The Bible is also used corporately to give sermons. This is where the leader of the particular church will explain from a pulpit, the meaning of a reading, story, or passage from the Bible, and apply it to a real life situation. This could help someone to answer a problem, or help guide him or her into making a decision.
Many prayers such as the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father, who art in heaven….) are taken directly from the bible, and song/hymns are taken from the book of psalms, which is a collection of poems, and sometimes these are read or sung at ceremonies such as baptisms, funerals, and weddings
Quotations are also taken from the bible like at communion the priest will reap the words of Jesus at his last supper, before the congregation come forward to receive their bread and wine.
Orthodox churches treat the Bible with so much respect that they carry the Bible at the front of a procession to lead the way, as a symbol of the Bible leading us the way in our life.
The Bible is also used at Sunday schools where groups of children can be taught stories from the bible, children have many favourites such as ‘Jonah and the whale’ and they all have hidden morals. Children can also be given activities to do that are based around the Bible. Christians believe it is important to educate children about the Bible so that they can grow up to be strong members of the faith.
The Bible is also used frequently in private worship. It can be read systematically from beginning to end as a piece of literature or randomly wherever the reader fells it is necessary to do so or it can be read purely for enjoyment. Christians can sometimes understand the meaning of the Bible more easily if they have read it more than once; so most Christians do this so that they can let the moral of a story sink into their little heads.
Some Christians meditate alongside the Bible; this is where they would set aside a few minutes of each day either in the morning or the night to concentrate solely on the use of their bible. They can either read a section of the Bible, or just think about the effect the Bible has on life.
Fundamentalists believe the Bible is the direct word of God, although some people say that it only contains the word of God. However all Christians can relate to the Bible in some way, and can turn to it for comfort, guidance or support, whether they believe this is the direct word from God or just inspired by God.
The Bible can also be used to study from in both private and corporate worship (in small study groups) where either someone will read through passages from the Bible in a commentary written by biblical experts, then discuss the topics that have been roused by the commentary, or take notes from the commentary in their own private Bible that will help them to come to a deeper understanding of their personal faith, and the Bible’s application to life.
