Asking questions about the Glory of God, Jarrod Cooper provides biblical evidence and illustrations in order to shake up our conventional thinking on the subject of worship.

Reviewed by Chris Richards

Glory In The Church is the first book by noted speaker, composer and worship leader Jarrod Cooper, director of the Days Of Wonder Trust. Initially I thought the book to be slightly contradictory as the author (an album releasing musician) seems to spend the early part of the book moaning about the use of music and singing in modern western worship. However the book merely asks Christians to reassess their worship ideology and this, for me, is the strength of the volume. It is a somewhat radical, provocative book that manages to get across the gist of its meaning in a balanced and well meaning way. Once I find the phrase "Blueprint" on the front of a book, I immediately perceive (and usually get) a somewhat condescending guide to how I should be living my sinful and previously miss informed life. Fortunately the author refrains from a patronising tone and instead merely prompts you to reassess modern worship and what God is telling you to do. If anything the book could afford to be more confrontational, as Cooper puts it himself, "The Kingdom comes through the violent, zealous actions of a Church on fire for God." The book is able to highlight what the author sees as problems and issues facing the growth and style of modern worship and offers many thought provoking arguments as to how to counter them. Glory In The Church may be lacking in actual practical advice but more than makes up for this with its interesting and in depth examination into how worshippers and worship leaders face the future. It is refreshingly honest about the sometimes stale and uninspiring state of worship in some churches and makes every effort to inform and promote new worship technique. While the book is hardly an offensive, all guns blazing attack on modern worship, I am sure that some people will dislike and oppose many of the things Cooper writes. But after a second, third and fourth read, I am not one of them.