British Broadcasting Corporation Home. Christian worship involves praising God in music and speech, readings from scripture, prayers of various sorts, a sermon, and various holy ceremonies often called sacraments such as the Eucharist. While worship is often thought of only as services in which Christians come together in a group, individual Christians can worship God on their own, and in any place.
Jesus Christ was a religious Jew who attended the synagogue and celebrated Jewish festivals, and his disciples were familiar with Jewish ritual and tradition. The first obvious divergence from Judaism was making Sunday the holy day instead of Saturday. By doing this the day of Christian worship is the same as the day that Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus's promise to stay with his followers, fulfilled in the sending of the Holy Spirit, illuminated the development of Christian worship from early times.
So Christians regard worship as something that they don't only do for God, but that God, through Jesus's example and the presence of the Holy Spirit is also at work in. Church services on a Sunday divide into two general types: Eucharistic services and services of the Word.
The service of the Word does not include this rite, but instead features a much longer sermon, in which the preacher will speak at length to expound a biblical text and bring out its relevance to those present.
Different churches, even within the same denomination, will use very different styles of worship. It can 'hit the nail on the head', saying what we all mean to say at that point in the service, so we can simply give it our ' yes ' or our ' amen '.
The Bible is brimming with music, song, chant, refrains, and commemoration. The Hebrew poetry of the Prophets and Writings lends itself to being sung. The Psalms are really worship lyrics, gathered in a hymnal of sorts. Embedded in the histories are several songs, including those of Miriam and Hannah.
One of the great heroes of the Jewish tradition is David, who was not only a King, but a good musician and songwriter something said of no other ancient Middle Eastern hero. The most natural setting for most of these biblical lyrics is in worship.
Also, the apostle Paul's letters have several small liturgical verses in them, which may have been chanted or sung.
The Bible records that God's worshipers stood up in song 2 Chronicles , clapped their hands Psalm , lifted or raised their hands Psalm ; ; 1 Timothy , and spoke and sung loud praises Psalm ; ; Acts There were many different kinds of songs, used for many different purposes Ephesians ; Colossians A wide array of musical instruments were used Ps ; Revelation For the Jews in ancient times, and Christians to this day, worship has been a fountain for musical styles and instruments.
These new kinds of music worked their way into the world at large, giving it great joy, expressing deep sadness, touching people in a way that can only be described as 'spiritual'. In short, when Christians worship, they sing , and they carry that song with them into the rest of their lives, even in those who carry into their lives nothing else of the faith. The most common Christian statement of praise is "hallelujah! Its Hebrew root word halal is best caught as 'to resound' or 'to make noise'.
A Hebrew word which more precisely means 'praise' is zamar , which according to the Writings includes the playing of instruments. Not all Christians have supported the use of instruments. White Baptist churches often come down harshly on anything that smacks of a dance rhythm. I very much love to see instruments in worship music , as a way to express some things that words don't, to help us remember praises for God throughout the week, and as a way for artists to offer their arts before the Lord.
But then again, I am also a big fan of acappella singing of all kinds. When the Orthodox monks sing on Mount Athos, it is, as a general rule, done without instruments. Clement's approach led to the great Gregorian Chants, which have a kind of aural purity that even the totally worldly can get swept into. Some of the non-instrumental and no-dance churches were big supporters of sacred small group singing, which itself led to so many of the sacred and popular music singing groups that nearly all people have come to enjoy.
Many including myself would argue that restrictions on musical styles in any church activity are wrong. However, the Spirit has never let these rules stop the music. Creative music , dance, or drama that expresses love of Christ will develop around the edges. In a way, that's the best proof of all that the Spirit is at work in music to bear witness to Christ. Christians can worship using any style of music, but there are some limits.
Good worship music is not about the musician, but is sung to the God who is Worthy. Thus, it is wrong when the music is done mostly to entertain those present, or to say all the right and expected things that keep people in spiritual slumber, or to be tricked-up love songs done in karioke. Too much of today's worship music is packed with 'cheap praise' -- overflowing with "I" and "my" and "mine", rarely lamenting, waiting, mourning, or showing fear or doubt or wonder. Lyrics matter, because the words are the Spirit's normal way of striking that special chord inside us, or teaching us what we need to hear till it sinks in.
In liturgical worship, there is usually an order of general confession and forgiveness. It can be the occasion for people to be freed from various bondages continuing evils that are especially hard to stop or prevent. But churches very rarely use that time to confess about specific bondages that have made the local Body sick -- bondages such as cliquism, racism, anger , fear , rampant sexual immorality, infighting, warmongering, collective greed, and isolation.
Why not use that time to ask God for forgiveness and to ask the Spirit to liberate them from the specific evil that has bound them? Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy.
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Author Info Last Updated: May 6, Psalm says "Come let us sing for joy to the Lord, let us shout aloud to the rock of our salvation! Try to come away energized because you are devoting your time to Him and solely focused on Worshiping God and Jesus singing from your heart, and as Nehemiah says "The joy of the Lord will be your strength. Heart felt sincere prayers like "My heart says of you 'seek his face! God loves it when we worship him in devoted prayer. It's an awesome way to start the day because you find God's Holy Spirit fills you and you can't help but let your light shine to the rest of the world!
Aka the people around you. Give offerings or sacrifices. That is how to worship God, and the Christian sacrifice is by offering bread and wine. Offer incense to God. The next time you are praying to Him, have incense for your prayers.
Light candles for God. When praying to Him, have some quiet time, and in a darkened room, light a candle to show your reverence for Him. Hebrews says "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. It's better to give than to receive. Give God and other people your time, skills, resources, money and love! Abbie Oglesby. Your body is considered the temple of the Holy Ghost.
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