Practises - Worship Flashcards
(11 cards)
Communal worship
Communal worship is when Christians worship in church on a Sunday with other people who make up the congregation. Christians may feel they benefit from the experience of worshipping with others who share the same believe and attitudes. There are three basic forms of worship - liturgical, non-liturgical, and charismatic - but there are many variations between these three forms depending on the denomination and also on the purpose of the service of worship.
Liturgical worship
- Some churches are more formal in organisation than others and use set patterns for their services. This is known as liturgical worship. In this form of service the congregation responds to the person or people leading the service by reading set words from a service sheet or book.
- For some Christians the familiarity of the service and the words can help them reflect more deeply on their meaning and significance.
Liturgical worship — the Eucharistic service
The Eucharistic service focuses on the Eucharist, the celebration or remembrance of Jesus’ suffering and death. During the Eucharist service the congregation receive bread and wine, which they believe represent Jesus’ body and blood. This is because at Jesus’ last meal with his disciples, he broke a loaf of bread for them to eat and poured wine for them to drink, and explained how his body would be broken and his blood shed. He commanded them to do the same with bread and wine whenever they meet together.
Liturgical worship - the service of the Word
- The service of the Word does not include Eucharist. The service focuses on Bible readings and the sermon. The sermon will be longer and more developed that that of a Eucharistic service.
Anglican worship
Anglican services generally use the Book of Common Prayer or Common Worship liturgy books for congregational worship. During the service hymns will be sung along with canticles. They will also stand for the reading of the creed and the Gospel reading. They then prepare the table with bread and wine and the Eucharistic prayer, and Eucharistic service is performed.
Roman Catholic worship
Roman Catholics also use an order of service, which is written in a book called a missal. Catholic services have a similar structure to those of the Church of England. The main difference, however, is in the beliefs associated with the bread and wine during the Eucharist. Whereas Catholics believe in transubstantiation (the transformation of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ), most Anglicans do not. Catholics believe that at each Eucharist service Jesus’ sacrifice is truly recreated at the altar, but most Anglicans understand Jesus’ death to have been a single event in time, never to be repeated, and yet effective throughout all time.
Quaker meeting
Quakers call their worship service a ‘meeting for worship’. A meeting will last approximately an hour. People enter the meeting room and take a seat in silence. In this silence and stillness the worshippers are able to reflect, think and listen. There are no songs, set prayers, readings or talks. In this silence the Quakers believe they are able to come closer to God.
When someone chooses to speak, pray or read aloud during worship this is called a ministry. Ministry is listened to, in silence, by all who have gathered. The meeting comes to an end when two Quakers shake hands. The rest of those gathered will then begin to shake hands with those around them.
Greek Orthodox
In Greek Orthodox churches, Eucharist is usually called the Divine Liturgy. The service lasts about an hour and a half and is separated into two major sections.
The first section of the service is called the ‘Liturgy of the Word’. It contains hymns, prayers and a reading from the Bible set for that day. This is then followed by the ‘Liturgy of the Faithful’. This is because, historically, only baptised believers were allowed to participate in this part of the worship. In this section the Nicene Creed is said by the whole congregation, and the bread and wine are consecrated.
The Orthodox Church emphasises the role of the Holy Spirit in the Divine Liturgy. During the ‘Prayer of Consecration’, God the Father is called upon to send down his Holy Spirit to bring about the change of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ.
Methodist worship
Methodist worship also follows a liturgy and the services are very similar to those of the Anglican Church. Eucharist is called the Service of the Table in the liturgy, but generally it is referred to as communion. Methodists practise open communion. This means that all people are welcome to participate in the communion.
Non-liturgical services
Other church services are non - liturgical, which means they may be more spontaneous and have little pre - organised structure. The minister leads the service, but anyone in the congregation may be invited to pray in their own way, choose a hymn or reading, or to preach the sermon. The sermon will be the focus of the service and will help the congregation understand the message of the Bible and its application to their daily lives. This form of worship is most common in Protestant and non-conformist churches, for example baptist and Methodist churches.
Charismatic worship
Charismatic worship is a lively and spontaneous form of Christian worship where believers aim to be led by the Holy Spirit. It is inspired by the events of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit gave Jesus’ followers the ability to speak in unknown languages and gave them strength to share their faith. Charismatic Christians believe they receive similar spiritual gifts, such as speaking in tongues, prophecy, and healing.
This worship style does not follow a strict pattern and often includes dancing, clapping, and raised hands. Worshippers may pray aloud, sing, or reflect silently as they feel led by the Spirit. While charismatic worship can be found in various Christian denominations, it is especially common in Pentecostal churches.
