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Rating: 
Summary: "Extravagantly Wonderful"
Review: "...I long to be known as an extravagant worshiper...that God would discover the song in my heart to be elaborate, overgenerous, and wasteful in my pursuit of Him." -Darlene Zschech. When I read these words I just knew I had to have this book! This is my life's longing and Pastor Darlene Zschech put it into words. This woman of God has the hand of God's favor upon her so powerfully and her beautiful anointing is so wonderful. This book is such a wonderful glimpse into the heart of Darlene. She talks about some of her hardest life lessons, highest mountaintop experiences, and deepest worship to our Lord! So many times during the book I found myself in tears because of the beautiful spirit and life God has put within her. It jumps off the page and into your spirit. This book is definatly an instument the Holy Spirit will use to minister His water of life into the well spring of your soul! I was encouraged, challenged, and motivated to love my Jesus more and more every moment from now until forever. How wonderful that this life is only the beginning of an eternity worshiping our Beautiful God! If you are a worshiper, this book is a must! If music is your God given destiny, as it is mine, it is imperitive you read this book. I have begun to make this quote the verbalization of my heart's cry and am already seeing and feeling the Holy Spirit breathe new life into the deepest corners of my heart. I know more than ever God's dream is mine and that He will allow me the priveledge of glorifying Him in this calling. I know God will bless you as you delve into the depths of Darlenes love for Him! Mine will never be the same
Rating:
Summary: "Extravagantly Wonderful"
Review: "...I long to be known as an extravagant worshiper...that God would discover the song in my heart to be elaborate, overgenerous, and wasteful in my pursuit of Him." -Darlene Zschech. When I read these words I just knew I had to have this book! This is my life's longing and Pastor Darlene Zschech put it into words. This woman of God has the hand of God's favor upon her so powerfully and her beautiful anointing is so wonderful. This book is such a wonderful glimpse into the heart of Darlene. She talks about some of her hardest life lessons, highest mountaintop experiences, and deepest worship to our Lord! So many times during the book I found myself in tears because of the beautiful spirit and life God has put within her. It jumps off the page and into your spirit. This book is definatly an instument the Holy Spirit will use to minister His water of life into the well spring of your soul! I was encouraged, challenged, and motivated to love my Jesus more and more every moment from now until forever. How wonderful that this life is only the beginning of an eternity worshiping our Beautiful God! If you are a worshiper, this book is a must! If music is your God given destiny, as it is mine, it is imperitive you read this book. I have begun to make this quote the verbalization of my heart's cry and am already seeing and feeling the Holy Spirit breathe new life into the deepest corners of my heart. I know more than ever God's dream is mine and that He will allow me the priveledge of glorifying Him in this calling. I know God will bless you as you delve into the depths of Darlenes love for Him! Mine will never be the same
Rating:
Summary: One should do more than look at the surface
Review: I must admit that when I read the review by the individual in Sweden I was shocked at the ignorance. With all due respect to the individual the only way that his assessment could ever be drawn from this outstanding resource is if someone reads only on the surface of the words and pays no attention to the vast context that can be gained by examining Darlene Zschechs history and the Church in which she serves.
This is a fantastic resource. It is not written to be a theological treatise nor is it void of deep theological truth that she could easily give evidence for if she wanted to compose an apologetic, which she does not. She is challenging people like the reviewer I referenced to realize how quickly we "box" worship in "acceptable, manageable forms." We are God's children, He loves us. God spends everyday responding to His children just as Jesus responded to the people who sought Him out. God doesn't respond because He owes us, it is because He loves us. Darlene's mission is to help every believer unshackle themselves from the bonds of "manageable worship" so that God's children will love Him more extravagantly.
I would encourage the reviewer to spend some time, reference some other materials from Darlene and the Hillsong team, listen past there music and see the heart of people who are rtruly sold out for God and who, in my opinion, have a practicing theology that is far more acurate and biblical than the majority of Churches and Christians who like to label their theology as more acurate than theirs. Every one who wants to love the Lord more needs to spend time in this book!
James
Rating: 
Summary: Theology matters
Review: I must confess that I had a negative bias towards this book when I started reading. I like good hard rock music, or classical music like Bach, and I find much of the new worship music rather dull and uncreative. Moreover, the lyrics are often theologically lame of misleading.
After a few chapters some sympathy for the author was awoken. Zschech is honest about (some of her) mistakes and problems, and it didn't sound too easy to be Darlene Zscech.
Sympathy and biases aside - well maybe no 100 % objetivity will follow... Theologically, Zschech seems to assume a charismatic, evangelical Christianity, influenced by the Word Faith movement. It's a bit vague, since the theology is often only assumed, not described let alone argued. Christians know what they believe, seems to be the assumption, and what is needed is dedication. The question a Christian should ask him- or herself is how much they are willing to worship God. How much are you prepared to sacrifice? From these preconditions (no outlined theology and focus on our service) one easily falls into some form of legalism.
Zschech mixes our work and God's. Our worship seems to be inevitibly blended with God's love. The lyrics in "Shout to the Lord" is no coincidence: "All of my days I want to praise, the wonders of your mighty love". The relationship between God's acts and our worship is even reversed, when Zschech says that God acts as a response to our worship. (Granted, some Bible verses are given to support this view, this is definitely not the general thrust of the Bible.) When we praise God, God acts. This also turnes praise into prayer, in an odd way. Shouldn't praise be a response to what God *has* done (Rev. 4:4; 5:9-10)? If we want God to do something, shouldn't we simply pray?
In this book we can read about a showbusiness spirit, look-at-me spirit, and creating an atmosphere of faith. This kind of hyper-spirituality is not based on the Bible, and tends to ascribe our human faults and sins to spirits (cf. James 1:14). The focus on atmosphere (here and now) may make us somewhat overlook the objectivity of the Gospel and salvation.
What I really miss in this book, is what i percieve as true worship. When believers together sing about and give praise to God for salvation through Jesus' death and resurrection - without any other motives than that. In order to have such worship, Hillsong first would need a sound theology. And in order to have good corporate worship, the "intimacy" of the music and lyrics would have to change since they also tend to make the songs individualistic.
Instead of this book, I would recommend Vaughan Roberts chapter "The Place of Music and Singing in Church", which can be found in his book "True Worship" or on the internet.
Rating: 
Summary: Take a look at your heart as you read through this book.
Review: This book is filled with a challenge to make worship your lifestyle, not just on Sunday morning. Darlene shares personal stories and examples in the scriptures which cause the reader to see that being an extravangant worshiper goes deep into one's heart to see what lies there. Worship comes from deep within your being. The act of worship is the outside that is seen. But God sees the heart of the worshiper. It is not just all about the music and lyrics but the preparation of your heart. Take a look at your heart as you read through this book. You will discover how God is drawing you ever closer to Him. The insights shared by Darlene will confirm to you that you want to hear from Him in the simplicity of His presence. You will see that having radical faith and expection when you worship will refresh you! You will not look at worship the same way as you have before. You will find worship is a part of you, not just something you do. --- reviewed by Susan Bradbury for Christian Bookshelf
Rating:
Summary: excellence
Review: This book is one of the best I have ever read about worship. It has both uplifted me and inspired me to pursue my hopes and dreams. It's almost like the author is speaking directly to me. I think this book would be a great study guide for a worship team or Sunday school class. Thank you, Darlene!
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