True Worship: Reclaiming the Wonder & Majesty

by Donald P. Hustad

Book Overview

Donald Hustad responds to the cataclysmic changes in worship styles over the last fifty years, examining the biblical elements of worship and offering a model for richer, God-honoring services.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0877888388
• ISBN13: 9780877888383
• Release Date: March 2000
• Publisher: Shaw Books
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Great treatment of church worship

What Hustad proposes here, which may not seem obvious initially, is simply that Truth exists. With this as his guiding principle, and evaluating evidence for Truth in other areas of Scripture, he establishes tha fact that there must also be an Objective beauty within chuch worship. What this book strikes against is a current culture driven to accept any and all extreems in the spirit of tolerance and personal ideology. The fact though is that beauty is not solely in the eye of the beholder, but has guidelines. Hustad goes to great lengths to show that not all things are made for the church service, not all music or art is God-honoring and reverential. If beaty has no objective standards (art, music etc...) then it becomes simply an ineffable experience, different for each and totally meaningless (or contradictory) for all. This is by far the very best treatment of church worship, and should be read by all music ministers!

Professor Hustad Rings a Bell for Worship!

Having an advantage of being under Dr. Hustad's influence for over thirty years, we have witnessed his integrity of sacred choral and organ music used in worthy worship of eternal God. Regardless of one's chosen Church or Denomination there are no such strictly traditional requirements set forth in Hustad's True Worship as noted in the other reviews. Only one of the three reviews gives an accurate appraisal of Don's distinction between traditional and contemporary worship. He clearly stated in his classes at Southern, accepted by most of his students, the definition of Contemporary Iconoclasm. I am suggesting that could be rather prickly wording to prompt such an emotional response to his definiton of Iconoclasm. During his written discussion of Contemporary Music in Chapter 8 he refers to Robert Webber's book, Worship Is a Verb:"Worship is something we do and not something that service leaders...do for us." This has been one obvious case of division among Southern Baptists with a newness of creative worship as used in some CBF Churches or Cooperative Baptist Fellowship! I have heard Don do his Hymn Festival on the Vision of Isaiah in Appendix III a number of times. The first time was in the early 1980's for a cosmopolitan group of South Carolina Ministers. This was an awesome time of worship when all the 30-40 various ministers responded with prayers, testimonies or solos. Just as in two Sunday evening church service, he guided those several contemporary hymns from the piano, including How Great Thou Art, Kum Bah Yah, Medema songs, Come Let Us Reason, and Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying. For each time focused on contemporary worship, Don seemed sincerely guided by integrity immersed in the Presence of the Holy Spirit's Leadership. I am still in an such an inimate relationship of appreciative reverence, no matter where I am influenced by this Christian Gentleman.Retired Chaplain Fred W. Hood

A CLEAR VOICE amidst all the "sounds" in the sea.

Donald Hustad, for many years, world-famous organist and professor of church music and worship at Southern Baptist Seminary (Louisville, KY), has done the people of God a tremendous favor, and offered them a great gift, in this book. While it often rubs against the current praise-and-worship" FAD in many ways, this work is Scripturally-solid, and theologically on the mark, for the most part. The endorsements in the opening pages reflect a very wide ecumenical acceptance of the message in its' pages. Doctor Hustad reflects, with great dignity and carefulness of presentation, on the issues concerning contemporary churches and what they call "worship." Subjects such as "Worshipping in Intellectual truth" and "Worshipping in Theological Truth" are just two of the fascinating areas so ably explored by this giant in church music. The reader must remember at least two things: FIRST, Don Hustad is both a musician and a theologian,thus he can't be justly accused of being "lopsided" in his approach. And SECOND, Don Hustad has at least 50 years of experience in the Christian Church and all of its trappings. He gives credit to many movements, namely the Pentecostal and Charismatic Renewal movements, for helping to bring a sense of "life" and immanence back to church music. Yet, he also takes these two groups to task for getting to "chummy" with the Creator of the Universe. Being a Pentecostal myself, I'm glad that someone has finally TOLD IT LIKE IT IS! And now, if we will only listen....Well worth the price of the book, and should be required reading by every church musician...You will be helped, and your music ministry will be enriched. Mine certainly has.