I LOVE to read! And books that strengthen my relationship with Jesus are my favorite! I also love sharing books that have impacted me with other people so that they can be encouraged and equipped too. That’s the inspiration behind the Book Reviews section of this blog. Me, recommending books to you, that will help grow your faith, and connect you with authors I love and content I believe in. So…
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Here are my thoughts on Holy Roar by Chris Tomlin and Darren Whitehead and why you should read it.
What’s It About
In Holy Roar: 7 Words That Will Change The Way You Worship, Chris Tomlin and Darren Whitehead explain the seven Hebrew words translated into English as “praise” in the Bible. Using Hebrew definitions, biblical context and personal story, they expound on the many different ways God has given us to praise Him.
Holy Roar will teach you the why behind the what when it comes to the common postures of worship we see week-in and week-out in our church services. Discussing kneeling, singing and lifting hands, just to name a few, Darren and Chris explain from Scripture exactly how these gestures express praise to God. Each chapter ends with renowned worship leader and songwriter Chris Tomlin sharing a story behind some of his most sung worship songs like “Holy Is The Lord” and “How Great Is Our God” and more, and how those songs relate to each expression of praise.
How It Impacted Me
My entire life I’ve been a part of churches that were pretty expressive in worship. It was common for me to see all the different expressions of worship Darren and Chris talk about in the book every Sunday. I learned a lot about worshipping God from early on in my Christian walk and that has shaped my life profoundly. It’s part of what made me want to become a worship leader myself.
The most impactful thing I learned about worship? Singing spontaneous songs of praise to God. To this day one of my favorite sounds is when God’s people “go off book,” so to speak, and altogether start singing our songs of praise and thanks to Him. Songs that, as Darren explains in the book, aren’t pre-written and may not rhyme, but that overflow from the worshipper’s heart in the moment and come from the depths of intimacy with God.
As I read about that I was challenged to go back to making more space to sing these types of songs to God in my personal times of worship, not just when I am leading a moment like that or when I am being led in a corporate church worship moment.
My Favorite Quote
“Praise and worship can be a powerful tool to draw us into a personal experience with God…Recall how the chords began to fill the room, how the attention of the crowd was turned toward the praise of God. In that moment, didn’t the stuff of earth, the anxieties of life, seem to melt into the melody? As the cares rolled away, didn’t you encounter the very presence of God?” – Darren Whitehead, Holy Roar
Why You Should Read It
Worship is core to the Christian faith and to your personal relationship with God. Worship is one of the key ways we connect with God and experience His presence. Just like with many practices in life, it’s easy to go through the motions and not understand the purpose of what you’re doing in worship. Holy Roar will take you deeper into the why and how behind the practice of worshipping God. Your experience in worship will become richer and your expression in worship will become more confident after having read this book.
About Chris Tomlin and Darren Whitehead
Grammy and Dove award winning worship leader and songwriter, Chris Tomlin is one of the most well-known and prolific contributors to worship music in the church. He is known for songs such as “How Great Is Our God,” “Our God,” and “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone).” He is the husband of Lauren and the father of two daughters, Ashlyn and Madison. His album, Holy Roar, was released in October 2018 and can be found on Apple Music and Spotify. (*adapted from Holy Roar cover)
You can connect with Chris on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and on his website.
Darren Whitehead is the pastor of Church of the City in Nashville, TN. He lives in Nashville with his wife, Brandy, and their three daughters, Sydney, Scarlett, and Violet. (*adapted from Holy Roar cover)
You can connect with Darren on Twitter , Instagram and on the Church of the City website.
Get your copy of the book here: Holy Roar: 7 Words That Will Change The Way You Worship
Let’s Talk: Have you read Holy Roar? What impacted you most form the book? Discuss this post in the comments below.
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