We are living in a time when worship has become a distinct priority for the Christian community. For years the church has emphasized evangelism, teaching, fellowship, missions, and service while neglecting the very source of its power—worship. Recently, however, many churches are experiencing a Spirit-led renewal in their understanding and practice of the praise and worship of God.
"Rediscovering the Missing Jewel" is a small-group course of study designed around thirteen easy-to-understand sessions. Part One, "The Biblical foundations of Christian Worship," explores worship in two sessions—one for the Old Testament and one for the New. Part Two, "Worship from the Time of the Early Church through the Nineteenth Century," consists of six sessions that trace important developments from Justin Martyr to the congregations of African-American slaves in North America. Along the way, sessions are devoted to Eastern Orthodox, medieval Catholic, Reformation, and Protestant free church worship. Part Three, "Worship Renewal in the Twentieth Century," traces strands of Christian experience that directly influenced worship in many congregations today: Pentecostalism and the charismatic renewal, liturgical renewal stemming from Vatican II, the "praise and worship" movement, and a more recent approach that deliberately blends newer and older elements of the Christian worship tradition.