There are even more features inside the church which are central to providing aid to Christians worship:
- The altar is the main focus point of the church because it is the most important part (this is called liturgy worship). It is usually located in the eastern part of the church, where the congregation sit facing towards or in the centre of circular churches, it doesn’t really matter where it is situated as long as it is the focal point inside the church and it has some relevance to reaching God. The altar is used for Holy Communion in remembering the sacrifice of Jesus for the forgiveness of human sin. In the Old Testament animals were sacrificed on the altar for repent from God but today Christians feel that is not necessary because Jesus’ sacrifice is considered sufficient for all humanity. The altar is used as an aid to worship because it reminds Christians of Jesus’ sacrificial love for them and focus their thoughts on their own sins and how they can obtain forgiveness from God. The altar is found in all Christian churches apart from free churches which use a simple table or a bigger pulpit for the communion service.
- The font is where people, usually children, are first welcomed to the faith through a baptism service. In all catholic and Church of England churches the font is usually placed near the entrance so that when the worshippers enter the church they are reminded of how they were first introduced to the faith.
In Free churches there is no font; instead there is a baptismal pool. In these churches adults are welcomed to the faith instead of children. The pool positioned at the front of the church and is covered until used. During the service the person is completely submerged by the minister and raised back up. This symbolises the death of their old life outside of the Christian faith and then raising to a new life with God and their commitment they have made to God.
- Catholic churches have a stoup at the entrance. By dipping their fingers in the water and making the sign of the cross they are reminded that they are in the presence of God. They will often genuflect towards the altar while doing this.
- The lectern and the pulpit are places from which the importance of God’s word is shown. From the pulpit the congregation is led by the leader of the church (priest, minister, vicar etc…) where passages from the bible are read and the congregation is invited to prayer. The bible is placed on the lectern and is placed in front of the congregation. It is in the shape of an eagle to represent God being present across the world.
AO2: Explain the different forms of worship used in a Christian Church and how these maybe helpful to different people.
In Christian services there are two types of worship; liturgical and non-liturgical. Liturgical worship is more formal and traditional. It is a form of set worship where the minister reads aloud passages from the bible, preaches Christian teachings or set words from which the congregation can respond. This form of worship is used by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England.
Non-liturgical worship, often known as “happy-clappy worship” is livelier and more spontaneous. There is no set form and worship includes prayer, singing hymns or listening to Christian music, often performed live or even speaking in tongues.
All Christian services share some similar characteristics listed below:
Prayer
Prayer is a way in which Christians believe they can communicate and develop their relationship with God. The minister may simply read aloud a prayer and the congregation will confirm their agreement by saying “amen” together, they may prayer together or in some free churches members of the congregation are invited to prayer aloud. Sometimes there is also silent prayer which allows people to communicate with God privately and reflect upon in a more personal way.
Jesus taught his followers how to prayer using the lords prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is usually read aloud by everyone in the church. It contains confession, adoration, supplication and concern for others.
The Eucharist
The Eucharist is the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice. At the last supper Jesus commanded his disciples to eat the bread and wine as they represented his body and his blood. In a church service, bread and wine is shared out amongst the congregation to remember this. However there are different interpretations of the Eucharist and what it represents:
- In the Roman Catholic faith the Eucharist is known as mass. They believe in transubstantiation; the bread and wine literally transforms into the body and blood of Christ and every mass is a re-enactment of his sacrifice.
- In the Church of England and other protestant denominations the Eucharist (or Holy Communion), the bread and wine are merely symbolic of Christ’s sacrifice.
Both the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church believe the Eucharist is a sacrament-the belief that God is present with his people through a special action.
Bible readings & Sermons
The sermon is the main act of the church service. The minister will read aloud a speech with links to set bible passages and current issues. This may give guidance to Christians and help them understand the word of God. Bible readings will also be read aloud by the leader of the congregation. This allows for reflection and gives guidance to Christians in a more personal way. Many denominations including Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church use set bible passages throughout the year.
In more non-liturgical worship sermons may focus on an individual and how the rest of the congregation can help them. It may also be the time that the congregation feels Gods presence and they may start speaking in tongues.
These are the main types of worship in a church. Christians also find time for private worship. This is more personal for Christians and more convenient if the person doesn’t attend church. They might prayer or read from the bible, often with a study guide on the bible which helps them interpret it and apply it to their everyday life.
They may prayer about various things which are not usually mentioned in church but they would like to speak to God about, often more personal issues and for a particular person, group of people or a charity.
They may also spend time in reflection and contemplation which helps them develop a more personal relationship with God. There are also other ways of worship which aren’t as renowned as church worship:
Food and Fasting
Contrast to other religions such as Judaism and Islam there are no food laws in Christianity. Christians can eat what they want but the issue of eating meat is highly debateable amongst Christians.
Throughout the bible it is shown that consuming meat is acceptable.
“Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.”
(Genesis 9:3)
In the book of acts God tells peter that no animal on earth is unclean or unsuitable for eating (Acts 10:9-16)
There are also examples of Jesus catching and eating fish (John 21:11 and 13) as well as evidence that Jesus ate lamb during the last supper (Luke 22:8).
Because of this Christians think it acceptable to eat anything that God has put on the earth for them to eat. However the concept of stewardship means Christians have a duty to care for all Gods creatures and may therefore refrain from eating meat. They may however come to a compromise between the two oppositions, selecting meat that has been kept free-range and slaughtered in a humane way.
Christians sometimes fast for lent - the 40 days leading up to Easter. This helps them remember that they are more dependent on God and he alone gives them strength to get through life’s difficulties. This also helps them to follow the commandment “You shall not create for yourself and idol” because fasting helps them be more self-disciplined.
Symbols
Symbols aren’t such a big part of Christian worship but they are important for Christians as they remind Christians of their faith. The most common symbol in Christianity is the cross which represents the cross on which Christ was crucified. There are different interpretations of the cross from different denominations of Christians and different people have their own personal opinion on what it represents.
In the Roman Catholic Church the cross is known as a crucifix and is sometimes decorated but always has an image of Jesus attached to it to remember his crucifixion, his suffering and his sacrifice in which the sins of humanity were forgiven. In the Church of England and Methodist church a plain cross is used. This is to remember the resurrection of Jesus and the idea that God is all around us.
The cross is a resemblance of the cross that Christ died on but some people see the cross as a method of torture, which of course it was and therefore don’t use it in their own worship. They may use the sign of the fish to show their faith instead.
AO3: “There should be only one style of worship for all believers.”
Christians should be able to worship as they wish. There are many different denominations so they should be able to worship in their different ways. Christianity has always been a diverse religion with many different views on the faith, different views of God’s characteristics and therefore different views on how to worship.
Giving Christian’s one style of worship would stop them from reaching God in their own personal way which might prevent them from understanding God and leading them astray from the religion.
God has given us free will to do what we want and we should therefore worship to him as we will. Even if there was only one style of worship, Christians could still worship in their own private way, whether it be prayer, bible reading etc…
Also set worship focuses the mind on worship rather than the perspectives behind it, this stops a worshipper conjuring their own opinion as well as making the individual too dependent on worship and not being allowed to contact God in their own personal way.
There must be variation in worship otherwise Christians may become bored and be lead astray from Christianity. It is also impossible to impose one form of worship for example the reformation of England where the monarchy made Catholicism illegal; Catholics had to practice in secret but catholic priests and followers were burned at the stake etc…
On the other hand there is only one God in the Christian faith so it doesn’t make sense why there are so many ways to worship him. Only one style of worship would create a lot less disagreements and stop cults from starting. One style of worship creates a sense of unity between all Christians, making their faith stronger and knowing they are not alone in their opinions.
One style of worship also protects the faith from heretical ideas and practices which may develop into cults claiming to have a Christian cause but are actually contrary to Christian morals and beliefs.
Some people also prefer tradition to a variation in worship; however one could argue that if a person prefers tradition then so be it as other people can worship in their own way.
Christians view God as a personal being so it makes sense for them to worship him in a more personal way. Christians should be able to choose how they worship and which denomination of the faith they want to follow and how they worship. Worshiping one set way would be very impersonal for Christians and would maybe make them feel that they are no longer a part of the Christian faith because they do not agree with what is being preached to them.
