What is Your Weekly Worship Service Like?

maintenance man

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The church I attend was original a Baptist church. About ten years ago they dropped Baptist from their name and became a non-denominational church. The worship service is still exactly the same as before. We actually have two worship venues at our church. In the larger venue we have a contemporary worship service with electric guitars, drums, and electric keyboards, along with a small group of worship singers. I attend the smaller venue where we have a traditional service that includes piano, organ, and a 30 member choir.

The service starts with prayer and announcements.

Then we sing some hymns.

Then we greet one another by shaking hands with those around us.

We sing some more or listen to a guest singer.

We pray for the offering.

We pass around the offering plate and give as we feel compelled to give.

We sing another hymn.

Our pastor gives his message.

We sing another hymn.

Our pastor sends us on our way with a blessing.

We take communion once a month after the offering.

That’s how my weekly worship service goes. I’d be very interested in hearing what your denomination’s worship service is like; or how your particular church is different from the one I attend.
 

HTacianas

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The church I attend was original a Baptist church. About ten years ago they dropped Baptist from their name and became a non-denominational church. The worship service is still exactly the same as before. We actually have two worship venues at our church. In the larger venue we have a contemporary worship service with electric guitars, drums, and electric keyboards, along with a small group of worship singers. I attend the smaller venue where we have a traditional service that includes piano, organ, and a 30 member choir.

The service starts with prayer and announcements.

Then we sing some hymns.

Then we greet one another by shaking hands with those around us.

We sing some more or listen to a guest singer.

We pray for the offering.

We pass around the offering plate and give as we feel compelled to give.

We sing another hymn.

Our pastor gives his message.

We sing another hymn.

Our pastor sends us on our way with a blessing.

We take communion once a month after the offering.

That’s how my weekly worship service goes. I’d be very interested in hearing what your denomination’s worship service is like; or how your particular church is different from the one I attend.

We attend the Divine Liturgy. It's been that way since the beginning.
 
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maintenance man

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I see that this is the Non-denominational forum. maintenance man: Were you looking for replies only from Non-denominational Christians?

No - any and all denominations.
 
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HTacianas

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Yes, your post on that is what sparked my interest. Can you bring that to life for me?

It's rather long. The Divine Liturgy is based on the ancient Jewish temple liturgy.

Go to youtube and search for "orthodox liturgy". It's very beautiful.
 
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maintenance man

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It's rather long. The Divine Liturgy is based on the ancient Jewish temple liturgy.

Go to youtube and search for "orthodox liturgy". It's very beautiful.

I did that and what I saw was in an enormous church with what looked like a hundred member choir.

Is that the kind of service you attend?
Is it all in Latin?
How long does it last?
How do you participate?
 
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HTacianas

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I did that and what I saw was in an enormous church with what looked like a hundred member choir.

Is that the kind of service you attend?
Is it all in Latin?
How long does it last?
How do you participate?

Our Liturgy is in English. It lasts for a few hours. But to watch it would be take as much time as watching a Baptist Sunday service.

We participate by blessing ourselves at the mention of the Trinity and reciting "Lord have mercy" at the appropriate times. We also fully prostrate ourselves in worship, also at the appropriate times.

While there is what many would call a sermon by the priest, that is not what we are there for. It is a worship service. We worship God in the prescribed manner.

Please find an Orthodox Church near you and visit. They will welcome you, if only as an inquirer.
 
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Kit Sigmon

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The church I attend was original a Baptist church. About ten years ago they dropped Baptist from their name and became a non-denominational church. The worship service is still exactly the same as before. We actually have two worship venues at our church. In the larger venue we have a contemporary worship service with electric guitars, drums, and electric keyboards, along with a small group of worship singers. I attend the smaller venue where we have a traditional service that includes piano, organ, and a 30 member choir.

The service starts with prayer and announcements.

Then we sing some hymns.

Then we greet one another by shaking hands with those around us.

We sing some more or listen to a guest singer.

We pray for the offering.

We pass around the offering plate and give as we feel compelled to give.

We sing another hymn.

Our pastor gives his message.

We sing another hymn.

Our pastor sends us on our way with a blessing.

We take communion once a month after the offering.

That’s how my weekly worship service goes. I’d be very interested in hearing what your denomination’s worship service is like; or how your particular church is different from the one I attend.

We observe the Sabbath...messianic assembly
1st Service
The Greeting-Shabbat Shalom
A few announcements-- Welcome to guests (free gift)
Shema--liturgy
Blessing of the children who gather beneath the Talitt/dismiss them to their classes
Singing/worship/praise/dance
Teaching

20 minute break/fellowship

Second Service
A few more announcements(maybe)
Prayer
Blowing of the shofar
Singing/worship/praise/dance
Prayer for the nations/leaders
Conclusion of the teaching
Prayer/ Aaronic blessing
Invitation to come forth for prayer for those who be wanting prayer
and or counsel; others are at liberty to leave.

Mondays- Special events (as announced during Shabbat services)
Monday - Thursday...Amidah prayer every morning at 9 a.m.

And we also attend a fellowship baptist church on Sundays and their
service be fairly close to your own.
 
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Albion

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I did that and what I saw was in an enormous church with what looked like a hundred member choir.

Is that the kind of service you attend?
Is it all in Latin?
How long does it last?
How do you participate?
What you are referring to is the format that is said to be liturgical as it exists in the Eastern Orthodox churches. That which is called the "Divine Liturgy" by them is the most elaborate and lengthy worship of all the Christian churches. But the Catholic Church's worship is also liturgical, following the same general format, although shorter and less ceremonial than the Orthodox version. It is called the "Mass" more commonly.

Plus, the Episcopalians, Methodists, Lutherans, and some other churches also are liturgical.

The structure of all of the above is actually about the same--prayers, hymns, petitions, sermon, recitation of a statement of beliefs, readings from the Bible, distribution of Communion, and so on. I tried to find a You Tube video or something like that online but failed in my first try. I will keep looking and you might try also.
 
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maintenance man

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What you are referring to is the format that is said to be liturgical as it exists in the Eastern Orthodox churches. That which is called the "Divine Liturgy" by them is the most elaborate and lengthy worship of all the Christian churches. But the Catholic Church's worship is also liturgical, following the same general format, although shorter and less ceremonial than the Orthodox version. It is called the "Mass" more commonly.

Plus, the Episcopalians, Methodists, Lutherans, and some other churches also are liturgical.

Thank you, that is helpful. I did find a video online. I've never attended a liturgical service and would like to one day. Is it exactly the same every time?
 
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Albion

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Thank you, that is helpful. I did find a video online. I've never attended a liturgical service and would like to one day. Is it exactly the same every time?
Yes and No. The format is the same, but there are variations and a few options that the priest or minister can choose from but you would hardly notice. There is a change from Sunday to Sunday according to the church calendar concerning the appointed readings from Scripture, depending on whether it is Christmas, or Easter or some other day--and all the other ones, too. The colors of the priest's attire change with the season also. However, the basic structure remains the same except for a few little changes that a visitor would hardly notice. I recommend that you visit such a service, if only because of your interest in knowing what it is like.

You could choose a rather large church and lose yourself in the crowd. People worry about standing out or what to do about the postures, but if you simply sit thought it all, most people will think you are lost in your prayers or the obvious--a visitor. If you are asked, no one will be alarmed or, on the other hand, try to convert you.
 
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maintenance man

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However, the basic structure remains the same except for a few little changes that a visitor would hardly notice.

I can see how this would be a powerful experience, but at the same time I'm wondering if the repetition can make a less committed follower complacent and numb to the deeper connection to God.

This is of course a problem in our service as well. It all becomes so familiar we sometimes are just there and not really connecting with God.
 
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Albion

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That is a concern people often raise, but most of the people who attend one of the liturgical churches don't feel that it turns out that way. One of the reasons, I think, relates to something I said above. That is that there is a church calendar being followed. That means that some days, during Lent, for example, penitence and the Lord's suffering are the theme of both the readings from Scripture and the sermon, while triumph and hope are the themes of both of these at Easter season which follows a few weeks later.

It may betray my own prejudices, but I have always felt that the kind of service I experienced in a non-liturgical church when I was younger is more likely to lead to complacency or boredom. Except for the occasional concert, etc. everything is the same from week to week. The sermon is usually on some good Christian subject but there is no predicting what it is going to be, and the hymns are not geared to the spirit of the season, which means that the Scripture readings are not chronological as they basically are in a liturgical church as they, follow Christs life from birth through his public ministry to his betrayal, crucifixion and then his victorious resurrection.
 
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maintenance man

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the Scripture readings are not chronological as they basically are in a liturgical church as they, follow Christs life from birth through his public ministry to his betrayal, crucifixion and then his victorious resurrection.

I do find that aspect or your service very appealing.

Pastors in churches like the one I attend generally try to put together a series of messages on the same topic - usually 6 to 10 weeks long - which often is well worth the trip, but sometimes the topic simply doesn't appeal to me. This is the struggle with trying to reinvent the wheel every Sunday. Some will be interested and others will be nodding off.
 
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Albion

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Understood. It is not unheard of for the pastor in a liturgical church to speak to some special topic that is not directly related to the scripture readings for the day, but the readings themselves will be seasonal, regardless of the sermon, and many ministers/priests do make the readings their jumping off point for the days sermon. This can vary somewhat from denomination to denomination and congregation to congregation of course.
 
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Halbhh

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The church I attend was original a Baptist church. About ten years ago they dropped Baptist from their name and became a non-denominational church. The worship service is still exactly the same as before. We actually have two worship venues at our church. In the larger venue we have a contemporary worship service with electric guitars, drums, and electric keyboards, along with a small group of worship singers. I attend the smaller venue where we have a traditional service that includes piano, organ, and a 30 member choir.

The service starts with prayer and announcements.

Then we sing some hymns.

Then we greet one another by shaking hands with those around us.

We sing some more or listen to a guest singer.

We pray for the offering.

We pass around the offering plate and give as we feel compelled to give.

We sing another hymn.

Our pastor gives his message.

We sing another hymn.

Our pastor sends us on our way with a blessing.

We take communion once a month after the offering.

That’s how my weekly worship service goes. I’d be very interested in hearing what your denomination’s worship service is like; or how your particular church is different from the one I attend.

This Lutheran Church we joined about 8 years ago was my first time in a Lutheran Church and we liked it and have continued. I've attended at least 3 services I've figured in 8 denominations over the years, so I have a broad background of various churches that I know fairly well from experience first hand.

Our services are almost just like what you described above in terms of the parts (but with one more key thing, next paragraph). We begin with music and then announcements, we don't pray for the offering, though we do pray several times in service, and also in that we take communion each week. We also have a choice of traditional or contemporary services. The traditional has music just like you've described but we don't need or have guest singers often, though I've seen a couple in a year, and for our contemporary services we have a band with 8-12 musicians and singers. We do really great popular contemporary christian songs like the more praise-oriented ones you'd hear on K-love radio.

A key thing: there are several bible readings during services.

First we have the 1-2 verses of the verse of the month, before the kids go to Sunday School. This month it's the powerful and crucial
Mark 10:15 Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Later we have a reading from an epistle, a full passage.

Then, the centerpiece reading, on which the sermon is often based also, is the Gospel Reading.

The Gospel Reading will usually be a full passage, and typically be from 6 to 20 verses, and that means the pastor or reader will be reading for a couple of minutes often, not in a rush.

Altogether the readings add up to a significant amount of scripture reading, and in the traditional service there is additionally a psalm reading too.

The scripture readings were one of the several key things that let me know this would be a good church to attend.

Another key thing is that by the local standards (here in the Midwest), this is a very welcoming and friendly church (visitors consistently are surprised and say so).

I do not call myself "Lutheran", but I have found I agree with all of their listed Lutheran doctrines.

Because of my background and learning in the gospels, I cannot ever say I'm this church or that one, as if that mattered much. And not even another version like saying I'm "Conservative" or "Liberal" Christian. Not for me. I believe our following is to be solely to Christ, not men. But I don't mind admitting I'm attending a "Lutheran" church so long as the listener realizes it's not Lutheran I'm following, but instead Christ our Lord.
 
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maintenance man

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Altogether the readings add up to a significant amount of scripture reading, and in the traditional service there is additionally a psalm reading too.

I like that focus on Bible reading.

We do have a brief Bible reading right before the announcements but is is only a few verses. Also, everyone is expected to bring a Bible to read along when the Pastor reads the scripture that is included in his message.

Sometimes there is a lot more message than scripture and that would be my biggest complaint.
 
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