Lesson video

Hi, I'm Miss Minton, and welcome to this Christianity Practises lesson on forms of worship.

Now, by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain different forms of Christian worship and prayer and why these are significant.

Now, lots of our learning today will probably be new to you, but please don't worry because I'm here to guide you through each step of our lesson, and I'm confident that by the end, you will achieve this outcome.

So let's get started and take a look at our key words for today.

We have liturgical worship, non liturgical worship, prayer and worship.

Now, liturgical worship refers to a church service that follows a set structure or ritual.

Non liturgical worship refers to a service that doesn't follow a set text or set ritual.

And sometimes this worship can be spontaneous and charismatic.

Prayer refers to communicating with God, and this happens through words of praise, thanksgiving or confession, or requests for help or God's guidance.

It can also involve listening and speaking to God.

And finally, the word, "Worship" Refers to when someone shows adoration and reverence or offers praise to God.

Now, our lesson today will have three parts.

We'll start by looking at forms of Christian worship.

We'll then move on to look at prayer within Christianity.

And finally we'll look at the significance of worship and prayer.

So let's get started and take a look at forms of Christian worship.

So to get started, I'd like you to have a think about how you show gratitude, respect, and love to the people in your life.

So pause the video and either have a chat to a partner or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have considered that you show gratitude, respect, and love to people through verbal communication.

So telling them that you are grateful and thankful and that you love them.

Through physical affection.

So for example, you might give them a hug.

By being there for them when they need you.

By helping them, or maybe by carrying out kind gestures like making them a cup of tea, for example.

Now, I'd like you to think about how Christians might show gratitude, respect, and love to God.

So again, pause the video and either talk to a partner or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have considered that Christians can show gratitude, respect and love to God through prayer, attending church services, singing hymns, reading the Bible, meditating or celebrating festivals.

Now these are examples of how Christians can worship God.

Now, within Christianity, there are many different forms that worship can take, and these are generally categorised into the following.

Liturgical worship, which are church services that follow a set structure and pattern, or non liturgical worship, which are church services that don't follow a set text, structure or pattern.

So let's check your understanding so far.

Which of the following refers to church services that follow a set structure? A, liturgical worship.

B, non liturgical worship.

C, spontaneous worship.

Or D, common worship.

Fantastic.

The correct answer is A.

Liturgical worship is the type of worship that refers to church services that follow a set structure.

Well done.

It will often be led by a religious leader such as a priest, for example.

And the person who's leading the worship will usually have a set of actions that they'll perform throughout the service.

The congregation will usually sing set hymns that have been decided in advance, and there will also be passages from the Bible that are read out.

As well as this, the congregation will say and respond to formal prayers that have set responses, so responses that have been decided and shared in advance.

An example of liturgical worship could be the Eucharist in some Christian denominations.

For example, in Catholic Christianity.

Jason is a Catholic priest and he explains how the Eucharist is celebrated in his church.

Jason says this.

"In the Catholic church, the Eucharist is celebrated during a service known as mass.

During this service, I lead a congregation in celebrating Jesus's life and sacrifice and consuming Jesus's body and blood through a set of actions, readings, and prayers.

The structure of the service will be the same each time, and it will be the same in all Catholic churches.

This makes the mass and the Eucharist a universal and accessible celebration within the Catholic church." So let's now check your understanding.

Which of the following is not a feature of liturgical worship? A, set prayers.

B, a spontaneous prayer.

C, led by a religious leader.

Or D, readings from the Bible.

Fantastic.

The correct answer is B.

Spontaneous prayers are not a feature of liturgical worship, and this is because liturgical worship follows a set structure and pattern.

So readings and prayers and hymns have been decided in advance, therefore they're not spontaneous.

So well done.

We're now going to have a look at non liturgical worship in more detail.

Now, non liturgical worship will often have these features.

It won't be led by a specific person.

It doesn't follow a set order or a set pattern, and the order of the service might change each time depending on the theme of that particular and individual service.

Now, non liturgical worship can also include what we call informal worship.

And informal worship is a type of worship that's often charismatic, which means it's led by the Holy Spirit, and this means that it's spontaneous as well.

So it's not planned, and people who are attending the service and attending the worship respond to what's happening around them spontaneously.

Now, Asher is a Pentecostal Christian, and he often takes part in informal worship.

He says this, "At my church, worship is charismatic and led by the Holy Spirit.

This allows for believers to be moved by the Holy Spirit and act on this feeling." John is also someone who takes part in informal worship, but he's a member of the religious Society of Friends, which are also known as the Quakers.

John says this, "I attend regular worship meetings during which the congregation often sit together in a circle and worship in stillness and silence.

Worship is spontaneous because I can contribute if I feel moved to do so." So what we can see here from Asher and John is that not only does non liturgical worship include informal worship, but it can also take many different forms and can be different for different Christian denominations and different individuals.

Now, Christians who take part in non liturgical worship may look to the gospel of Matthew chapter 18, verse 20, to support non liturgical and informal worship.

The gospel of Matthew chapter 18 verse 20 says this, "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." Now, I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself, how can this teaching from Matthew 18 be interpreted to support non liturgical and informal worship? So pause the video and either talk to a partner, have a think to yourself or talk to me.

Off you go.

So this teaching from Matthew 18 verse 20 can be interpreted to support non liturgical and informal worship because it suggests that as long as there's more than one person, Jesus is present with believers.

And this shows that God's presence isn't limited to large gatherings or specific settings.

So let's check your understanding.

True or false? The gospel of Matthew chapter 18 verse 20 can be interpreted to support non liturgical and informal worship.

Fantastic.

That statement is true.

But why is that statement true? Well, it's because the gospel of Matthew chapter 18 verse 20 can be interpreted as suggesting that as long as there's more than one person, Jesus is present with the believers who are worshipping.

And that would show that God's presence isn't limited to liturgical worship and large gatherings.

Jesus and God can be present during non liturgical and informal worship as well.

So well done for identifying that that statement is true and for identifying the reason why.

Now, as well as gathering with others for liturgical, non liturgical and informal worship, Christians can also worship alone.

Now when a Christian worships by themself, this is often referred to as either private or individual worship.

And private and individual worship can also take many different forms. This might include reading the Bible.

It might include saying grace before a meal.

It may include saying prayers like the rosary, for example, which is a common practise within the Catholic church, or it might include listening to or singing hymns.

So now we've seen that there are a number of ways that Christians might worship privately and individually.

Let's imagine that I've been asked to give just one way that Christians may worship privately.

My answer is that Christians may worship privately by saying grace before a meal.

I'm now going to ask you the same question.

So I'd like you to also give one way that Christians may worship privately.

So pause the video and have a go.

Okay, so you may have said that Christians can worship privately by praying prayers such as the rosary, that they may worship privately by reading the Bible, or that they might worship privately by listening to or singing hymns.

So well done.

It's now time for you to have a go at a task.

I would like you to explain two different types of Christian worship.

Now, some guidance that you might like to use when responding to this task is to use the structure of point, develop, point, develop, and that might look something like this.

So offer a point giving one type of Christian worship and then develop that point by explaining what this type of worship is and its features.

Then offer a second point giving a different type of Christian worship.

And then again, explain that type of worship and its features.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So you are asked to explain two different types of Christian worship, and your response might be similar to this.

One type of Christian worship is liturgical worship.

Liturgical worship is when a church service follows a set pattern and structure.

For example, the celebration of the Eucharist within the Catholic church.

During liturgical worship, there'll be set actions, prayers and responses, and hymns that the congregation will follow.

A different type of Christian worship is non liturgical worship.

Non liturgical worship does not follow a set pattern or structure, and it can be informal, spontaneous, and charismatic.

Non liturgical worship can be different each church service.

So again, well done for explaining to different types of Christian worship.

We're now moving on to the second part of our lesson, which is to look at prayer within Christianity.

Now to get started, I'd like you to consider how we communicate with other people.

So pause the video and either talk to a partner or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have considered methods of communication such as verbal communication, nonverbal signs and gestures, texts, calls or emails, communicating via social media, letters or perhaps you considered braille and sign language as methods of communication as well.

Now these are methods of communication that we might take when we are interacting with other people, but we are going to consider how Christians communicate with God.

Now, within Christianity, communication with God is commonly done through prayer, but there are different approaches that Christians can take to prayer, and these might include set or formal prayers or informal prayers.

Now set prayers refer to prayers that have been written down and said more than once by more than one person.

So for example, the Lord's Prayer would be considered a formal prayer.

And the Lord's prayer goes like this, "Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever." And Christians will end this prayer with amen.

Now, the gospels of Matthew and Luke both recall Jesus using the Lord's prayer as a model of how to pray when teaching his disciples.

And since then the Lord's Prayer has become part of tradition for many Christians and it's still used widely today, although versions of the Lord's Prayer might differ slightly across Christian denominations.

Now the other type of prayer is informal prayer, and informal prayers are prayers that are made up by an individual using their own words.

And these prayers are often spontaneous and they're created for a specific occasion or a specific moment.

Some Christians actually believe that informal prayers allow individuals to better express their thoughts and communicate with God on a more personal level compared to formal or set prayers.

So now we've looked at the two different types of prayer, let's check your understanding.

Which of the following refers to prayers that have been written down and said on more than one occasion? A, informal prayers.

B, individual prayers.

C, formal prayers.

Or D, spontaneous prayers? Fantastic.

The correct answer is C.

Formal prayers are prayers that have been written down and said on more than one occasion.

Well done.

Now, like you, Jun and Sofia are learning about prayer within Christianity and they're discussing some reasons why Christians might pray.

Jun says, "I think Christians pray to God to ask for miracles from God." And Sofia says, "I think Christians pray to build a stronger connection and relationship with God." Now like Jun and Sofia, I would also like you to consider why Christians might pray.

So pause the video and either talk to a partner Or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you might have considered that Christians might pray to feel comforted during difficult times, that Christians might pray to give thanks to God, so to say thank you and show that they're grateful.

Or Christians might pray to praise God, so show God how great they believe he is.

Or maybe you considered that Christians might pray to confess their sins and ask for forgiveness for the sins that they've committed.

Now, as well as Christians praying for different reasons, Christians might also use the different forms of prayer at different times, and this might depend on the reason for their prayer.

So for example, set or formal prayers might be used when giving thanks or praising God, but informal prayers might be used when Christians are confessing their individual sins or seeking comfort during a difficult time that's personal to them.

So let's check your understanding.

True or false? Christians only pray to give thanks to God.

Well done.

That statement is false.

But why is that statement false? Well, it's because giving thanks is just one reason that Christians might pray.

Christians can also pray to God to ask for forgiveness, to build a relationship with God and to seek comfort during difficult times.

So there's multiple reasons why Christians might pray to God.

So well done for identifying that that statement was false and for identifying the reason why.

It's now time for you to have a go at a task.

I would like you to complete this table to explain the two different types of prayer.

And in your explanation for formal or set prayer, I'd like you to use an example.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done done for your work during that task.

So you are asked to explain two different types of prayer by completing the table, and in your explanation for formal or set prayer, you are also asked to use an example.

Your responses might be similar to this.

For formal or set prayer, you may have said that formal or set prayer is when a prayer has been written down and said more than once by more than one person.

And you may have used the example of the Lord's Prayer.

And for informal prayer, you may have said that informal prayer is a prayer that's created for a specific moment or occasion, and it's where a person uses their own words.

So well done again for explaining the two types of prayer, which are formal and informal prayer.

We're now moving on to the third and final part of our lesson, which is to look at the significance of worship and prayer.

So like you, Andeep has been learning about forms of worship within Christianity, and Andeep has a question for Jason who is a Catholic priest.

Andeep asks, "Why are worship and prayer important to Christians?" Jason responds and says this, "Worship and prayer are ways of communicating with and praising God.

These are ways that Christians can grow and develop their relationship with God and demonstrate their belief.

Having said this, prayer and worship can be important to Christians for many other reasons, and individuals might give different reasons." So Jason has told us a couple of reasons why prayer and worship are important for Christians, but he's also said that individuals might give different reasons why worship and prayer are important to them.

So let's take a look at what some of these reasons might be.

Fiona is an Anglican Christian, and she explains why worship and prayer are important to her.

Fiona says, "Worship and prayer are important to me because they allow me to express my belief in God with others who share this belief too.

When I attend church services, I feel a sense of community, and liturgical worship in particular helps me to feel part of my church community because it allows me to get involved through set prayers and responses.

In my church, we also use the Book of Common Prayer, which is a book of liturgical texts used within Anglican Christianity that can support worship and prayer." Now we have Danielle who is Roman Catholic, and she explains why worship and prayer are important to her.

Danielle says, "Worship and prayer are important to me because they comfort me and give me the strength I need, not just during difficult times, but also in my day to day life.

I attend mass each week and celebrate the Eucharist, which is a form of liturgical worship in the Catholic church.

Attending mass gives me the spiritual strength I need in my life.

I also take opportunities to worship privately, and sometimes I pray the rosary alone.

This gives me an opportunity to reflect and meditate." So now we've heard from Fiona and Danielle, let's check your understanding.

True or false? Individuals who attend liturgical worship do not worship privately.

Fantastic.

That statement is false.

But How do we know that this statement is false? Well, it's because individuals can attend both liturgical worship and also worship privately.

Just because a Christian attends liturgical worship, that doesn't prevent them from worshipping privately and individually as well.

So well done for identifying that that statement is false and for identifying the reason why.

We're now going to hear from some more Christians who are going to explain why worship and prayer are important to them.

But the Christians we're going to hear from now are going to focus on non liturgical and informal worship.

First up, we have Asher, who is a Pentecostal Christian.

Asher says, "My church emphasises personal experiences and connections with God through the Holy Spirit.

For this reason, services are informal, spontaneous, and charismatic, which allows believers to feel the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Feeling the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit can lead believers to rejoice through singing, dancing, and some even speak in tongues, which is a gift from the Holy Spirit where a person is able to speak in languages that were previously unknown to them." Now we have John who is a member of the Religious Society of Friends, which are also known as the Quakers.

John says, "When I attend meetings and have an opportunity to worship in stillness and silence, this helps me to connect with God on a personal level.

This way of worshipping allows me to focus on feeling and experiencing God." So what we've seen from Asher and John is that non liturgical and informal worship is also important and significant for individual Christians.

So now we've heard a number of reasons why worship and prayer are important for Christians.

Let's imagine that I've been asked to give just one reason why informal worship is important for Christians.

I've said that informal worship allows Christians to respond spontaneously to the Holy Spirit.

Now I'm going to ask you the same question.

So I'd also like you to give one reason why informal worship is important for Christians.

So pause the video and have a go.

So as your response, you may have said that informal worship is important for Christians because it allows Christians to develop a personal relationship with God.

Or you may have said that it allows Christians to focus on experiencing God.

So well done if you have either of these answers or something similar.

It's now time for you to have a go at a task.

I would like you to explain two reasons why prayer and worship are important for Christians, and I'd like you to refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer.

Now, some guidance that you might like to use when responding to this task could be to use point, develop for both of your reasons, and then for one of those reasons, name a source of authority and say what that source of authority teaches, and then apply that to worship and prayer.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So you were asked to explain two reasons why worship and prayer are important to Christians, and your response might be similar to this.

One reason prayer and worship are important for Christians is because they help Christians communicate and build a relationship with God.

The gospel of Matthew and Luke recall Jesus teaching his disciples how to pray using the Lord's prayer, and this shows that Jesus modelled the prayer as a way of worshipping and communicating with God.

Another reason why prayer and worship are important for Christians is that they can help Christians feel part of a community.

When Christians pray together or attend liturgical or non liturgical worship, they're worshipping with others who have similar beliefs and they develop a sense of community.

Now what you can see from my answer is that I have used a source of authority in my first paragraph, and I've chosen to use the gospels of Matthew and Luke and the Lord's Prayer.

Now, you may have used the source of authority in your second paragraph, or you may have used a different source of authority to me.

And if you've done either of these things, that's absolutely fine as long as you've managed to name a source of authority, say what that teaches and apply that to worship and prayer.

So well done again for working on that task.

We've now reached the end of our lesson.

But before we finish, let's take a look at some of the key things that we've learned today.

So we've learned that worship involves showing adoration and praise to God, and that there are different forms of worship within Christianity, including liturgical, non liturgical and informal worship.

We've also seen that approaches to worship can differ across Christian denominations.

We also looked at how prayer is a feature of worship and that it involves communicating with God, and that Christians might use set or formal prayers or informal prayers when praying to God.

We've also seen that both prayer and worship are significant for Christians, and this is because they can help Christians build a stronger relationship with God, offer a sense of community, and help individuals focus on feeling and experiencing God.

And this can happen through the Holy Spirit.

So a huge well done for all of your work today.

It's been wonderful learning with you.