Product Description

In the Splendor of Holiness is a book that takes us by the hand and leads us back to the basics of biblical worship. A useful resource for personal study, small groups, Sunday school and new member classes, this study encourages the recovery of worship that is unashamedly God-centered and manifestly Scriptural. Rediscover the beauty of Reformed worship for the 21st Century.

Jon Payne deftly guides readers through the various parts of the worship service and explains not simply why these activities constitute Reformed worship. He also carefully delineates why Presbyterians worship the way they do. In so doing, Payne provides a clear, convincing and edifying account of historic Reformed worship. Here Christians will find great assistance for the most significant part of each week.

- Dr. Darryl G. Hart; from the forward Intercollegiate Studies Institute, Wilmington, DE

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #270607 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-01
• Binding: Hardcover
• 122 pages

Review
... In the Splendor of Holiness by Jon Payne is an excellent instrument to communicate the elements of true, biblical worship as well as a training manual for both the leadership and membership of a local church in fulfilling God's call to exalt in the praise of His glorious grace. --Dr. Harry L. Reeder III, Senior Minister, Briarwood Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, AL

In the Splendor of Holiness is clear, well-reasoned, practical, and, above all things, thoroughly biblical. And it is as needed as it is helpful. I will consider this as essential reading for officer training classes, and it is suitable for distribution to prospective new member classes. Through Jon Payne's work we hear the voice of our Good Shepherd on a subject that has become part of the ruins of evangelicalism. Thankfully, with pastors like Dr. Payne, our Savior's church will be fed and led. This is a tool that every Reformed pastor should want his people to know and love. ----Dr. David W. Hall, Senior Minister, Midway Presbyterian Church, Powder Springs, GA

Jon Payne has given us a gem in his new book, In the Splendor of Holiness . Cutting through the forest of opinion on worship, Dr. Payne gets to the heart of the matter in a brief but succinct account of what constitutes the heart of corporate worship. Nothing is more important than the public worship of God, but our age has yielded to the gods of flippancy and utilitarian- ism. It seems all too obvious to ask, what has God commanded that we do when we gather together for public worship? The answer? Here it is in his book! I cannot recommend it too highly. It deserves to be in every Christian home. --Dr. Derek Thomas, Professor of Systematic Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson

About the Author
Jon David Payne was born and raised in Santa Clara, California. Dr. Payne is a graduate of Clemson University, Reformed Theological Seminary and the University of Edinburgh, New College. He has been serving as minister of Grace Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Douglasville, GA since June 2003.

Customer Reviews

Helpful, But Disappointing Effort
I came to this book with great anticipation and in one sense was not disappointed. It was helpful to have laid out in a few short pages the major "movements" of a church service, as well as to have them presented in what is their logical & Biblical order.

HOWEVER, the book makes the same two mistakes those seeking to defend their liturgical traditions seem to always make - first, seeing a lack of respect and/or a lack of piety in the service orders of those of other denominations (in this case, those that are not of the Reformed/"high church" tradition) and second, committing the error of a kind of circular reasoning by quoting authors from their own denomination in support of their thesis. I get a kick out of authors who complain that we should go back to Scripture to defend our positions and then go on to quote minimally from the Bible and abundantly from their own denominational ammo box. Admittedly, Rev. Payne is less guilty of this than others I have read, but the problem does underpin the book. You can't say, "The sky is blue" and then go on to use your statement that the sky is blue as your proof.

Take out "Reformed" and substitute in "Lutheran," "Anglican," etc. and essentially the book could stand for what the traditionalists of any particular denomination would want. Thus, in the end, while these books may have some sort of reviving effect intra-denominationally, I think books of this sort may do a disservice to the Church Universal inter-denominationally by (inadvertently?) harping on what makes the denominations different (the point is always "mine is right and yours is not," by the way) and by questioning the piety of those not like them. Augustine had it right - "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, charity." We should truly look to apply this maxim here for in matters of liturgy, we should be very careful in staking out what amounts to doctrinal absolutes. God is the great "I AM" and what He says about right and wrong remain forever, but cultures and cultural norms do change.

I am an unabashed evangelical who is more comfortable in a liturgical setting and my travels in the military have given me the chance to experience a wide variety of settings in a wide variety of churches in a wide variety of denominations. I echo some of the author's criticisms of evangelical service orders (entertainment often seems to trump worship), but I cannot agree with his intimation that a more "relaxed" (as he calls it) service order is innately disrespectful. And the converse is not always true either - more formalized and traditional service orders do not necessarily lead to greater and better worship. Unfortunately, while the exterior trappings may have been more dignified or respectful of tradition, the spirit of the congregation was often not focused on the Lord. In fact, it often seemed as if the congregation had made an idol of the liturgy (something I would in all humility ask the author to ponder). In the end, if our hearts are not in it, it does not matter what type of service goes on around them.

And there is where I find agreement with Rev Payne. Christian churches, in their desire for bodies in the pews have forsaken good doctrine and preaching at the expense of the souls within those bodies. We are in desperate need of Revival.

One final comment. As one who came to Dispensationalism in his teens (from the Roman Catholic Church), I am very well acquainted with the movement and its tenets/statements/doctrines/beliefs. I will offer Rev Payne the same comment I offered a very good friend of mine (and Lutheran pastor) - your effort is sullied by the discourtesy of painting an entire movement with the statements of a minority extreme. I'm sure you would not say the Reformed Church is typified by those you may deem extreme in your tradition; just so within Dispensationalism where Dallas Theological Seminary, Moody Bible Institute, etc. are the norm, not the exception.

I admit that I came to this book with my own cultural and (non)denominational basis, so if I missed the author's points and have unfairly criticized him, I ask his forgiveness. In the end, I support his desire for Christians to take worship seriously - Jesus is, after all, no plush toy and God is, after all, not some sort of cosmic vending machine.

Great, Concise Look at Reformed Worship
I appreciated this book's concise review of each aspect of a reformed order of worship. It is easy to read, yet full of depth and meaning.

In the Splendor of Holiness
In the Splendor of Holiness is a compact roadmap, if you will, for planning an orderly, God-centered worship service. Dr. Payne not only explains how, but also reminds us why -- theologically and historically -- the components of the order of worship are still important today. This succinct book is a rich read.