Book Review: Called to Worship by Vernon Whaley

(This review is for anyone, but might be especially helpful for a minister who works within an area of "worship." The lessons you will gain from this book would be a great small group study or as part of a lesson series on worship. You might even consider using this book as a study material for members on the worship team - whatever that looks like in your congregation.)

Called to Worship is not like other books on worship that you have read. Vernon Whaley has taken a look at what worship looks like from Genesis to Revelation. The reader is taken on a journey through the Scriptures exploring the good, bad and ugly sides of worship (of God and anything else). Reading through these pages is equal to taking a college class on the history of worship. You will read about the beauty of true worship and the destructive nature of false worship.

I enjoyed the layout of the book: a progressive journey from Creation to Eternity. Along with the wisdom (and humor) packed inside each page, the reader will find an unbiased look at worship within the Old and New Testaments. You will glean new information on old stories - stories you thought you knew well. This information will add new angles to your application and interpretation of familiar Biblical stories. Each chapter ends by looking at principles that can applied to your life, which would make a great lesson outline (and reinforcement of lessons you should implement into your own personal life).

As a youth minister, I find great potential in Called to Worship to become a go-to resource when I teach on worship. I will recommend this book to anyone looking for a book on worship; whether an introduction or scholarly study.


My advice (rating) – go out and buy it (4 out of 5)