Worship By the Book
Worthy: the Worship of God, Nathan Eshelman. Pittsburgh: Grassmarket Press, 2023. Softcover, 141 pages.
So many books have been written on worship, including a fair number from a Reformed perspective. However, it strikes me that with almost every new one there are still some insights to be gleaned. Authors often draw our attention to aspects of worship we haven’t yet considered. That was certainly my experience reading this new little volume from Nathan Eshelman.
Eshelman is a pastor in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA). There has been contact between the Canadian Reformed Churches and the RPCNA but, as it stands, no formal relationship. If you know anything about the RPCNA, you’ll probably be aware that they practice exclusive psalmody and sing with no musical accompaniment. So you might expect Worthy to advocate for these positions – and indeed it does, albeit rather briefly in a chapter on the biblical elements of worship. Whatever you may think of those arguments, there is so much more to this book and the author’s position on those two practices shouldn’t be considered a reason to pass over it.
The overarching approach in Worthy is consistently Reformed. By that, I mean it’s solidly grounded on the summary of Scripture found in the historic Reformed confessions. Eshelman rightly emphasizes the importance of the principle found in HC QA 96: we are not to worship God “in any other manner than he has commanded in his Word.” This is known as the regulative principle of worship (RPW). Eshelman explains how the RPW applies to the elements of Christian worship, but not the circumstances. Elements are the things commanded for us to do in worship, whereas circumstances surround the elements and are variable. An example of an element is preaching; a related circumstance would be whether there is a pulpit or plexiglass lectern. Writes Eshelman, “We can use wisdom for circumstances; we use obedience for elements” (p.90).
Thus far there’s nothing new or extraordinary. Many others have said similar things, also in writings on worship from our circles. But one thing new I did find in relation to the RPW was Eshelman’s assertion that it’s a matter of God’s love for his people. I want you to read the book for yourself, so I’m not going to elaborate on this point. Suffice it to say that it’s a thought-provoking contribution.
Another excellent proposition has to do with who leads Christian worship. Normally we describe the pastor (or perhaps someone else) as “the worship leader.” But based on Heb. 2:11-12, Eshelman makes the case that Jesus is our real worship leader. There are valuable lessons flowing from that – read the book to find out what they are.
Not every book on Reformed worship is going to cover every angle. One that’s missing from Worthy is the covenantal nature of worship. That’s something writers from our background have strongly emphasized over the last few decades. I won’t fault Eshelman for failing to say everything there is to say, but prospective readers should be aware that they’ll have to go elsewhere to find stuff on how Christian worship relates to the covenant of grace, including the covenantal basis of the RPW.
Worthy is written in a popular style for a broad audience. It’s an easy and enjoyable read. Most readers will appreciate the personable voice of the author. It’s part of the “Bedrock Series” put out by Grassmarket Press. I have several other volumes in that series to read and review and, based on this one, they look promising!
Originally published in Clarion 73.10 (July 19, 2024)
