Bob Kauflin, tall, humble & happy, classicly-trained worship czar of Sovereign Grace ministries has been behind much good for Christ's church.  (Get and listen to Sovereign Grace's new CD's Valley of Vision and Savior: Celebrating the Mystery of God Become Man.)  Bob is now in the process of writing a new book on worship which promises to be good, readable, helpful, even by the standards of this regulative-principle, Calvinistic, hymn-loving Baptist reader.   Bob is one of the best, most well-read, most pastorally-senstive conversation partners on the whole topic of worship that God has ever given me.  I have learned and do continue to try to learn from him.

Here's one good quotation in which Bob is typically clear-headed and carefully reasoned:  "I'm a spontaneous guy and love to hear people share freely from their hearts.  However, I've learned that in most cases having people read their testimonies is preferable to having them speak without notes.  The drawback is that people can sound a little impersonal or stiff.  But the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.  People don't head down rabbit trails, they stay within their allotted time, their thoughts can be edited in advance for clarity and content, and they are less anxious.  Written notes also allow them to deviate briefly when appropriate, but give them something to return to."

Bob goes on to give cautions about being too planned.  His logic is ours at Capitol Hill Baptist Church for asking our baptismal candidates to write out their testimonies before they are baptized, and really for me writing out my sermons ahead of time! 

In these comments, as elsewhere, Bob shows himself to be my kind of "decently-and-in-order" charismatic brother!