-thought for the person who might want to actually take his book to task through action. Like "Divine Conspiracy", this book has many generations in shelf live. No serious investigation into this topic should pass over this book.

Amazon Link http://amzn.to/105pgmd

Kim Gentes