Lesson video

Hi, my name's Miss Minton and welcome to this Christianity Practises lesson on Worship Using the Bible.

Now, by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain how the Bible is used during Christian worship and the significance of this.

Now you'll be drawing upon prior knowledge of worship within Christianity, but there'll also be lots of new learning today.

Don't worry though, because I'm here to guide you through each step of our lesson, and I'm confident that by the end, you'll achieve this outcome.

So let's get started by taking a look at our keywords for today.

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

Now the Bible is a Christian source of wisdom and authority, and it's a holy book that contains both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Liturgical worship refers to a church service that follows a set structure or ritual.

A non liturgical worship refers to a service that doesn't follow a set text or ritual, and sometimes this worship is spontaneous and charismatic.

And finally, the word worship refers to showing adoration and reverence and offering praise to God.

Now, our lesson today will have two parts.

We'll start by looking at the use of the Bible during worship and we'll then look at the significance of using the Bible during worship.

So let's make a start and take a look at the use of the Bible during worship.

Now, the word Bible originates from the Greek word biblia, which means book.

However, the Bible is actually a collection of books rather than one single book.

Now, this collection of books known as the Bible is split into two sections, the Old Testament and the New Testament.

And within the Old and New Testament, there are different types of literature.

So for example, poetry and law.

Now, because there are different types of literature within the Bible, there are different beliefs and understandings within Christianity about how the Bible should be read and interpreted.

Now generally, these beliefs can be categorised into two main approaches, the first being a literal approach.

Now, a literal approach to the Bible means that the Bible is viewed as God's exact word, and therefore it should be read as a historically accurate account.

The other approach is a liberal approach.

Now, a liberal approach is the view that the Bible was written by human authors who were inspired by God and this means that the Bible should be read in the context that it was written, taking into account the different forms of literature.

Now, regardless of the different types of literature or the approaches taken to reading the Bible, the Bible is still considered to be a source of wisdom and authority for most Christians.

And the Bible is considered to be a source of wisdom and authority because it contains God's law.

So it contains God's guidance on right and wrong.

It contains the wisdom of the people of Israel and of the early Christians.

It contains the prophecies and predictions about the arrival of Jesus, and the Bible contains information about the life and teachings of Jesus himself.

So let's check your understanding.

True or false, most Christians consider the Bible to be a source of wisdom and authority.

Fantastic, that statement is true, But why is that statement true? How do we know that Christians consider the Bible to be a source of wisdom and authority? Well, it's because the Bible contains God's law, the wisdom of the people of Israel and early Christians, and it also contains prophecies regarding Jesus and information about Jesus' life and teachings.

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

Now because the Bible is considered to be a source of wisdom and authority, this means that it's often a key feature of Christian worship.

So it's a key feature of Christians showing adoration, reverence and praise to God.

Now, the Bible can be used by both individuals and whole Christian communities as part of their worship and it can also be used in both liturgical worship and non liturgical worship.

So we're going to have a look now at how the Bible features in both liturgical and non liturgical worship, and we're going to start by taking a look at the use of the Bible in liturgical worship.

So within liturgical worship, the Bible is often used for readings, and readings are taken from both the old and the New Testament and they are read out loud to the congregation.

The Bible is also used by the person who's leading the worship to give what's known as a homily or a sermon.

And this essentially is a speech that's based on a reading and a teaching from the Bible.

The Bible is also used for prayers, and prayers can be taken directly from the Bible.

So for example, the Lord's Prayer or the Bible can be used to inspire prayers and also hymns and songs can be taken from the Bible as well.

And hymns and songs are usually based on biblical stories or teachings.

Now, Jason, who is a Catholic priest and often leads on liturgical worship explains how he uses the Bible during liturgical worship.

Jason says this, when I deliver mass in my church, I use readings from both the old and the New Testament.

One of these readings will be from one of the four gospels and I will give a speech known as a homily where I interpret this reading and apply the messages to the lives of the congregation.

So what we can see here from Father Jason is that he uses the Bible for readings, but he also uses it to inform his homily and help the congregation understand how the Bible can relate to their lives today in the modern world.

We're also now going to hear from Ji-eun, who is a Methodist minister, and she explains how she uses the Bible during the liturgical worship that she leads.

Ji-eun says, "During liturgical worship such as holy communion, I will read several passages from the Bible.

These often follow the revised common lectionary, which is a cycle of biblical readings that run through the church year, beginning with the start of Advent.

After the Bible readings, I'll give a sermon where I help the congregation understand how to live out the biblical teachings." So what we can see from Ji-eun's explanation is that she also uses Bible readings as part of liturgical worship, and she also uses them to help the congregation understand how the Bible teachings relate to their lives in the modern world and how they can live out these Bible teachings.

So let's check your understanding.

True or false, using the Bible during worship Means that there's no opportunity for interpretation.

Fantastic, that statement is false, but why is that statement false? Well, it's because homilies and sermons actually do offer the opportunity for the person who's leading the worship to interpret the Bible readings, and they can interpret the Bible readings to help the congregation understand the context of them in their own lives and the modern world.

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

So now let's take a look at how the Bible is used during non liturgical worship.

So during non liturgical worship, they'll often be readings from the Bible that reflect the feelings or thoughts for a particular moment or occasion.

There'll also be hymns, and these hymns will be reflective of biblical stories.

There may also be sharing of personal testimony, and these will reflect and be based on biblical teachings.

And there may also be discussion in either small groups or large groups about specific biblical passages.

Now Asher is a Pentecostal Christian and he explains how the Bible is used at his church during non liturgical worship.

Asher says, "Although my church is often non liturgical and informal, the Bible still plays a significant role.

During church services, the Bible will be used for readings but the choice of reading can be spontaneous and guided by the Holy Spirit at that moment.

Worshipers at my church, also engage with the Bible through singing and dancing and reflecting on the messages of the Bible." Now, as well as the Bible being used for worship that involves multiple people, the Bible can also be used during private and individual worship, and many Christians can use the Bible privately by reading passages from the Bible, meditating on stories or teachings from the Bible or using the Bible as inspiration for prayers.

So let's check your understanding.

Which of the following is not an example of how the Bible is used during non liturgical worship? A, using the same reading from the Bible each week.

B, choosing Bible passages spontaneously.

C, discussing Bible passages in small groups, or D, singing hymns based on Bible passages.

Fantastic, the correct answer is A, Using the same Bible reading each week is not an example of non liturgical worship, and that's because Bible readings for non liturgical worship will often be spontaneous and they will change regularly.

So now we've checked your understanding, let's have a go at a task.

I would like you to complete the table by explaining how the Bible is used during both liturgical and non liturgical worship.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So you are asked to complete the table by explaining how the Bible is used during both liturgical and non liturgical worship.

And your responses might be similar to this.

For liturgical worship, you may have said that during liturgical worship there'll be a set of readings from the Bible.

There'll be prayers and hymns that are based on the Bible and a homily or a sermon given by the person leading the service, which will be based on a Bible reading.

For non liturgical worship, you may have said that during non liturgical worship, there'll be readings from the Bible which might be spontaneous.

There'll also be prayers and hymns that might reflect Bible stories, and there might be opportunities to share personal testimonies and discuss the Bible in small groups.

So well done again for your work on that task and completing the table.

We're now moving on to the second part of our lesson, which is to look at the significance of using the Bible during worship.

So to get started, I'd like you to consider what is the significance of using the Bible during worship? So pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have said that using the Bible during worship is significant because it reinforces God's laws and provides Christians with guidance.

It can also help Christians understand God's plan for salvation and remind them of this plan.

It can also help worshipers relate the Bible to their own lives.

So understand how biblical teachings and stories are relevant in the modern world, and it can help worshipers connect with each other through having a shared knowledge of the Bible.

So let's check your understanding.

Which of the following is not a reason why using the Bible during worship is significant? A, it reinforces God's laws and provides guidance.

B, it reminds Christians of God's plan for salvation.

C worshipers can't relate the Bible to their own lives, or D, the Bible Can help worshipers connect with others.

Fantastic, the correct answer is C.

Worshipers actually can relate the Bible to their own lives by studying the Bible or by listening to the sermons and homilies that are given by the religious leader.

So well done for identifying that C is the correct answer.

Now we've seen some general reasons why using the Bible during worship is significant for Christians, but actually, using the Bible during worship can impact Christians individually in different ways.

Now we are going to hear from some Christians who are going to discuss how using the Bible impacts them.

We're going to hear from Fergus, who is a liberal Anglican, James, who is a Roman Catholic and Rachel, who is a Plymouth Brethren.

First up we have Fergus, who is a liberal Anglican, and he explains his experience of using the Bible, during worship and the impact that this has on him.

Fergus says, "Using the Bible during worship has helped me to navigate difficult decisions in my life.

Life is full of difficult choices that we sometimes need more time to think about.

When I go to church and hear readings from the Bible, it can give me clarity on how to respond in difficult situations.

For example, I recently heard the Parable of the Lost or Prodigal Son, and this helped me make a decision about forgiveness." Now we have James, who is a Roman Catholic Christian.

He also explains his experience of using the Bible for worship and how this impacts him.

James says, "Using the Bible during worship has helped me understand how the Bible is relevant to my life.

When passages from the Bible are read out during church services such as mass, it's sometimes difficult to know and understand what the passage means.

When the priest gives the homily, it helps me to relate to the passage and understand how it's relevant to my life today." And finally, we have Rachel, who is a Plymouth Brethren.

She also explains how she has used the Bible during and worship and the impact this has had on her.

Rachel says, "I use the Bible frequently to read passages during private worship.

Using the Bible in this way allows me to connect with the word of God and reflect on the teachings of the Bible.

I also gain a sense of community through using the Bible during worship.

This is because I can discuss what I've read with other members of my community." So what we've seen from Fergus, James and Rachel is that using the Bible is a common feature of worship, but it can be used in different ways and it can also have a different impact on individuals.

So with that in mind, let's imagine that I've been asked to give one reason why using the Bible during worship is important for Christians.

I've said that it helps them connect with others through discussions surrounding passages.

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

I'd like you to give another reason why using the Bible during worship is important for Christians.

So pause the video and have a go.

Okay, so you may have said that using the Bible during worship is important for Christians because it can help guide moral decisions.

So decisions about what's right and wrong.

It can help Christians understand the relevance of biblical teachings today and relate these teachings to their own life in the modern world, and it can help Christians to understand God's plan.

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

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

Izzy is explaining why the Bible is a significant part of Christian worship.

Izzy says, "The Bible is a significant part of Christian worship because it reminds Christians of God's law and guidance.

For example, hearing the stories from the Bible such as the Parable of the Prodigal Son can teach Christians important lessons about forgiveness and other behaviours encouraged in the Bible." Now I would like you to write a second paragraph explaining another reason why the Bible is a significant part of Christian worship.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for working on that task.

So you were asked to write a second paragraph explaining another reason why the Bible is a significant part of Christian worship, and your response might be similar to this.

Another reason why the Bible is a significant part of Christian worship is because using the Bible can help worshipers connect with each other.

Hearing stories of the Bible during a service or reading the Bible during private worship can give Christians things to reflect on and discuss with others in their community.

So well done again for completing 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 the Bible is a collection of books containing different types of literature, and that there are different approaches to interpreting and reading the Bible.

But regardless of the different literary forms and interpretations of reading the Bible, the Bible is still considered to be a source of wisdom and authority by most Christians.

We've also seen that the Bible is an important feature of Christian worship and it's used in both liturgical and non liturgical worship.

The Bible is used for readings, homilies and sermons, hymns, prayers, and for reflection and discussion.

And we've also seen that using the Bible during worship is significant for Christians because it can help them engage with the teachings in the Bible, remind them of God's law and guidance, and help them connect with other Christians.

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

It's been wonderful learning with you.