Worship Flashcards
What is worship?
Worship is a word used by religious people to describe how they feel and act towards God. Christians believe that through worship, God communicates in some way with the believer.
In worship, what do Christians show to God?
They show their adoration, love, honour and respect towards God.
What are the 3 basic forms of communal worship?
Liturgical, non-liturgical and charismatic.
What is liturgical worship?
It uses set patterns for services. Liturgical worship is a form of worship where the congregation responds to the person or people leading the service by reading set words for, a service sheet or book. The service and many of the things that are said and done are the same every time the congregation meets for worship.
Which churches use liturgical worship?
The Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church and the Church of England use liturgical worship.
What does the familiarity of the service and the words help to do for some Christians in liturgical worship?
The familiarity of the service and the words can help them reflect more deeply about the meaning and significance.
What is important about the use of colour in liturgy?
The symbolic use of colour is important in both the Church of England and the Catholic Church and it is tied in with the Church year, during which different parts of Jesus’ life and work are remembered.
What do liturgies that are celebrated during different season of the liturgical year have?
They have distinctive music and specific readings, prayers and rituals.
What is non-liturgical worship?
Non-liturgical worship is more spontaneous and has little pre-organised structure. There will be a person known as the minister who leads the service but anyone in the congregation may be invited to pray, choose a hymn or reading and preach the sermon.
Which churches is non-liturgical worship most common amongst?
Protestant and non-conformist churches, e.g. Baptist, United Reformed or Presbyterian churches.
Why is non-liturgical worship used by these Christians?
Because it is a less formal kind of worship which ensures they do not become stuck in an exact routine always saying or doing the same things without thinking what they really mean.
What is the focus of non-liturgical services?
The focus of these services helps to reinforce the importance of the Bible as the authoritative word of God. The sermon will help the congregation understand the message of the Bible, the word of God and its application to their daily lives.
What is Charismatic worship?
This type of worship does not follow a set pattern and often includes dancing, clapping and people raising their hands in the air as part of their worship to God.
What do Charismatic Christians believe?
They believe that they receive similar gifts of the Spirit which can be used in worship, including speaking in tongues (glossolalia), prophecy and healing. They believe it is possible to experience the same gifts of the Holy Spirit as the Apostles experience on the day of Pentecost [Acts 2:1-11].
Worshippers seek to be open to the Holy Spirit and to be led by him during the service. What could this mean?
This could mean that a person in the congregation feels it is the right moment for them to say a special prayer of for a hymn of praise or for a silent reflection.
