Bob Sorge is linked with the International House of Prayer ministry based in Kansas City Missouri. A fundamental emphasis of that particular ministry is ‘Worship Music’ as a key to the life of a vibrant church. This short book is based on the idea that the ultimate worship experience can be described as ‘following the river’. Ezekiel’s vision found in chapter 47 of his prophecy is the underlying picture and although Bob Sorge admits that the vision is about more than what has come to be known as ‘the worship time’ in charismatic churches he never the less takes up that idea and states that he intends by this book to show that there is much more possible and available than is the presently experienced in most church gatherings. The chapters are short, the style is straightforward and there is a profound concern underlying what the author has written. Unfortunately the book suffers from the narrow, reductionistic grid from which it comes. The idea that worship is that hour featuring a band with so called worship leader presiding and which precedes whatever follows at a Christian meeting is the problem. Biblically this is simply not true, worship cannot be equated with singing and music, and they are just a part of much, much more that constitutes worship as the scriptures reveal it. In short, the book does not go deep or broad enough. It seeks to correct, helpfully, I think, what is already a fundamental confusion present in the churches. It does not go far enough because it is still making too much of music and singing, instead of it being a part of the whole flowing of the river of God’s quickening activity as His people are gathered together, it makes the band, the song leader and the whole machinery of singing everything. That this is making too much of the blessing of songs and music is incontrovertible. Such an idea is very much a westernized modern Christian church habit. Having mentioned these negatives there is still benefit from a reading of the book in that it does open up the possibilities that God has made available for the corporate life of His churches. I doubt that this book will do much to change the status quo as found in most churches, it will need a revolution of understanding that comes from God alone. As His people cry to Him and He opens up His truth to them by revelation there will be change. In the meantime the main premise in this book will be a step in the right direction if the musicians, singers and leaders decide to embrace, believe and practice what Bob Sorge has written.
