title: Worship for the Whole People of God: Vital Worship for the 21st Century
author:  Ruth C. Duck 
description: "This is the textbook I have been waiting for: opening the door wide for all God's children to be a part, grounded in theology and history, drawing on long experience of teaching and leading worship, with study of congregations in the U.S. and abroad, full of practical application, and graced by the Spirit." --Robin Knowles Wallace, Professor of Worship and Music, Methodist Theological School in Ohio <br /><br /><br /><br />"The most comprehensive introduction to worship for our time." --Kimberly Bracken Long, Associate Professor of Worship, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia<br /><br /><br /><br />"Here at last is a resource that is designed to explore the past and present and look forward to the future of Christian Worship. I highly commend this excellent resource for all who seek to engage in as well as lead Christian Worship." --Melva Wilson Costen, PhD Professior Emerita, Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta, GA<br /><br /><br /><br />"Ruth Duck brings together historical, theological, liturgical, pastoral, cultural, anecdotal, and practical elements in a comprehensive resource that students and ministers will want to use as a reference guide for years to come." --John Ambrose, Pastor, United Church of Canada, worship staff, and hymnal editor<br /><br /><br /><br />"Some of us have been waiting a decade for this book. It stands in the tradition of what was best about James White's <i>Introduction to Christian Worship</i>, while going much farther in areas like worship and culture, liturgical language, and services of healing. I look forward to using this with my introductory worship class with great anticipation." --Christopher Grundy, Eden Theological Seminary<br /><br /><br /><br />"An excellent textbook on worship for whole church. Duck provides a wide scope of worship resources that are biblically grounded, theologically reflective, hermeneutically sound, and liturgically insightful." --K. K. Yeo, Harry R. Kendall Professor of New Testament, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and Visiting Professor, Peking University, China<br /><br /><br /><br />"Duck guides the reader through worship as ritual, revelation, response, relationship and rehearsal, an approach that has no precedence in other books. A special value of this book is the author's concern for the needs of children, people with differing abilities, gays and lesbians, African Americans, Latinas/Latinos and Koreans, and planning worship in our multicultural society today. Duck's book is practical yet scholarly, historical yet contemporary, biblical yet contextual--a timely publication." --I-to Loh, composer and former President and Professor of Worship, Church Music and Ethnomusicology, Tainan Theological College and Seminary, Taiwan. <br /><br /><br /><br />"This book sheds profound, theological insights for vital, diverse, healing, and transformative worship in the twenty-first century. A must-read for every pastor, church musician, and worship leader." --Cynthia Wilson, Dean of Students and Ph.D. candidate, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary <br /><br />
zlib_text: 
  
  
  **Advance Praise for _Worship for the Whole People of God_**
  
  
  “Ruth Duck brings together historical, theological, liturgical, pastoral,
  cultural, anecdotal, and practical elements in a comprehensive resource that
  students and ministers will want to use as a reference guide for years to
  come. The generous space given to healing and reconciliation may help restore
  these pastoral practices that have waned in recent decades, and the final
  chapter on vital worship for the twenty-first century offers both caution and
  guidance on complex and sensitive matters.”
  
  
  —John Ambrose, United Church of Canada, pastor, worship staff, and hymnal
  editor
  
  
  “Dr. Ruth Duck’s incredible scholarship, combined with many years of teaching
  in ecumenical environments, has helped to provide a resource that is greatly
  needed in order to expand academic approaches to the study of worship. Each
  chapter in _Worship for the Whole People of God_ demonstrates the depth and
  breadth of her immersion in a variety of cu