Worship

• What is worship?

  • Worship is the act of religious praise, honour or devotion
  • It is a way for Christians to show their deep love and honour to God 
  • Worship can take different forms including liturgical, non liturgical and informal worship 
  • Private worship is when believers praise or honour God in their own home

  
• Why do Christians worship?

  • To praise and thank God 
  • To ask for forgiveness 
  • To seek God’s help for themselves or for others 
  • To deepen their relationship with God , and strengthen their faith

  
• What is liturgical worship?

  Liturgical worship is a church service that follows a set structure or ritual

  
• What form does liturgical worship take?

  • It takes place in a church 
  • A priest leads the congregation and may perform symbolic actions 
  • There are formal prayers with set responses 
  • Bible passages are read out and there may be a sermon 
  • There is music and hymns

  
• What are some examples of liturgical worship?

  The Eucharist for Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican Churches

  
• Why is liturgical worship important for Christians?

  • There is a worldwide set order for services that is familiar for everyone 
  • The rituals that are followed are passed down through generations , and this gives a sense of tradition 
  • Bible readings in the service follow the Christian calendar and teach Christian history and faith

  
• What is non-liturgical worship?

  Non liturgical worship is a church service that does not follow a set structure or ritual 

  
• What form does non-liturgical worship take?

  • It takes place in a church 
  • It is often focused on Bible passages , followed by a sermon 
  • It may also have prayers and hymns , but there is no set order , and the number and type can change from week to week

  
• What are some examples of non-liturgical worship?

  Services in non-Conformist churches e.g. Methodist, Baptist, United Reformed 

  
• Why is non-liturgical worship important for Christians?

  • Services can be planned and ordered to suit a certain theme , making them more convenient 
  • Non-Conformist churches , which usually follow non-liturgical worship, place emphasis on the word of God in the Bible

  
• What is informal worship?

  Informal worship is a type of non-liturgical worship that is spontaneous or charismatic in nature

  
• What form does informal worship take?

  • Communities or house churches meet in private homes and share food 
  • Quaker worship is mainly silent , people speak when moved by God to offer their thoughts or read from the Bible 
  • ‘Charismatic’ worship may involve dancing, clapping, calling out and speaking in tongues

  
• What are examples of informal worship?

  Community or house churches , Quaker worships , charismatic worship of the Pentecostal Church (Worship led by the spirit)

  
• Why is informal worship important to Christians?

  • The style of worship in house churches is similar to the worship of early Christians 
  • People can share readings and prayers and can be active in a church service by calling out or speaking without formal training 
  • Services may have an emotional impact , with a feeling of personal revelation from God (God helping Christians to know him)