Short passages are also read out from the Bible during worship either by the minister or person leading the service, though sometimes by a member of the congregation. By tradition during every service there is normally a reading given from both the Old and New Testament. A vast number of churches use a lectionary, this is a set of readings allocating particular passages to each Sunday if the year. The Lord’s Prayer is a passage, which is read out in almost all churches at every service. (Matthew 6:9-13) it instructs Christians on the way in which they should pray. “Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” At most services the priest or minister leading the service will give a talk known as a sermon, which is mainly based on a biblical passage or will make reference to teachings from the holy book. This given preaching interprets and develops the meaning of the Bible and tries to apply it to modern living and to relate its relevance to today.
The bible is also used at a number of ceremonies including weddings, christenings and funerals. During such ceremonies particular readings are given specific to that occasion. For example during a funeral service as the coffin is carried and placed at the front of the church, the minister will read words of comfort such as John 11:25-26 “Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Also during the service a longer reading is given such as John 14:1-6 “Do not be worried and upset. Believe in God and believe in me.” Or it could be a reading from 1 Corinthians 15:35-37. “For what is mortal must be changed into what is immortal…. death is destroyed; victory is complete!” Similarly at weddings and Christenings readings from the bible are a main part of the ceremony.
Apart from being used in public worship, the bible is also used during private worship as part of a Christian’s personal devotion. A number of Christians read a chapter or passage from the Bible every day, Bible study notes are sometimes used which are published by Christian Organisations, to help give a better and fuller understanding of its word. The Bible is also read by Christians to help inspire, encourage, guide and comfort them. It is their belief that through the Bible God is speaking directly to them, so the words of the Bible are somewhat of a personal teaching from God himself.
The Bible is also used by followers as an aid to prayer, for example the psalms contain many examples of prayer. Nearly all chapters in the Bible contain something to make Christians aware of needs for which to pray. An example of this is if one reads a passage about forgiveness this might encourage a Christian to pray for God’s assistance in helping forgive somebody who has hurt him or her in some way.
Several Christians read the Bible in order to gain knowledge about their faith and as a stimulus to build their foundations of belief on issues such as Homosexuality, abortion, euthanasia, war and so forth. Within the book they find commands and principles, which help them tackle such moral issues they may become subject to within their lives. It also common for Christians to share and exchange thoughts and opinion with other believers during a group study or home fellowship group.
In regards to the bibles relevance to every day life, in some ways it is irrelevant to modern life. It has a view of the world, which is rather old-fashioned and outdated. It makes such assumptions that people today may oppose to such as the existence of god and idea that he intervenes. At the time in which it was written the imagery used then is extremely contrasting to that of today for example agricultural and rural metaphors which is now not appropriate in such a modern industrial society. The idea of shepherds, seeds etc and references to Eastern customs such as swearing by an altar and white washed tombs. However most Christians believe that the Bible is the word of God and therefore should be respected and all teachings carried out. However one could say that no matter how irrelevant, the word of the bible should be taken and even if not taken literally it can be applied to life today.
Therefore in conclusion the holy book of the Bible is not only used during public worship as readings for a service or given sermon, a Christian can also use the book as an aid to prayer, there are a number of readings in the Bible which Christians can take to help comfort or guide them during difficult times. In regards to the relevance of the Bible, in the eyes of any Christian the Bible is the basic foundations for the way in which they should live their life and therefore even if irrelevant, the teachings should be taken and used in a way which is relevant to today.
