Spirit and Sacrament: An Invitation to Eucharismatic Worship

Description

Spirit and Sacrament by pastor and author Andrew Wilson is an impassioned call to join together two traditions that are frequently and unnecessarily kept separate. It is an invitation to pursue the best of both worlds in worship, the Eucharistic and the charismatic, with the grace of God at the center. Wilson envisions church services in which healing testimonies and prayers of confession coexist, the congregation sings When I Survey the Wondrous Cross followed by Happy Day, and creeds move the soul while singing moves the body. He imagines a worship service that could come out of the book of Acts: Young men see visions, old men dream dreams, sons and daughters prophesy, and they all come together to the same Table and go on their way rejoicing. In short, Spirit and Sacrament is an appeal to bring out of the church's storehouse all of its treasures, so that God's people can worship our unrivaled Savior with sacraments and spiritual gifts, raised hands and lowered faces.

Andrew Wilson is teaching pastor at King's Church London and has theology degrees from Cambridge (MA), London School of Theology (MTh), and King's College London (PhD). He is a columnist for Christianity Today and has written several books, including Echoes of Exodus and Spirit and Sacrament.

I can't think of anyone more qualified to address this challenging topic than Andrew Wilson. He writes on the convergent themes of spirit and sacrament with remarkable clarity and precision. As a fellow continuationist, I found his treatment of spiritual gifts altogether persuasive. As one who is less inclined sacramentally/ liturgically, I was challenged and stirred to think more deeply about the relationship between these two aspects of Christian and local church life. Regardless of where you land on these twin topics, no one can afford to ignore Andrew's pointed and thoroughly biblical treatment of them. * Sam Storms, Bridgeway Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma * This is the book I've been waiting for! Spirit and Sacrament dismantles dichotomies that pit the good gifts of God against each other and invites us instead to feast on the whole enchilada Jesus has prepared for us---through worship that is (I love Andrew's new term here) "eucharismatic": integrating both liturgy and levity, deep roots and ecstatic experience, formative practice and fresh divine power. For what holds both Eucharist and charisma together is, at their center, God's charis: grace. * Joshua Ryan Butler, pastor of Redemption Church-Tempe, author of The Skeletons in God's Closet and The Pursuing God * Drawing from the richness of the Pentecostal-charismatic and sacramental streams, Andrew Wilson offers a theologically rich and pastorally wise way of holding the best of both worlds together. Best of all, he helps us find both grace and joy at the core. This is the book we've been waiting for. It is clear and compelling, thoughtful and pastoral. I kept thinking as I read it, "Yes! That's who we are! That's what we do!" * Glenn Packiam, associate senior pastor of New Life Church, author of Blessed Broken Given and Discover the Mystery of Faith *