User:Merond e/Worship Project
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Original article at Contemporary Christian worship. For more information on why this article has been copied over see the talk page.
In general, worship for both the Eastern Orthodox churches and the Catholic branch of the Western church is based on regular celebration of the "Lord's Supper", celebrated by a priest with more or less participation from the whole body of generally Christian believers present. This tradition, variously known as the Mass, Eucharist or Communion, continues in the Low Church branch of the Anglican church and among some Protestants. A worship service in these traditions is centered on the sharing of bread (or bread and wine, or substitutes for them) and it includes prayer, the reading of Scripture, singing and some form of teaching or sermon. In many Protestant traditions, however, Communion is celebrated only occasionally, and corporate worship is centered on a formal sermon, which may resemble a lecture or a passionate exhortation. Worship in such a context also generally includes spoken prayer (either spontaneous or carefully prepared), liturgical recitations, Scripture, singing and an offering of money from members of the congregation.
The format of the worship service may either follow the rubrics set out by authority in a prayer book or similar guide or it may follow socially defined norms and the tastes of the minister or other individuals who are leading the service. In virtually all Christian traditions, this regular public worship is complemented by other forms of worship, such as individual meditation, prayer and study, small group prayer (often linked with Bible study), and formal ceremonies on special occasions such as weddings, funerals and events of Church or state.