The Next Worship

Christianity Today's Book of the Year Award of Merit

What happens when a diverse church glorifies the global God?

We live in a time of unprecedented intercultural exchange, where our communities welcome people from around the world. Music and media from every culture are easily accessible, and our worship is infused with a rich variety of musical and liturgical influences. But leading worship in multicultural contexts can be a crosscultural experience for everybody. How do we help our congregations navigate the journey?

Innovative worship leader Sandra Maria Van Opstal is known for crafting worship that embodies the global, multiethnic body of Christ. Likening diverse worship to a sumptuous banquet, she shows how worship leaders can set the table and welcome worshipers from every tribe and tongue. Van Opstal provides biblical foundations for multiethnic worship, with practical tools and resources for planning services that reflect God's invitation for all peoples to praise him.

When multiethnic worship is done well, the church models reconciliation and prophetic justice, heralding God's good news for the world. Enter into the praise of our king, and let the nations rejoice!



Sandra Maria Van Opstal is a second-generation Latina pastor, an activist, an author, and a powerful leading voice on the intersection of faith and justice. She is executive director of Chasing Justice, a movement that mobilizes Christians to live justly. Sandra's distinctiveness comes from working in both local and global contexts as a practitioner and an academic. She has reached audiences around the world on topics of reconciliation, global justice, and worship.

Foreword by Mark Labberton


Acknowledgments


Introduction


1. Tension at the Table: Challenges and Opportunities in Diverse Worship


2. Is PB&J Ethnic Food? The Myth of Normal Worship


3. Food Fights: Reconciliation in Worship


4. Hosting Well: Shared Leadership


5. Designing Your Menu: Models of Diverse Worship


6. It's Not Just the Food: Components of Diverse Worship


7. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner: Creating Culture Change


8. Master Chef: Training Worship Leaders


Epilogue: North Park University


Appendix A: Cultural Values Continuum


Appendix B: Additional Resources


Appendix C: Worship Movements and Artists


Appendix D: Order of Service Examples


Appendix E: Components of Worship


Appendix F: World Assembly International Conference Songs


Appendix G: Songs for Crossing Cultures


Appendix H: Teaching a Language Song


Appendix I: Worship Cultures


Notes