Liturgical Worship This type of worship is found in services in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox churches. Some acts of worship require a liturgy (a set order or pattern), eg Roman Catholic Mass. Features of liturgical worship are: a set structure to the service, the use of set prayers and readings, singing of hymns. The priest may perform symbolic actions which have specific meaning. Some Christians see it as ‘old-fashioned’ or ‘very traditional’. The service follows the text of a prayer book and is not improvised at all. Liturgical worship often takes place in a church, but not always, for example, a papal open-air Mass or an Anglican Eucharist in the home of a sick person. Some Christians prefer liturgical worship: the familiarity of the service makes them feel secure and they can join in with ease. They know exactly what to expect even in a church where they have never been before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPjTfw4a2ZE

Non-Liturgical Worship Other Christians prefer a more informal style of worship. They think that liturgical acts of worship stifle genuine worship. Non-liturgical worship is typical of some non-conformist churches and tends to be Bible based. If often follows a structure (hymn, prayer, reading, hymn, sermon, prayer, hymn) but the service leader has free choice within that structure. They may chose a relevant theme for events in the world or community. The minister will choose Bible teachings to base the sermon on. Prayer is usually in the person’s own words and personal style, known as extemporary prayer.

Informal Worship Informal worship may depend on people’s spontaneous prayers or sharing of thoughts. Quaker worship is mainly silent, and people speak when they feel God’s spirit moving them to offer thoughts, prayers or a reading. Community or house churches meet to eat together and share their faith to recreate what they believe to be the worship of the early Church. Charismatic worship is a form of informal worship. The service has characteristics of other forms of worship, but is free-flowing. In charismatic worship (that is ‘led by the Spirit’), the worshippers often speak in tongues (words which are not intelligible but express a person’s devotion to God). This is seen as a gift of the Holy Spirit. Singing, often accompanied by music, clapping and dancing, has a more relaxed feel to it and such worshippers believe it comes from the heart. This style is popular with Pentecostal and Evangelical churches which have become more popular in Britain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ_ccyl4CAI

Private Worship Private worship allows individuals to spend time with God, alone. It may involve prayer, meditation, studying a passage from the Bible, or using aids to worship such as an icon or a rosary – a string of beads with a crucifix attached which is used by Roman Catholics. Saying the Rosary involves running ones hands through the set of beads and saying certain prayers (the Lord’s Prayer, the Hail Mary, and the ‘Glory be to the father …’) while touching each bead. Meditation is thoughtfulness, focused on a religious truth. Christians might use a stimulus, such as a lighted candle, a religious picture or a beautiful scene from nature. Others may read a Bible passage and meditate on its message.