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Reviewed by Kenneth H. Carter, Jr., senior pastor of Providence United Methodist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina God At The Crossroads: The Four Movements of Transformational Worship by Jeff Patton The worship of God is at the very heart of the church's mission, and one would assume that seekers of meaning, purpose and transcendence would connect with God through services led by educated and equipped leaders. That this is not always, of even often the case is the result of a missed opportunity. This opportunity is defined by the author, Jeff Patton, as a "divine intersection." Drawing upon the writings of the late James Loder of Princeton Theological Seminary, Patton identifies four dimensions of human experience that result in a convergence; these are the "lived world," the "self," the "void" and the "Holy." The lived world is the external environment in which we live; the self is the embodiment of the person in relation to the world; the void is the attempt to relate to that which threatens meaning and purpose in life; and the Holy is the "invasion" of God's transforming presence through the power of the Spirit. With this framework in place, Patton skillfully reflects on the failures and strengths of both contemporary and traditional worship services. Services that fail are poorly prepared and lack a sense of expectancy in any kind of "divine intersection." Services that succeed are ones marked by intentionality, honesty and passion. This book is clearly aimed at pastors who are struggling with the "worship wars," to borrow Tom Long's phrase, but it could also be read by worship teams and lay leaders of worship. It is clearly written for practitioners, for those who lead and care about worship, and especially for those who long for a divine intersection in the weekly act of offering worship to God. God At The Crossroads is helpful in that it avoids simplistic, either/or assumptions about worship styles, targets and outcomes. Jeff Patton trusts that worship is finally about God; indeed the transformation occurs at the divine intersection (the "Crossroads.") Theology is not reduced to sociology or demographics, to cultural niches or generational preferences. I was appreciative of the author's ability to find passion in differing styles of worship (traditional, blended, contemporary.) For this reason, this book will move traditional worshippers to look again at the merits of the contemporary, and it will also prod contemporary leaders to access the riches of the traditional. Here Patton offers a gift to the worshipping congregation. This is not a calling for the faint of heart, and it requires a willingness to invest heart, mind, soul and body in offering the very best to God, for the sake of God's people. The result, however, is worth the effort. We do yearn for divine intersections. We do enter sanctuaries, or multiple-purpose spaces prepared for worship services, in the hopes that something will invade our lives, transforming us in the process, lifting up our hearts to the Lord. When a number of factors converge, some within our control and some beyond it, we are changed and God is glorified.
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