When I was first given this book just over a year ago by our song leader, I wasn't too enthused. It appeared to be a stuffy, boring treatise on using music in a church to worship God. I couldn't have been further from the truth!

This book is an excellent read and one that has greatly enriched me in several ways. As a Christian, it helped me to see that worship is not just during the music service. As a pastor, it has helped me see the different dynamics that go into planning and preparing a service which glorifies God in ALL aspects.

In the book, Kauflin describes how a few years before the book was written (2008), he set out to come up with the definition for a "worship leader." He wanted to clarify his understanding of what God was calling him to do in the church he was serving. Here is what he came up with:

A faithful worship leader
magnifies the greatness of God in Jesus Christ
through the power of the Holy Spirit
by skilfully combining God's Word with music,
thereby motivating the gathered church
to proclaim the gospel,
to cherish God's presence,
and to live for God's glory.

For a good portion of the book, he takes each line of the above definition he came up with and writes a particular chapter. Again, each chapter was solid both biblically and practically.

The last two chapters were outstanding. One was written to song leaders or worship leaders in conjunction to their relationship with the pastor they are serving. Wow - Kauflin spares no words and gets below the surface when it comes to issues that often arise between music leaders and the pastor of a church.

The last chapter is written to pastors and encourages them that they are to be the (they actually are whether they realize it or not) the one who teaches, leads, shapes, and molds the people in their churches towards worship more than the music (worship, song, etc) leader will do.

This will be a book I will refer to in the years to come as we seek to worship God in a manner fitting the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!