BOOK REVIEW: Beeke, Joel. Family Worship. Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2002. 35 pages.
The Puritan divine Thomas Manton in his "Epistle to the Reader of the Westminster Confession of Faith and Larger and Shorter Catechisms” reveals the typical high regard of ministers long time ago on the role of the parents in the catechizing and discipling of their children. Elsewhere (https://thexparadigm4parents.wordpress.com/2011/02/11/thomas-manton-and-family-worship/), I have outlined Manton's said essay. Family worship is the theme of this book review and it focuses on Joel Beeke's booklet _Family Worship_. With the discipleship movement in overdrive in the Philippines, a more conservative appeal for family worship grounds this discipleship social action. Beeke is "President and Professor of Systematic Theology and Homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, pastor of the Heritage Netherlands Reformed congregation in Grand Rapids, Michigan, editor of The Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth, and the author of numerous books" (Banner of Truth, website).
Beeke's booklet admonishes parents on the practice of family worship for Christian families. It focuses on persuading readers, most especially fathers, about the biblical foundation of family worship, why this is a duty and how to do it (the specifics up to the breakdown of time for the programme). Quite important is Beeke's last chapter on motivations as it zeroes in on existential reasons for the parents.
I find this booklet a fine introduction to a good library of books on family worship. But more importantly it is also an adequate beginner's guide on how to start family worship. Readers (most especially parents) will find in this booklet a sufficient explanation on the subject and a fine persuasive literature to start your own family worship. It is my hope that readers of this review will find time to check on Beeke's booklet that they can download here for free http://www.ntslibrary.com/PDF%20Books/FamilyWorship.pdf.
