For those who like their liturgy old-school and yet reformed in nature, this book has it in spades—from Luther to Calvin to Zwingli to Knox to The Book of Common Prayer, with any number of stops in between….

Jonathan Gibson and Mark Earngey, Eds. Reformation Worship: Liturgies from the Past for the Present. 736p., $69.99, New Growth Press.

Christians learn to worship from the generations of God’s people who have worshipped before them.

We sing psalms, because thousands of years ago, God’s people sang them. Five hundred years ago, the leaders of the Reformation transformed Christian worship by encouraging the active participation and understanding of the individual worshiper. . . .

The structure of the liturgies, language, and rhythm continue to communicate the gospel in word and sacrament today. They provide a deep sense of God’s call to worship and an appreciation for the Reformers as, first and foremost, men who wanted to help God’s people worship.

This book will also be of great interest to theological scholars and students who wish to understand early Reformation leaders. A useful tool for individuals, Reformation Worship can be used as a powerful devotional to guide daily prayer and reflection.

By providing a connection to Reformation worship, Gibson and Earngey hope their work will inspire readers to experience what John Calvin described as the purpose of all church worship: “To what end is the preaching of the Word, the sacraments, the holy congregations themselves, and indeed the whole external government of the church, except that we may be united to God?”