BOOK NOTES:

The Companion to the Book of Common Worship. Edited by Peter C. Bower. Louisville: Office of Theology and Worship, 2003. 350 pp. ISBN 978-0664502324. 

Ten years after the publication of the Book of Common Worship (BCW), The Companion to the Book of Common Worship finally appeared in print. The heart of this book draws from the Supplemental Liturgical Resources (SLR) that led to the development of the BCW. The Companion collects and reworks much of the SLR material as well as provides additional commentary and insights into ways to understand, apply, and embody the services in both the BCW and the Book of Occasional Services.

In a tradition that holds fast to a directory for worship and eschews a service book approach to worship, the BCW and Companion offer patterns and guides that shape, form, and articulate a Reformed approach to worship. When the Companion is used as a rule-book to close off options, then it loses its unique voice. As a source of consultation and exploration it provides a primary starting point for a fuller exploration of the theological images and underpinnings that lie within and beneath the BCW.                 

This book is an indispensable guide for pastors and worship committees. It is helpful both as a primary resource to discover answers to specific questions (the glossary and index serve as valuable aids in this regard) and as a source for study and conversation for those involved in planning and leading worship services. 

Christian Worship in Reformed Churches Past and Present. Ed. by Lukas Vischer. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 2003. 432 pp. ISBN 978-0802805201. 

The ambitious title of this collection of essays sets a lofty goal of defining and illuminating Reformed worship in its historical development as well as in its practice in significant areas around the world. The book is the result of a consultation of theological and liturgical scholars from a wide range of countries and a diverse group of Reformed churches that explored the history of worship in the Reformed church. The resulting collection of essays demonstrates a breadth of knowledge as well as a wealth of perspectives.

After a brief historical background, the authors turn to a series of studies on ways that Reformed congregations express their faith in different geographical settings. These vignettes sketch out contextualized elements of worship practices while pointing to common theological themes that help maintain a sense of Reformed identity. The result is a fascinating glimpse of distinct features that allow one to see new ways that Reformed Christians have embodied practices of form and freedom in their worshipping assemblies. Finally, the volume concludes with a set of essays on major issues facing Reformed churches in the area of worship.

While it falls short of the grandiose claims of the title, this collection is nonetheless a welcome addition that brings together unique voices from different perspectives to explore what worship in Reformed congregations shares in common as well as ways that it may be contextualized. 

Paul Galbreath
Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship
Union-PSCE, Richmond, VA

PUBLISHED IN THE BULLETIN OF THE INSTITUTE FOR REFORMED THEOLOGY, SPRING 2008, VOL. 8, #1.