For the Reknown of His Name

Book Review

Milner, Tim. For The Reknown of His Name. Putting Christ back at the center of worship. ( Pub. ?) 2008.
T.M.- worship leader, recording artist. Has a passion for worship renewal. Leads worship workshops and does speaking and consulting. After graduating from Prairie Bible College he received a master’s degree in worship from Liberty University.

Comment. Henry.
This book is Tim’s effort to extend his ministry beyond the audiences of church services, concerts, and speaking venues. His passion for worship is admirable. There are several aspects about this book that are missing: publisher, endorsements.

“You have not fully worshipped God until the universe is your vision.” (6)

In the first two chapters Tim goes through the lyrics of his two recorded albums, Form and Essence and Kiss the Son, and explains his own philosophy of worship. The focus of the lyrics, he suggests, is “the supremacy of Christ”. (50) This should be the goal of worship.

It is important to discover all we can about the object of our worship, i.e. the triune God. The resource for this goal should be the Bible, both Old Testament and New Testament. Her are some characteristics of God that warrant our worship; his wisdom, beauty, holiness, goodness, majesty, justice, mercy, power, etc. etc. A study is presented about the literal fear of God and how that relates to worship. Authentic worship is predicated on practicing the presence of God. (No, this is not a quote.)

A God- consciousness is basic to participatory worship. This is a discipline and can be taught. To lead effectively, worship leaders need to know their people. There should always be a strong commitment to excellence when ‘doing’ worship. “Tools for worship” (142) e.g. hand- raising, clapping, kneeling, silence, scripture reading, etc., should be used wisely. Bringing about meaningful change in worship is challenging. Maintaining a strong commitment to balance during the change exercise helps.

It is important to develop “criteria for elements of worship”. (181) Worship that is self-focused (evidenced by the predominant use of first person personal pronouns) should be avoided. By way of example the author suggests a short list of ‘black-listed’ songs. Worship is our response to our revelation of Christ (God). “Every ministry in the church starts and ends with worship.” (207) This statement is based on the assumption that worship is a “three-fold experience; seeing God as He is, seeing ourselves for who we are, gaining a passion for what is on God’s heart”. (209)