As part of my training for Licensed Lay Ministry, I’ve been considering what defines public worship, and how worship relates to mission, growth and pastoral care.
I wrote an essay exploring this issue further which you can read below, or download as a PDF.
Let’s start a conversation…What do you think? Are there other key characteristics? Does worship have a link to other aspects of church/Christian life?
Introduction
Worship is arguably one of, if not, the most visible aspect of Christianity. Even in this time where church attendance is no longer the norm in society, there are major national events (for example royal weddings and funerals) that are essentially acts of worship. Church services are often dramatized in television and film. Whilst the occasional offices found in ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ or the church services shown in ‘Rev.’ may not necessarily reflect what happens in reality in churches up and down the country, the media, often satirically, present their perception of public worship.
Whilst there are many different ways Christians practice their faith, ‘going to church’ is likely to be a key feature. Experiences of church can vary widely depending on denomination, tradition and ecclesiology. Even within Anglicanism, public worship today can look very different according to the context.
This diversity of worship has not always been possible. Under the 1662 Act of Uniformity, the prayer book was the only authorised liturgy in the Church of England for more than 300 years. With the Act of Uniformity repealed, and General Synod given the power to authorise liturgies, the introduction of the Alternative Service Book (ASB) and subsequently Common Worship has encouraged variety in worship (Dalby, 1993).
This gives much greater freedom and flexibility than was previously permitted. Church of England public worship can range from a choral high mass where the congregation sit on hard wooden pews in an ancient cathedral using the traditional words of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer through to a charismatic celebration led by a band, with the words projected on to screens, and the congregation sitting on sofas or cushions on the floor. The diversity can be so vast one might wonder whether these different expressions of worship do actually bear any relation to each other.
Gordon-Taylor (2013) points out that the phrase Lex orandi, lex credendi (‘the law of praying is the law of believing’) although not necessarily of Anglican origin is often quoted during discussions concerning worship. If, as Earey (2013) suggests, this phrase means it is liturgical texts, rather than a confessional statement, which define Anglican doctrine, then one can begin to understand why the Church of England requires priests and lay ministers to promise to “use only the forms of service which are authorized or allowed by Canon” (Common Worship, 2000, p xi) as a way to ensure that the doctrine of the Church remains intact.
Of course, as individual believers we can worship in private, as well as in the context of how we live our daily lives, but the Bible also places an emphasis on meeting together, for example reminding believers not to “neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some” (Hebrews 10:25). We can see throughout scripture that there is a tension between the words and actions of God’s people in the context of worship, and how they live the rest of their lives. Amos reveals that God despises the worship of the people because of their lack of justice for the poor (Amos 5:21). Similarly, in Matthew 5, Jesus criticises the religious leaders for wanting to be seen praying.
Whilst how we as followers of Jesus live our whole lives is of course, just as much worship as what takes place on a Sunday (Earey, 2002), I will go on to discuss the characteristics and qualities of public worship, defined by Common Worship as that which “brings the congregation together to give glory to God” (2000, p. 23), and the relationship such public worship has to the Church’s growth, pastoral care and mission.
Characteristics and qualities of public worship
Whilst Common Worship provides a definition of public worship, that is only the beginning of what actually determines public worship. Given the diversity of worship found in different churches, even within Anglicanism and the Church of England, it may be hard to identify a checklist that determines whether a church service truly is public worship.
Irvine (cited in Earey, 2013) suggests that there are three core characteristics or principles of Anglican public worship: Corporate, Structured and Biblical.
Corporate
The first characteristic of public worship is that it is corporate. Although there is likely to be one or more individuals taking part (e.g. leading the service, reading from the Bible, playing musical instruments, singing, leading prayers etc.) this is all done on behalf of everybody present. The congregation are not like the audience in a theatre if they are to give glory to God together, and therefore public worship cannot be passive. It requires participation.
The most typical ways this corporate participation can be emphasised are through singing together, and joining in liturgical responses. Earey (2002) stresses that for this to be truly corporate, it is important that the words used in liturgy have corporate ownership of the people, and are not just produced by one person. For this reason, Common Worship texts can be extremely valuable in giving congregations a sense of familiarity and identity.
Even in churches where liturgical responses are not used a great deal, many congregations will join together to say the Lord’s Prayer or the words of the grace. Many churches will also often encourage congregation members to share extempore prayers, or contribute to the service through sharing testimony or words of prophecy etc. This is often typical of churches in the charismatic tradition. For example, a key mantra of the Vineyard movement is “everybody gets to play”. Visitors to a Vineyard Church are likely to “observe a lot of participation because it’s part of our DNA”. (Geraty, 2014)
Another example of corporate worship can of course be found in the celebration of the Eucharist. As a shared meal, Communion cannot be taken in isolation, and we see in St Paul’s letters, (particularly 1 Corinthians 10:17) that unity at the communion was non-negotiable. According to Grudem, “when Christians participate in the Lord’s Supper together they also give a clear sign of their unity with one another” (1994, p. 990).
Structured
A further characteristic of public worship is that there is a defined rhythm or structure. The introduction of the ASB, and subsequently Common Worship has moved the Church of England on from using standardised liturgical texts to liturgy following a common shape. (Croft, 2006)
Common Worship, and the New Patterns for Worship resources provide helpful outline structures. For example, Steven (2013) refers to four key elements of a Service of the Word: Gathering, Ministry of the Word, Prayer and Dismissal.
Public worship following a clear structure has several benefits. First, it can help those participating in the worship know what is going to happen, like setting out the agenda for a meeting (Stevenson, 1993). This can particularly help newcomers understand what will happen during a service, and I will return to this point when considering the relationship between worship and mission.
A structure to a service can also help reflect something of the nature of God. As an example, Steven (2013) describes how the fourfold structure described above can illustrate and reflect the nature of Jesus’ incarnation. He considers how the Gathering can be seen as a parallel of Advent and anticipating the coming of the promised Messiah; the Ministry of the Word of Jesus’ teaching; intercessory prayer is symbolic of Jesus’ concern for humanity as shown through his passion on the cross; and the Dismissal reflects Jesus’ resurrection and ascension and the “authorisation of the Church for the continuation of His ministry in the world” (p. 153). Whilst this may be helpful for some, these links on the surface can appear fairly tenuous, and I suspect wouldn’t be in the mind of the typical congregation member, and would need careful explanation.
We also see structure in worship throughout the year as the lectionary reflects different festivals. This pattern provides a balance of seasons of celebration and reflection reflecting the Biblical principles of feasting and fasting, particularly found in the Old Testament.
Biblical
We see from the New Testament (e.g. 1 Timothy 4:13) that public reading of the scriptures was a key feature of the early church gatherings. This tradition continues today, and public reading of the scriptures is an important characteristic of Anglican worship. The lectionary gives a varied, but balanced diet of scripture which on Sundays includes Psalms, readings from the Old and New Testaments and a passage from the Gospel.
Earey (2002) explains that the expectation of Biblical authors was to have the texts read out aloud rather than studied in the written form, and it is only in this context that certain phrases (e.g. “let the reader understand” in Mark 13:14) can be properly understood.
From personal experience, it is interesting to note that churches from the more evangelical tradition (Anglican and other denominations) tend to read less scripture during public worship – often reading only the single passage that is the text for the sermon. However, I think that, referring back to the principle of ‘lex orandi, lex credendi’, ensuring the passages from the Bible are read out during worship helps to focus attention that our doctrine originates from scripture.
As well passages being read out during the liturgy of the word, biblical texts are used to inspire liturgical prayers, responses and canticles etc, as well as the words to many hymns and worship songs.
Do all these characteristics need to be present?
If we agree that corporate, structured and biblical are key characteristics of public worship, it would be worthwhile reflecting on whether public worship can occur when any of these characteristics are not present.
It could be argued that worship is inherently corporate because in worship we join together as the body of Christ. It is quite possible for worship to be silent (e.g. as in the Quaker movement), yet still be corporate.
Similarly, if the Bible forms the basis for how we express and live out our faith, I would argue that it is not possible for worship to be un-biblical. Some times of worship may focus on biblical texts to a lesser extent than others but we could argue that “worshipping the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength” is biblical worship, albeit not always overtly explicit.
The idea of a structure being a necessary trait of public worship is however something I would argue that does not need to be present for true worship to occur. It can be extremely helpful to follow a structure, recognising that Jesus gave his disciples a framework in which to pray (Luke 11). However, there may be times when it is appropriate for a time of public worship to be fluid. We could also argue that the Holy Spirit can prompt us to change our plans.
Having explored these three traits of public worship: corporate, structured, and biblical, I will now turn attention to how public worship relates to Christian growth, and the pastoral and missional tasks of the church.
Christian Growth
Worship plays a key role in deepening relationships with Christ, and with each other as fellow disciples. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews encourages believers to consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
It is also during times of worship when God often meets with his people and speaks into our lives. This can be through music, through the sermon or prayers, in the celebration of the Eucharist, and it’s important when designing worship that we allow space to people to meet with God so they can listen to what he might be saying.
Worship is also an opportunity to allow God to speak in to people’s lives to bring transformation for individuals and communities. Mike Pilavachi tells the story of how a group of teenagers handed in knives and other weapons at a Soul Survivor festival because God told them to during the worship. (Pilavachi & Borlaise, 1998).
Pastoral tasks of the church
As the regular gathering of the Church community, public worship obviously plays a key role in providing pastoral care for the congregation. The person responsible for designing and leading worship needs to balance the sensitivities within the congregation. For example, a family service involving loud, interactive activities focussing on celebration might not be appropriate if the church as a body has suffered a recent bereavement. Similarly, particular seasons of the year can evoke memories, for example, a young couple unable to have children may find Mothering Sunday a particularly difficult time of year.
Pastoral care within a service doesn’t necessarily need to be explicit. In one example, an organist played an organ voluntary that was based on a hymn played at funeral of child from the congregation a year earlier. Witvliet notes that “most worshipers on that Sunday had no idea of the connection, but for the family of that child, the organist became a pastoral-care giver.” (Witvliet, 2005)
Of course, services cannot be tailored to meet the bespoke needs of every person in the congregation – especially so for large churches, so this can present a dilemma to the service leader. The service leader however can ensure that there is appropriate balance within a service for times of reflection and celebration, and if the building allows, making use of space for quiet reflection before and after the time of worship.
The Pastoral Services also show how public worship relates to the pastoral tasks of the church – or how our journeys as individuals are set within the context of the praying, caring, celebrating Church (Common Worship, 2000). These services are acts of worship with a pastoral focus, but the church performs a key task in helping people relate their personal circumstances to a relationship with God, even where the individuals attending or participating in the service might not profess a faith.
Missional tasks of the church
What happens in worship can be quite alien to those who have no real background in church or understanding of the Christian faith. Corporate singing is something that people rarely do in modern society, and can make people feel uncomfortable. Language around the celebration of communion – talking about eating the body of Christ and drinking his blood – is likely to raise several questions in people’s minds! Similarly, churches where people exercise spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues are likely to seem very strange. When designing worship, it is important to think about how language and actions might appear to those unfamiliar with church, and consider whether explanations – either spoken during the service, or written in service booklets etc – might be helpful.
In recent years there has been much discussion of how church can be made more accessible for non-believers and relevant in modern culture. Seeker-friendly, café church, messy church are all terms that have gained prominence as churches attempt to encourage those on the fringes and beyond to be able to engage with worship. Mission, as Sledge suggests, isn’t “the icing on the cake of the Church but central to every aspect of its life (2006, p. 26)” which includes worship.
I would argue that it is essential for public worship to be accessible to the non-churched and de-churched.
This accessibility may come in various ways, according to the local context. For example, a church that is trying to reach out to young families through parent and toddler groups, schools work etc may make good contacts with people on the fringes and outside the church. But if the families are not made to feel welcome during public worship because it is inaccessible for them (e.g. long services with nothing to engage the children) then the church may struggle to draw such people in to the community of faith.
As the research published in Anecdote to Evidence shows, churches which are most likely to grow numerically are those which, among other things, are open and willing to change, and are welcoming. (Church Growth Research Programme, 2014)
The growth of Fresh Expressions of church in recent years as published in Anecdote to Evidence suggests these new ways of being church are predominantly successful in reaching people who could be classed as non-churched and de-churched. I would suggest there is a risk however that the inherited church abdicates its responsibility for ensuring its public worship is missional-focussed and accessible worship to Fresh Expressions so that the inherited church model doesn’t have to change. It could be quite easy for a church to say that it caters for children in a monthly or termly “Messy Church”, but makes little effort to help young families feel welcome in a typical Sunday service.
Although it can often be appropriate for services to be targeted to different age groups, I have a concern that this may sometimes be done under the guise of being missional when the motivation is more about a consumerist approach seeking to preserve preferred styles of worship.
The converse argument, that fresh expressions are not seen as true church, is also a risk. Congregations often consider the fruits of mission as pews being filled on a Sunday. Where this doesn’t happen, mission and evangelism might be perceived as being unsuccessful, even if fresh expressions of church are developing and growing into Christian communities that meet at other times of the week.
However, whether inherited church or fresh expressions, we need to remind ourselves that “true worship is to be so personally and hopelessly in love with God” (AW Tozer cited in Pilavachi & Borlaise, 1998, p24), and how we design and lead public worship, in whatever form or style needs to direct people towards Jesus.
Our worship can also include a missional focus in the sense of encouraging disciples to be faithful witnesses and live out the Great Commission in their lives.
Conclusion
Whilst the style and form may vary according to the demographics, preferences, and tradition of the people and the church, worship is ultimately about drawing people closer to Jesus. It is the responsibility of those who design and lead worship to make it as easy as possible for people to encounter Him in their worship.
This has implications for how public worship is put together. Firstly, being aware of the theology behind liturgies and songs, and that the leader is aware of the theological beliefs being conveyed. Authorised liturgy helps worship leaders to be confident that such prayers reflect Anglican teaching.
Secondly, it is important to recognise that those present will be bringing different life stories with them, and come from different experiences of faith. Leaders need to be pastorally sensitive to where individuals may be on their journey with God.
Thirdly, if as Sledge (2006) suggests that mission is the core of being Church, then our worship needs to have a missional focus that can draw people who don’t know Jesus into a relationship with him through being accessible, and also encouraging those who are Christians to be witnesses for Christ in how they live their daily lives.
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