Corporate Worship by Matt Merker

I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve read in the 9Marks Building Healthy Churches series. The newest offering, Corporate Worship by Matt Merker, is no exception. Merker has given both church leaders and church members a very helpful tool with this work. This volume is short, but packed with a lot of great information.

This book is about corporate worship when God’s people meet together as the church assembled. Merker says, “That gathering, that ‘coming together’ of the church, is what this book is about. You will certainly find things about the conducting of worship in this book, but the focus is on how that should look not privately, but joined together as God’s people. Merker goes on to say, “What is a church? What does God’s Word call churches to do when they gather? Those are the central questions driving this book.”

I was familiar with some of the content here. Merker covers some basics like asking the question, “Who Gathers?” However, I think you will find he even brings fresh insight to the basics. “There’s a deeper theological reason behind it all: God gathers his people.”

He later goes into the practical outworkings in the service. What elements should be in a service and why should they be there? I think many are unfamiliar with the regulative principle of worship. Merker has a good discussion of it and I found especially helpful his categories of elements, forms, and circumstances. These categories were to new to me, but very helpful to think through.

This book is incredibly practical and I found his various examples of liturgy (with more in an appendix) really helpful in thinking through what a liturgical service looks like. I also appreciated the clear focus on the gospel that Merker brings to this book. I’m confident this will be a book that I reference over and over again.

You can pick up your copy of Corporate Worship on Amazon. (affiliate)

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Crossway in exchange for a fair and honest review.