God In Focus
O Come, Let Us Worship, by Robert G. Rayburn (Baker, 1980, 319 pp., $8.95), is reviewed by George W. Long, pastor, Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, Lookout Mountain, Tennessee.
Quickly establishing the importance of worship, “‘the Father seeketh such to worship him’ … Nowhere in all the Scriptures do we read of God seeking anything else from the child of God,” and lamenting the lack of attention to it in evangelical churches, Rayburn offers help.
Asserting that “worship of the true and living God … can be acceptably offered only by those who have been redeemed,” Rayburn examines its basis in both the Old and New Testaments, points to the rich (yet neglected) heritage of the church from centuries past, and becomes quite specific in offering suggestions, even citing passages appropriate for a call to worship and naming hymns that would be suitable for morning worship services, weddings, or funerals.
The author develops a philosophy of worship and offers specific help in implementing it. Rayburn’s specifics are not to be taken as “canned” programs, but rather as examples of what a thorough study of the nature and purpose of worship would produce.
At the heart of this book is a discussion of the objective and subjective aspects of worship. The worshiper is indeed to experience a blessing in his relationship with God, but God himself is to be the primary focus in private and corporate worship. His honor is the primary concern.
This work covers possibilities for glorifying God through worship that are exciting, and the author’s challenge to give as much time and thought to preparing for worship as to sermon preparation pricks the conscience.
If the evangelical community to which Rayburn’s book seems to be directed follows his counsel, many of its churches will have the content, variety, and quality of their worship enhanced. They may be able to capture something of the beauty of classical Christian expressions while using them sincerely and thoughtfully enough that they will not become empty repetitions.
Luis Palau, Man Of God
The Luis Palau Story, An Autobiography (Revell, 1980, 176 pp., $8.95), is reviewed by John E. Kyle, missions director, Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, Madison, Wisconsin.
The he author, a native of Argentina, has often been called the “Billy Graham of Latin America.” He has preached the gospel to nearly three million people in 37 countries.
This book reveals how God used many events in the early life of Luis Palau to mold him into the godly vet dynamic evangelist he is today.
Palau shares openly his rebellion as a child, his love for his mother, and, although he died when Luis was 10, the influence of his father upon his life. The account of his conversion in a summer camp at age 12 and the joy of his new-found salvation, which was followed by the loss of that joy in later teen years, is dramatically shared.
Palau’s career as an employee of the Bank of London, a national missionary in Argentina, an Overseas Crusade missionary to Colombia and Mexico, and finally as the president of Overseas Crusades is written in a manner that causes one to wonder at the preparation God gave this man to become an evangelist. Meeting his wife, Pat Scofield, while attending Bible college in the U.S. and their eventual marriage and gift of four sons is shared honestly, revealing his weaknesses as well as his love for Pat.
His struggle with a burden to give God the glory for everything continues. It is Palau’s belief that “if you attempt to steal away any glory from God, He’ll remove His hand, and that will be the end of your ministry.” One would never realize that this dynamic evangelist and godly man struggles with such a burden.
The evangelist Luis Palau will never be fully understood without reading this book from beginning to end. It is an important book since in all probability Luis Palau will continue to be greatly used of God around the world for many years to come.
Evaluating Ministry Today
Ministry in America, edited by David S. Schuller, Merton P. Strommen, and Milo L. Brekke (Harper & Row, 1980, 582 pp., $31.95), is reviewed by Donald K. McKim, assistant professor of theology at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa.
This encyclopedic study will undoubtedly become a standard source for assessing contemporary attitudes toward ministry. Originating in the Readiness for Ministry Project begun by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS), the data here are drawn from students in 200 seminaries and from some 5,000 randomly selected clergy and laity.
Over 12,000 people participated in some aspect of the project, many responding to 444 descriptive statements of what ministry is and should be. Using statistical and sociological tools, Drs. Schuller of ATS and Strommen and Brekke of the Search Institute of Minneapolis analyzed the data. They present the information through 225 figures and tables. Their report surveys 47 denominations, and interpretations by “experts” are presented for 13 denominational “families.”
Basic information forming the foundation for the analyses comes from 64 core clusters. These are concepts used by laity and clergy across denominational lines for assessing the quality of ordained ministry. The clusters are profiled in tables listing the elements of the cluster, how important each element was for delineating the cluster (“load”) and the “mean,” showing on a range how essential to harmful each element was for ministry. The figures accompanying each table show the differences between clergy and laity for each family and also how the denominations differ from each other in assessing the importance of each characteristic. One can note significant differences at a glance. There is much of interest and much to ponder by simply perusing the tables and figures.
For example, in which Protestant churches is there the greatest gap between the laity and clergy in terms of the laity’s higher expectation for an “Affirmation of Conservative Biblical Faith”? Answer: in the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian-Reformed families.
The study found that “laypeople, as a general rule, place far less importance than do clergy on ministries outside of the congregation.” Sharpest disagreements between the two groups were found in the area of “ministry to community and world.” Also, laity “generally consider it of less importance that a beginning minister seek to be a theologian in life and thought. Their expectations fall well below those of their clergy in every denominational family.”
In terms of the positive and negative characteristics deemed most suitable for ministry, the study speaks clearly. People most highly desire their young ministers to have qualities grouped under the heading “service without regard for acclaim.” This cluster describes a person who is “able to accept his or her personal limitations, and who, believing the gospel, is able to serve without concern for public recognition.” The second highest factor is personal integrity, followed by Christian example, acknowledgment of mistakes, and building church community. The top four expectations thus have to do with one’s personal faith commitment.
The personal qualities that all groups agreed were the most detrimental to ministry were alienating activity, professional immaturity, and self-protecting ministry.
Seminaries, denominations, and local churches can profit highly from this book. Expectations may now be juxtaposed with theological understandings. The resulting harmonies or disharmonies will point us toward strengths and weaknesses in our preparations for ministry.
Shopfloor Faith
The Christian in Industrial Society, by Sir Fred Catherwood (IVP, 1980, 188 pp., £4.50) is reviewed by Harry Antonides, director of research and education, Christian Labour Association of Canada, Toronto, Ontario.
This is an updated and revised edition of a book first published in 1964. Many changes, some traumatic, have occurred in the interval, but the author’s original emphasis on bringing to bear Christian insight on everyday living is as urgent as ever.
Sir Fred Catherwood is a prominent British industrialist who presently serves as member of the European Parliament. He challenges his fellow Christians to apply their faith to their daily work, their professional ethics, their income and wealth, their views of politics, economics, taxation, and the stock market. Having spent many years in British business and industry, the author elaborates on the responsibility of big business and unions, shopfloor power, Christian employers’ attitudes toward their employees, and the functioning of large organizations. He rightly insists that Christians should be known for their integrity in dealings with colleagues, employees, and even competitors.
The author is at his best when elaborating on practical ways of personal interaction and on the Christian view of work and possessions. He proceeds from the biblical instruction that man is called to “have dominion” over the earth as an image bearer of God called to love and serve his neighbor. An appendix is devoted to the well-known Weber-Tawney thesis.
On the one hand, there is a healthy emphasis in this book on integrating faith and action. On the other hand, the author’s description of existing structures and practices is not sufficiently critical. For example, the strike weapon and the closed shop are justified too easily without sufficient attention to the need and possibilities for responsible alternatives.
Furthermore, it seems to this reviewer that Catherwood concedes too much to the humanists’ claim to autonomy. He writes that economics is about means and not ends, that it is not “concerned with the ethical standards used in deciding priorities for the satisfaction of wants,” and that “economics, as economics, is a science not concerned directly with morals or politics.”
I suspect that the problem lies in the author’s acceptance of an essentially individualistic concept of society. One of the consequences is that insufficient emphasis is placed on the need for Christian communal action outside the confines of the church organization. This relegates Christians to a position where they are forced to respond to given situations and societal structures without their having worked out an integrated, biblical world-and-life view of their own.
There is some sound, practical advice in this book, but Christians should be prepared to go beyond the point where Catherwood leaves off.
BRIEFLY NOTED
Various aspects of the church and its ministry are considered.
Church Ministry. The 1982 (57th) edition of The Minister’s Manual (Harper & Row), edited by Charles L. Wallis, is now available. Those who have used it know its value. The Revell Tarbell’s Teacher’s Guide (77th edition; Revell), edited by Frank S. Mead, is also ready for church school teachers using the International Lesson, KVJ or RSV. Beginning Your Ministry (Abingdon), by C. W. Blister, J.L. Cooper, and J. D. Fite, looks at 12 new pastors’ first five years. It is very helpful.
Five books view general matters of church life/ministry: To Dream Again (Broadman), by Robert D. Dale, shows how to make a church come alive; Congregations Alive (Westminster), by Donald P. Smith, offers practical suggestions on partnership in ministry; A Biblical Basis for Ministry (Westminster), edited by E. E. Shelp and R. Sunderland, offers excellent insight into the theology of ministry; Beyond the Barriers (Broadman), by W. E. Hull, is a study of reconciliation for the contemporary church; and Leading the Family of God (Herald), by Paul M. Miller, uses the family model as a basis for church ministry.
Church Growth.Growing Churches for a New Age (Judson), by Owen D. Owens, is a valuable look at 10 growing churches of various denominations. The Complete Book of Church Growth (Tyndale), by Elmer Towns, John Vaughan, and David Siefert, profiles the 100 largest churches and Sunday schools and adds valuable commentary, analysis, and theory. It is a most helpful book. George W. Peters offers a well thought-out Theology of Church Growth (Zondervan). Multiplying Disciples (Nav Press), by Wayland B. Moore, is for pastors and lay leaders who want a study of the New Testament method for church growth. The Pastor’s Church Growth Handbook (Church Growth Press), edited by Win Arn, is an interesting collection of essays, some general, some specific.
Pastoral Care. An excellent introduction to this subject is Mental Health Skills for Clergy: Evaluation/Intervention/Referral (Judson), by Dana Charry. Pre-Marital Counseling (Seabury), by John L. C. Mitman, is a manual for clergy and counselors. Restoring the Image (Paternoster) by Roger F. Hurding is a simple introduction to Christian caring and counseling. Resolving Church Conflicts (Harper & Row), by C. Douglass Lewis, is a case-study approach for local congregations, offering a guide through that thicket. The Private Life of the Minister’s Wife (Broadman), by Betty J. Coble, though not strictly pastoral care, is a caring book that should help pastor’s wives.
Discipleship/Witnessing. Ronald E. Griswold puts a good book behind an odd title in By Hook and Crook: Evangelism for the 80’s (Advent Christian General Conference, Box 23152, Charlotte N.C.). An exceptionally fine book on witnessing is Tell The Truth (IVP), by Will Metzger. Somewhat self-serving but helpful is Soul Winning (Harrison House), by T. L. Osborn. Pastoral Evangelism (John Knox), by Samuel Southard, is now revised to extend its usefulness. It is a good survey of the subject. Of Go Make Learners (Shaw), by Robert Brow, J. I. Packer said “Some books can be safely ignored, but not this one.” It offers a new model for discipleship in the church. Keith Phillips nicely covers the subject in The Making of a Disciple (Revell), and Walter A. Henrichsen offers helpful advice in How to Discipline Your Children (Victor).
