Instead of private prayers and devotions, the members of the congregation (after the Reformation) had an active part in the service. The public worship of the Free Churches has a strong bias towards community hymns, reading of the Bible, preaching and teaching. They do celebrate Holy Communion but less frequently than in the Roman Catholic Church, or the Church of England. Free Church services do have the following in common:
- Hymn Singing
- Prayer
- Reading Of The Bible
- Sermon
- People’s Offerings
Charismatic worship has no set form. The leader acts as he feels inspired by the Holy Spirit. A typical spontaneous service would be a Pentecostal service. The worship of the ‘Pentecostal’ Christians is also recognised by its emphasis on belief in the gifts of the Holy Spirit of God in the hearts of those who have faith in Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the world.
The word ‘Pentecost’ shows that these Christians emphasise the same kind of gifts of the Holy Spirit which were given to the Apostles on the first day of Pentecost, fifty days after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. A Pentecostal service is recognised by the energetic conviction that Jesus is risen, he is Lord, and Saviour. In their service there is always an element of calling people to change their lives and be converted to God. In a Pentecostal service the following are usually present:
- Hymns (Sometimes Made Up or Spontaneous)
- Prayer (Coming Form Any Member Of The Congregation)
- Bible Readings
- Preaching
- Prophecy and Tongues
Pentecostal worship is different in the various parts of the world where there are Pentecostal Christians, because their worship is so individual and depends on the way the Spirit of God is expressed in the different gifts.
All types of features are important in these three types of worship because every object in the Church are meant for a reason. This is to tell people that God is present in the Church and that it is a place to thank and worship God for giving us a life on his Earth. Here is a list of some features in the Church and what worship they are important to:
- Vestments - Clothes worn by the priest or bishop who is in charge of the mass. It is a sign on how Jesus wore his clothes when he was alive. Different colours are worn for different times of the year. (Liturgical, Non-Liturgical)
- Eucharist - Recalls the Last Supper, another name for this act is the Holy Communion. Christians represent these by symbols, one of the main symbols to be used is the host. The bread and wine represents the Body and Blood of Jesus, which was said at the Last Supper. (Liturgical)
- Hymns and Prayers - Used as words to give praises to God and to worship him. Most prayers and hymns are usually based on the Bible. (All Worships)
- Altar - Bread and wine are consecrated/blessed and changes into the Body and Blood of Christ, which will be received by the preachers. It is on a different stage to show its importance. (Liturgical)
- Speaking in Tongues - People believe that the Spirit is speaking to others through them. (Charismatic)
- Bible Readings - Readings from The Old and New Testament which are described by the priest to the preachers. (All Worships)
- People’s Offerings – Collections and gifts (donations) from the congregation are taken as part of the act of worship. (Liturgical, Non-Liturgical)
A03
“You do not need to go to church worship to be a Christian?” Discuss. Do you agree or disagree. Give reasons for your reasons for your answer showing that you have considered more than one point of view.
I disagree with this statement because once you have become a Christian you are fully committed to thank and praise God for the rest of your life. I think you do have to worship God in church because it shows more commitment into the promise that you’d made to God. If other members of your family are Christian and do attend Church on a weekly basis, it would be their responsibility to take you to church with them. It is important to worship God in church because it shows a sense of devotion to the Church and God by praying and worshipping him in his house.
Also, if you attend mass you are only giving up less than one hour of your week to praise Jesus and to be one with him. The church is the only place where you can receive sacraments like the Eucharist that is blessed by the priest.
Another important fact is that when you go to the church you are coming together as a community to worship God, this will make Christ present because there is more than 2 or 3 gathered. When people go to church as a community they would find it easier to open their hearts and communicate to God.
Also I think that parents who are Christian should attend mass on a regular basis so that they would set a reputation to their children and younger members of their family. This would then be passed down to generation and teaches them that worshipping God as an adult or child doesn’t matter as long as you show that you are devoted to God in his house.
People who don’t praise God in church would rather do it at home or a place that they feel comfortable to communicate with him. Most people do this because they find it easier to talk to God and praise him. Also, some find church off putting and harder to connect to God due to other people’s presence.
Christ can still be present when 2 or 3 people are together and doesn’t need a gathering like the one found in churches. Some people find that attending mass once a week is not enough to leave an impact on them, so they do daily prayers at home as much as they feel is needed.
Christians of the Pentecostal type place the greatest emphasis on individual conversion, and say the Holy Spirit comes to the people because they have opened their hearts. Thus means that the service itself is less important to these Christians, compared with Catholic or Orthodox Christians who see the Eucharist as a sacrament in which Christ is really present and in which the priests stands in Christ’s place.
