Customer Reviews

The Worshiping Artist: Equipping You and Your Ministry Team to Lead Others in Worship

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4 star:		(1)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I really enjoyed reading The Worshiping Artist. His clear and Biblical explanations about worship and praise are clear and compelling. The emphasis on specific expressions to praise were refreshing to read, since few books on worship address those properly (if at all). Especially helpful and insightful were his three questions and chapters: Who is God, Who am I and What is God inviting me to do? Wonderfully typical in his writings, Noland begins with a modern-day, easy-to-relate-to story, then lists several group questions, followed by the explanatory material, which makes up the bulk of each chapter. I didn't quite get what the author was trying to communicate in the last chapter on icons. However, there is plenty of quality material in the first nine chapters to offset any uncertainties in the last one! I highly recommend this book to worship teams and lead worshipers!

The author has a few helpful bits of information, but I would not recommend this book. Many churches today are already criticized for, "putting on a show," rather than worshiping Christ and this book encourages that trend. Musicians are coached in "stage presense," and told to "connect with the congregation," in the same manner that American Idol contestants are taught to excite their audience. Somewhere the concept of leading the congregation toward God is lost and the attention is drawn toward the entertainer on stage instead.

This book makes me long for the days when the choir and organ were behind the congregation so as not to detract from the altar.

Our pastor required all the musicians to take a class in this book after someone expressed a difference of opinion about the song selections. This book served the pastor well as it's theme is to "cooperate fully," with your pastor with many biblical quotes that are meant to imply that the worship team is to serve as both extension of and enforcer of, his will.

An example of this theme is shown through an elderly parishioner who requests that one hymn be added to the services. The book gives examples of how to shut this sort of insubordination down with specific examples of what to say, denying her request and ending with, "I'm sorry if that offends you, but if you can't worship with a cheerful spirit here, then you might be happier at another church." The members of the worship team are then expected to back the pastor up, telling the old widow something on the order of, "We hate to see you go but you seem so unhappy here..."

This book clearly asks that the worship team serve the church not merely as artists and musicians but as henchmen for the pastor.

This book was used as a study guide for musicians at my church during the summer when the choir was not singing and it was really helpful to everyone to get a
handle on what it means to be involved in this kind of ministry and how we could each imporve our own approach and attitude to what we are doing to assist in
worship.

This book was helpful to show me that there are others out there who are gifted creatively who long to use their gifts in worship.