When asked by his son why some churches have smoke machines, worship pastor Manuel Luz found himself responding, "Well, technically, you need smoke machines to see the lasers." But when you take down the smokescreen, what do you have left? Where do we encounter the Holy in the midst of all this? Where can we worship with our full selves—heart, soul, mind, and body—in Spirit and truth?Drawing from his own experience leading worship in a large congregation and feeling the pull of performance, Manuel Luz guides us on a journey through worship that takes us far beyond style and deep into our own souls. He calls us back to an honest worship that moves past facades and pulls us inward toward the true self that God is forming within each of us.Each chapter ends with a spiritual practice designed to help us set aside pretense and enter into the very presence of God.



Manuel Luz is the creative arts pastor of Oak Hills Church in Folsom, California, and has been an active advocate for worship and the arts for more than twenty-five years. He is also the author of Imagine That, a working musician and songwriter, and the co-inventer of the musical instrument the WalkaBout.







Rory Noland is the director of Heart of the Artist Ministries. He holds a doctorate in worship studies from the Robert E. Webber Institute. Rory has served at Willow Creek Community Church and Harvest Bible Chapel. A published songwriter, he has authored five books, including The Heart of the Artist.



Foreword by Rory Noland

Preface



1. Holy Smoke

2. First-Person Singular

3. Falling on My Face

4. The Nature of Identity

5. Worship from the True Self

6. Soul Worship

7. When the Church Gathers

8. The Rhythm of Worship

9. Everyday Expressions of Worship

10. Imagination and the Worshiper

11. Compassion and Justice

12. The Deep End of the Pool



Benediction

Acknowledgments

Discussion Guide

Notes