Spirit and Sacrament

Reviewed by:

Demelza Ramirez, Imago Dei Anglican Church, 56 Center Street, Bangor, ME 04401

Title:

Spirit and Sacrament: An Invitation to Eucharismatic Worship

Author:

Andrew Wilson

Publisher:

Zondervan

Publication Date:

2018

Format:

Print Book

Length:

140 pages

OVERVIEW

Andrew Wilson is a call to all Christians to consider two of the most dynamic expressions of Christian worship, historically kept separate, and bring them together to fully embody what it means to worship as a modern Christian. This combining of the Eucharistic sacramental worship style of liturgical churches and the charismatic-evangelical worship style of typical modern churches Wilson terms “Eucharismatic.”

Wilson builds this idea throughout the book, climaxing in the last chapter with practical and pastoral steps to help facilitate a more “eucharismatic” worship within a local congregation. Wilson is aware that the people reading his book may or may not be familiar with how the other side worships and presents the gospel so he is careful to represent each side, the Eucharistic sacramental and the charismatic-evangelical, in ways that are not simplifying, but also easy to comprehend and understand. For the churches who celebrate a weekly Eucharist and are sacramental: Roman Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans, etc., he points the reader to what each church is attempting to convey through their liturgies. He reminds the reader that things such as architecture matters, that the Eucharistic sacramental way of doing church focuses on the holiness of the Spirit and its place within the physical reality of the Church. For the more modern churches, Wilson shows how the Spirit has moved through individuals and even groups to bring about reform and revival regardless of place or building, while reminding people that these churches tend to take a more spiritualized approach to how the Spirit moves and works in the lives of Christians.

Interested in what worship might look like if one were to combine the sacramental and the charismatic together? Wondering how that might even be possible? Andrew Wilson’s Spirit and Sacrament: An Invitation to Eucharismatic Worship is a compelling and engaging invitation to all Christians.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5):

5 stars

Suggested Audience:

Ministry leaders and others in pastoral roles

Christian Impact:

This book will help readers come to a better understanding of how the two seemingly polar opposites of Christian expression can be used together to further the Gospel.