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InChristianity,worship is the act of attributing reverent honour and homage toGod.[1] In theNew Testament, various words are used to refer to the termworship. One isproskuneo ("to worship") which means to bow down to God or kings.[2] Worship in the New Testament usually means expressions of praise or thanksgiving, as the appropriate human response to the magnificent glory of God.[3]
Throughout most of Christianity's history, corporate Christian worship has beenliturgical, characterized byprayers andhymns, with texts rooted in, or closely related to, theBible (Scripture), particularly thePsalter, and centered on thealtar (ortable) and theEucharist; this form ofsacramental and ceremonial worship is still practiced by theCatholic,Eastern Orthodox,Lutheran andAnglican churches, andMethodism to a lesser extent. In theCharismatic tradition worship is viewed as an act of adoration of God, with a more informal conception. "The holy act of singing together shapes faith, heals brokenness, transforms lives, and renews peace," according to one broad-based professional association.[4] Among certain Christian denominations, such as those of traditionalAnabaptism, the observance of variousordinances rooted in Scripture occurs during Christian worship, such asfeetwashing,anointing with oil, and the wearing ofheadcoverings by women.
The term liturgy is derived from the Greekleitourgia meaning "public service" and is formed by two words: "laos" (people) and "ergon" (work), literally "work of the people". Responsorial prayers are a series of petitions read or sung by a leader with responses made by the congregation. Set times for prayer during the day were established (based substantially onJewish models), and a festal cycle throughout theChurch year governed the celebration of feasts and holy days pertaining to the events in thelife of Jesus, thelives of the saints, and aspects of the Godhead.
A great deal of emphasis was placed on the forms of worship, as they were seen in terms of theLatin phraselex orandi, lex credendi ("the rule of prayer is the rule of belief")—that is, the specifics of one's worship express, teach, and govern the doctrinal beliefs of the community. According to this view, alterations in the patterns and content of worship would necessarily reflect a change in the faith itself. Each time aheresy arose in the Church, it was typically accompanied by a shift in worship for the heretical group. Orthodoxy in faith also meant orthodoxy in worship, and vice versa. Thus, unity in Christian worship was understood to be a fulfillment of Jesus' words that the time was at hand when true worshipers would worship "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23).
The theme of worship is taken up by many of the Church Fathers includingJustin Martyr,Irenaeus andHippolytus of Rome (c. 170 – c. 236). TheHoly Eucharist was the central act of worship in early Christianity. The liturgy of the synagogues and the ritual of the Jewish temple, both of which were participated in by early Christians, helped shape the form of the early Christian liturgy, which was a dual liturgy of the word and of the Eucharist; this early structure of the liturgy still exists in the CatholicMass and EasternDivine Liturgy. The early Christian use ofincense in worship first originated in Christian funeral rites, and was later used during regular worship services. Incense was also used in the Bible to worship God and symbolize prayer, in both theOld Testament andNew Testament; one of thethree Magi offered Christfrankincense, and in theBook of Revelation, angels and saints appear in Heaven offering incense toGod, thus setting a precedent for Christian use of incense in worship.
Worship as singing underwent great changes for some Christians within theProtestant Reformation.Martin Luther, a music lover, composed hymns that are still sung today, and expected congregations to be active participants in the service, singing along.[citation needed]
John Calvin, in Geneva, argued that while instrumental music had its time with theLevites of theOld Testament, it was no longer a proper expression for the church.[citation needed] This was expanded upon byJohn Knox (seePresbyterian worship); onlyPsalms were sung, and they were sunga cappella. Furthermore, in the Genevan and Scottish Reformed tradition, man-made hymns are not sung, being seen inferior to the God-inspired psalms of the Bible. The CalvinistRegulative Principle of Worship distinguishes traditional Presbyterian and Reformed churches from the Lutheran or other Protestant churches.
Current Christian worship practices are diverse in modern Christianity, with a range of customs and theological views. Three broad groupings can be identified, and whilst some elements are universal, style and content varies greatly due to the history and differing emphases of the various branches of Christianity.
In many Christian traditions, regular public worship is complemented by worship in private and small groups, such as meditation, prayer and study.[5] Singing often forms an important part of Christian worship.[6]
While differing considerably in form, the following items characterise the worship of virtually all Christian churches.
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This grouping can also be referred to as the Eucharistic or Catholic tradition, but note that it is not limited to the Catholic Church, but also includes theOriental Orthodox churches, theEastern Orthodox churches, theLutheran churches, and most branches of theAnglican Communion. Worship (variously known as theMass,Divine Liturgy,Divine Service,Eucharist, or Communion) is formal and centres on the offering of thanks andpraise for the death and resurrection of Christ over the people's offerings of bread and wine, breaking the bread, and the receiving of the Eucharist, seen as the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Churches in this group understand worship as a mystic participation in the death and resurrection of Christ, through which they are united with him and with each other. Services are structured according to aliturgy and typically include other elements such as prayers, psalms, hymns, choral music (includingpolyphonic chant,plainchant, andhymnody) the reading of Scripture, and some form of teaching orhomily. In the theology of theCatholic Church, the Mass takes on another dimension, that of asacrifice which involves a ritualistic re-presentation of the Body and Blood of Christ toGod the Father. The liturgy, normally led by apriest who wearsvestments (a form of sacred clothing), includes the ritual usage of sacred liturgicalvessels,incense, candles, andholy water, and includes ritual acts of bowing,prostration, kneeling, kissing sacred images andrelics, andcrossing oneself. In the Catholic Church there is a diversity of ancient liturgical rites: theRoman Rite (including both theTridentine Mass and theordinary-form Roman Rite) theByzantine Rite, theGe'ez Rite, and theAntiochene Rite to name several of the more prominent examples.
Within the Catholic Church, thecharismatic movement has had much less influence, although modern Christian hymnody is found in some parishes, owing a large part to a movement known as theCatholic Charismatic Renewal.[7][8][9]Worship practices in theEastern Churches have largely remained traditional.
In many Protestant groups, such as theMethodist andReformed churches and some parts of theAnglican Communion, corporate worship is shaped by the legacy of theReformation. Worship in such a context also generally features spoken prayer (either unscripted or prepared), Scripture readings, congregational singing of hymns, and a sermon. Some liturgy is normally used but may not be described as such. The Lord's Supper, or Communion, is celebrated less frequently (intervals vary from once a week to annually according to the denomination or local church). Vestments are less elaborate or absent.[citation needed]
In Charismatic Christianity (includingpentecostalism, thecharismatic movement,neo-charismatic movement and certain parts ofnondenominational Christianity), worship is viewed like an act ofadoration of God, with a more informal conception.[10] Some gatherings take place in auditoriums with few religious signs.[11][12] There is no dress style.Since the beginning ofcharismatic movement of the 1960s there have been significant changes to Christian worship practices of many denominations.[13] A new music-centered approach to worship, known ascontemporary worship, is now commonplace. This replaces the traditional order of worship based aroundliturgy or a "hymn-prayer sandwich" with extended periods of congregational singing sometimes referred to as "block worship". The worship has two parts; one in the beginning with music and the second part withsermon andLord's Supper.[14]
In the 1980s and 1990s,Contemporary worship music settled in many evangelical churches.[15][16] This music is written in the style ofpopular music,Christian rock orfolk music and therefore differs considerably from traditionalhymns.[17] It is frequently played on a range of instruments that would not have previously been used in churches such as guitars (including electric) and drum kits.
Regular Sunday services are a part of most traditions. The Eucharist may be celebrated at some or all of these; often it is included either once a month or once a quarter. A few denominations have their main weekly services on Saturday rather than Sunday. Larger churches often tend to have several services each Sunday; often two or three in the morning and one or two in the late afternoon or evening.
