Over the past several years, churches have engaged in an ongoing debate between two different styles of worship--"traditional" and "contemporary." Here, Ronald Byars argues that many of the differences between the two styles are superficial. Authentic worship, being wholly theocentric, can and must be both responsive to contemporary culture and grounded in history and tradition. Thus, rather than merely trying to please their members, congregations must focus on exploring worship that is biblical, honors our communion with the saints, and takes seriously the ways that our culture is reshaping us. He concludes with a description of an authentic, postmodern Protestant worship service.

The Future of Protestant Worship: Beyond the Worship Wars

Religion & Spirituality

Byars, Ronald P.

Christian Books & Bibles

Westminster/John Knox Press

In this volume, Ronald Byars provides an extensive historical and theological study of the development of eucharistic prayer in the Reformed tradition. He introduces early eucharistic prayer and its development in the Roman tradition, then traces the changes made during the Reformation and in modern times. Byars concludes with a recap of recent ecumenical discussions about eucharistic prayer and discusses its current and future place in Reformed worship. A glossary of terms and extensive appendixes with the texts of historic eucharistic prayers make this a useful and welcome resource for scholars, students, and clergy.

Lift Your Hearts On High: Eucharistic Prayer In The Reformed Tradition

The third volume in the exciting new Interpretation series offers a comprehensive look at the theology of sacraments. For many church people, worship is about preaching and music. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are occasional additions to Sunday services. Recognizing that church-goers are uncertain about the need for sacraments, Ronald Byars describes the possibility that the very doing of worship--the actions observed, the postures assumed, the sound and sight of water, the smell and taste of bread and wine--will subtly alter the temper of the heart and the mind. If we encounter the sacraments honestly, they lead us to the very heart of the gospel.

The Sacraments in Biblical Perspective: Interpretation: Resources for the Use of Scripture in the Church

This second book in the Foundations of Christian Faith series explores such questions as, who cares about worship? what are the meanings for contemporary Christians of worship and the sacraments? what motivates people to worship God? and what constitutes meaningful worship today?"
The Foundations of Christian Faith series enables readers to learn about contemporary theology in ways that are clear, enjoyable, and meaningful. It examines the doctrines of the Christian faith and stimulates readers not only to think more deeply about their faith but also to understand their faith in relationship to contemporary challenges and questions. Individuals and study groups alike will find these guides invaluable in their search for depth and integrity in their Christian faith.

Christian Worship: Glorifying and Enjoying God (The Foundations of Christian Faith)

Geneva Press

In "The Bread of Life," Ron Byars provides a clear and concise understanding of what the Lord’s Supper means for Presbyterians. His fresh insights explain the significance of the words we hear and pray when we come to the Lord’s Table, why the Lord’s Supper is a celebration of thanksgiving that extends beyond these words, and why this joyful feast compels us to look toward God’s promised future. This immensely helpful guide, which includes questions for individual reflection or group discussion, is ideal for church school classes and new member classes eager to learn the biblical, theological, and practical aspects of the Lord’s Supper.

The Bread Of Life: A Guide To The Lord's Supper For Presbyterians

Geneva Pr

What language is most appropriate for worship? Should it lean toward the colloquial, perhaps targeting those attending a worship service for the first time? Or should it be a language with deeper roots, the language of a community that, for the most part, already loves the God to whom worship is offered? Ronald Byars argues that the communal speech that truly honors God is, in fact, biblical language, which encompasses a vast range of forms -- poetry and prose, song and proverb, parable and narrative. Byars explains how biblical language becomes liturgical language that pushes us beyond what we already think we know, requiring us to think anew about death and resurrection, beginnings and endings, and the life of faith. What Language Shall I Borrow? is an instructive, eloquent reminder not to retreat from biblical language and images but to fully embrace them in our worship today.

What Language Shall I Borrow?: The Bible and Christian Worship (The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Liturgical Studies (CICW))

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Mainstream American Protestantism is suffering from an identity crisis. We are not fundamentalists, but it is easy to define ourselves in reaction to them. Paralyzed by the shock of a cultural turn toward skepticism, we are tempted to make allies of the skeptics, partly to distance ourselves from the religious right and partly to lay claim to credibility in a milieu in which it is okay to be spiritual but not to be religious. A consequence is that we find ourselves playing in the shallow end of the pool. The historic Protestant principle serves as an enabler when it privileges questioning over affirmation, causing us to lose the necessary balance between the two. American-style generic Protestantism as it has evolved does not have strong enough foundations to withstand cultural pressures. Discovering an identity worth being taken seriously will require revisiting the broad catholic and reforming tradition in order to find an authoritative rather than merely reactive voice. The challenge is theological, but not to academic theology. The challenge rather is to the theology that sustains the local congregation through teaching, certainly, but most pressingly through preaching and worship. The times call for thoughtful and strategic repositioning.

Finding Our Balance: Repositioning Mainstream Protestantism

Cascade Books

Why has there been such an increase in the number of Presbyterian congregations celebrating the Lord's Supper every week? Come and See explores the following causes: generational change, ecumenical convergence, revisiting Reformed roots, heightened interest in spirituality, new perspectives offered by ritual studies, and the postmodern opening to a deeper appreciation of Scripture. Worship that is a balance of Word and Sacrament is incarnationally serious, recognizing that human persons are embodied beings who bring to worship all of our senses--not only the ability to process words. Presbyterian congregations celebrating weekly Communion are discovering ways of being and thinking missionally as they link their experiences of being nourished at the Holy Table to the needs of people who are physically as well as spiritually hungry. Come and See describes a number of congregations who have made the transition to weekly Communion and tells how they did it, working within Presbyterian polity and local cultures. Some are traditional, established congregations, while others are new church developments. They may be found in the north and south, east and west, across the broad Presbyterian theological and demographic spectrums. ""In Come and See, Byars has provided a rich resource for pastors, worship committees, and governing bodies that is theological, sociological, and practical as churches take a fresh look at how Word and Sacrament together make for a more missional response. I certainly plan on using it with our worship team and recommend it to others. The response could well be transformational for churches of all sizes, traditions, and settings."" --Stephen R. Montgomery, Pastor, Idlewild Presbyterian Church ""'Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the saving death of our risen Lord until he comes again.' We need to proclaim the past-present-future presence and power of our risen Lord and Savior at every turn in every moment; that's the power of weekly celebrations of the Eucharist. Ronald Byars in Come and See reminds the church of our Lord's call and promise. Byars puts into conversation the actual practices and lived theology of worshipping-witnessing communities with the rich theological treasure of the Reformed traditions and the biblical witness. In one volume, we receive that which is being heard, tasted and drunk. As you read and reflect upon what Byars has written, may the testimonies and our theological traditions metabolize in your life and that of your communities, leading you to meet the Word at the table."" --Neal D. Presa, Pastor, Middlesex Presbyterian Church, New Jersey Ronald Byars is Professor Emeritus of Preaching and Worship at Union Presbyterian Seminary, Richmond, Virginia, where he taught following many years in pastoral ministry in both Michigan and Kentucky. In addition to Christian Worship (2000), his most recent book is The Sacraments in Biblical Perspective (2011). He lives in Lexington, Kentucky.

Come and See

Wipf and Stock

Regular worshipers may be believers on Sunday but (nearly) atheists by Thursday. The general public, not making fine distinctions, lumps mainline Protestants together with fundamentalists fighting to hold on to a privileged status already lost. Circumstances favor religious skeptics, who find themselves with rising influence. Church members in mainline denominations feel caught between a rock and a hard place. Thus comes the critical question of the moment: is Christian faith of an intellectually serious and recognizably generous sort still possible? This book invites readers to explore basic questions about faith itself, and classically inclined Christian faith in particular. Faith is a kind of knowing, but a knowing that makes use of doubt and asserts that it is possible to be confident without claiming absolute certainty. Faith is less like agreeing with an argument and more like falling in love. Faith involves learning how to see with the eyes of the heart. Faith embraces realities that can be perceived even by a child, but that cannot always be directly expressed in the kind of language we use for discussing serious matters. Living in faith is and will always be an against-the-grain way of imagining the world.

Believer on Sunday, Atheist by Thursday: Is Faith Still Possible?

Why has there been such an increase in the number of Presbyterian congregations celebrating the Lord's Supper every week? Come and See explores the following causes: generational change, ecumenical convergence, revisiting Reformed roots, heightened interest in spirituality, new perspectives offered by ritual studies, and the postmodern opening to a deeper appreciation of Scripture. Worship that is a balance of Word and Sacrament is incarnationally serious, recognizing that human persons are embodied beings who bring to worship all of our senses-not only the ability to process words. Presbyterian congregations celebrating weekly Communion are discovering ways of being and thinking missionally as they link their experiences of being nourished at the Holy Table to the needs of people who are physically as well as spiritually hungry. Come and See describes a number of congregations who have made the transition to weekly Communion and tells how they did it, working within Presbyterian polity and local cultures. Some are traditional, established congregations, while others are new church developments. They may be found in the north and south, east and west, across the broad Presbyterian theological and demographic spectrums.

Come and See: Presbyterian Congregations Celebrating Weekly Communion

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Byars, Ronald P.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Byars, Ronald P.