This book is a book is about the theology of worship. It is written is such a way that a lay person with "a level of understanding" of the Bible (I'm not sure how to characterize that level) should be able to follow all or most of what Peterson is explaining. His discussions include many portions of the Old and New Testaments. To put it another way, if the reader doesn't know very much the Bible, the reader may find it hard to follow what Peterson is explaining.

This book discusses how God wants us to approach and engage with Him today.

In the introduction of the book, Peterson points out that the understanding that many Christians have of worship is related to the modern definition of "worship," which has to do with worth. We are to most certainly worship God because of His worth, but this is just a part of what worshiping God is about. Many Christians look to scriptures in the New Testament as related to worship to determine how we are to worship God, which is definitely proper, but there is more to worship than that.

In chapter 1, Peterson points out that God told Moses that after the Israelites are delivered from Egypt, that "ye shall serve God upon this mountain [Mount Sinai]" (Exodus 3:12 - King James Version). The New International Version of the Bible has the word, "worship," instead of "serve." Peterson then elaborates on how God was the center of the religious and everyday life of the Israelites through the tent-sanctuary (located in the middle of all the Israelites) and things related to it (including the Ark of the Covenant) that God had Moses build and operate.

Chapter 1 includes discussions about God's presence as symbolized in the Ark of the Covenant and that it was moved to Mount Zion in Jerusalem. There is an implication that Jerusalem became God's adopted city, where He is to be worshiped. Also discussed is the temple that Solomon built and its "expression of God's kingship in Israel."

Chapter 2 explains what important Hebrew words on worship mean or may mean in various portions of the Old Testament. Explanations of those words are also given in light of a Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint, sometimes referred as "LXX").

The rest of the book explains worship as discussed in chapters 1 and 2 with various portions of the New Testament. Discussions include (a) Jesus' life, death and resurrection; (b) how we are to approach and engage God as individuals and in gatherings of Christians today; and (c) about worship of God in the future as described in the Book of Revelation).

Below are the titles of the chapters in Engaging With God.

Chapter   1   Engaging with God in the Old Testament

Chapter   2   Honouring, serving and respecting God

Chapter   3   Jesus and new temple

Chapter   4   Jesus and the new covenant

Chapter   5   Temple and community in the Acts of the Apostles

Chapter   6   Paul and the service of the gospel

Chapter   7   Serving God in the assembly of his people

Chapter   8   The book of Hebrews and the worship of Jesus

Chapter   9   Worship in the Revelation to John

Chapter 10   Worship and the gospel -- a summary


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(above section summarized on 2010-10-01)