Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God-Centered Worship

Michael Horton's treatise on worship emerged from his concern that contemporary evangelical worship had lost its theological moorings, becoming either entertainment-driven spectacle or therapeutic self-help. Writing as a Reformed theologian troubled by what he saw as the anthropocentric drift of modern Protestant worship, Horton sought to recover a vision of worship as divine drama rather than human performance.

Horton argues that authentic worship follows a covenantal pattern of God's gracious approach to his people and their grateful response. He structures this around what he calls the "divine service"—worship that flows from God's action toward us rather than our efforts to reach God. The book critiques both seeker-sensitive models that prioritize entertainment and traditional approaches that emphasize human effort or moral instruction. Instead, Horton advocates for worship centered on the proclamation of God's promises, the administration of sacraments, and congregational response through praise and prayer. He draws heavily on Reformed liturgical theology while engaging contemporary worship movements, arguing that true renewal comes not through innovation but through recovery of the gospel's inherent drama of law and grace.

The work has influenced Reformed and liturgically-minded evangelical communities seeking alternatives to both contemporary worship trends and dead traditionalism. Horton's emphasis on worship as covenant renewal has shaped discussions about liturgy's theological function beyond Reformed circles. Who should read this: pastors and worship leaders wrestling with the theological foundations of their practice, and Christians from traditions emphasizing contemporary worship who want to understand Reformed critiques and alternatives. Those satisfied with entertainment-oriented worship or uninterested in liturgical theology will find little here.