The Methodist Sunday Service

[Victrixa]

Hi my brothers and sisters

I have a question for you, maybe more than one but all are related to one another.

What's a Methodist service like?

Do your pastors wear liturgical vestments? How are the pastors called (Reverend? Father? Pastor?) Do you use candles, crucifixes or processional crosses, do you have an altar? Do your pastors wear Roman collars? (I think so?)

What's it like inside a Methodist church? Have any photos?

Are Methodist services called services or something else? Are they more solemn or charismatic?

How is Communion celebrated? Do you believe in the Real Presence?

Do you follow the Liturgical Calendar for each year?

Ah, those are a lot of questions, lol, but all related!

I'm just really curious because I believe that Methodism is kind of liturgical, even kind of Catholic, is it?

Thank you sooo much for taking the time!

Peace in Christ,

- Caroline

 

[Tumnus]

Hello Caroline,

This is from my personal experience with the UMC, which is isolated to central Arkansas.

1. Services come in various flavors -- casual, modern, formal. Formal tends to vary depending on the church facilities. Locally, they refer to it as high church -- I'm not sure if that's the general UMC term or not -- which involves the vestments, etc.

2. Here in Arkansas, the terms Pastor and Brother are commonly used. You occasionally hear Reverend and, less frequently, minister. There are usually candles, I don't recall ever seeing a processional cross, but we don't really do high church here, so it may be in some of the more formal churches in Little Rock. As for the collars, I think the associate minister occasionally wears one. Something you didn't ask but might find interesting is that the UMC ordains women.

3. The interior of a Methodist church varies between denominations. Our local church is wrapping up a building program. Once complete, it will have a formal sanctuary. Previously, it was more of a multipurpose room. It had an altar, but it was semi-portable to allow for the "other" purposes. (It's really not as bad as it sounds!) There are some pictures on the Web of the church prior to the latest construction, but I do not have enough posts to allow me to insert a URL (a curious rule, but that's how it goes).

4. The services are usually called services. They may be casual or formal (don't think I'd quite use the term solemn for my own church). They are not charismatic.

5. The UMC practices open communion, meaning that anyone professing to be a Christian may participate even if they are not members. They do not practice the Real Presence. Personally, while I don't accept transubstantiation, I think the RCC tradition of the Holy Eucharist may be much healthier. It's solemnity and emphasis on Christ's real, and not merely symbolic, presence seem to me to be a good thing. My concern about our local church is that sometimes communion comes off a little too casual.

6. Not sure about the Liturgical Calendar. As for the liturgy itself, what is considered high church I suspect has some of its roots in the Anglican Church in which John Wesley was himself a minister. I have rarely seen the liturgy used in our current church due to the less formal and more modern nature of some of its services, the fact that it doesn't currently have a formal sanctuary, and it is a relatively young church with a lot of Yuppy puppies in it. I think this is not necessarily the case for some of the older, more established UMC congregations. Our services do have a particular flow to them, but it would not be considered anything on the order of a liturgy.

God bless,
-T

 

[Tumnus]

Quick note -- item 3 should read "congregations" rather than "denominations".

 

[Jadis40]

Hi Victrixa, I put my answers in the text of your message.

Hi my brothers and sisters

I have a question for you, maybe more than one but all are related to one another.

What's a Methodist service like?

At the church I attend, we have two services. One is more "traditional" where we sing hymns out of the hymnal. The other service we have is our contemporary service where we sing more contemporary praise and worship songs. Mainly, and to quote from my 8th grade history teacher: "We sing a little, pray a little, preach a little, and we all go home." Kinda blunt, but pretty much true.

Do your pastors wear liturgical vestments? How are the pastors called (Reverend? Father? Pastor?) Do you use candles, crucifixes or processional crosses, do you have an altar? Do your pastors wear Roman collars? (I think so?)

Our pastor doesn't wear vestments like they wear in a Catholic mass, but during the traditional service he will wear a black robe and a stole which can vary in color depending on what part of the church year we're in. I attended service this past Sunday, so I think it's still red. We do use candles, but we don't have a crucifix, rather we have an empty cross. We have an altar...but I don't think I've ever seen our pastor wear a clerical collar.

What's it like inside a Methodist church? Have any photos?

Methodist churches can vary greatly in appearance. The one I attend has two large beautiful stained glass windows - One is the birth of Christ, the other is one where He is praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. We also have 3 or four smaller windows of him holding a lamb with other sheep around his feet, the other is Him sitting down with children gathered around his feet. I can't remember the others right off hand.

Are Methodist services called services or something else? Are they more solemn or charismatic?

Hmm, I can't say our services are solemn. The contemporary service is modern, but I wouldn't say it's charismatic.

How is Communion celebrated? Do you believe in the Real Presence?

We celebrate communion on the first Sunday of every month. Sometimes the manner we receive it can vary. We've used intinction (we break a piece of bread off a common loaf then dip it in grape juice (the Methodist church doesn't use wine. Small point of trivia...if I recall correctly Welch (the juice guy, was a Methodist.) Here's a link for it:

http://www.co.cumberland.nj.us/facts/history/250/viewpub.asp?fldPaper=The+Press+of+Atlantic+City&fldID=5

Hmm, as far as the real presence, sometimes when I partake of communion, I can sense Christ's presence, but generally I see it as a continuation of Christ's command: "Do this in rememberance of me." We've also used small rectangular wafers and juice at the altar rail, but we've gotten away from doing that in the past decade or so. At the first service though, we'll pass a basket of pieces of bread and then the grape juice.

Do you follow the Liturgical Calendar for each year?

Yep, we have the liturgical calendar.

Ah, those are a lot of questions, lol, but all related!

I'm just really curious because I believe that Methodism is kind of liturgical, even kind of Catholic, is it?

Hmm, there are elements similar, after all, the Anglican church broke away from the Catholic church, (with the Episcopal church being the Anglican church in the U.S.) so those two are somewhat similar, and The Methodist Church was an offshot of that. (John Wesley, credited as being the "founder" of Methodism, never sought to form a new church, it just sort of happened that way.) Matter of fact, over one of the doors to our church it reads Methodist Episcopal Church. As far as the liturgical part. Yes and no. I remember when I was in elementary school, we'd sing the Gloria Patri (in English), and worship services tended to be more formal. Over my lifetime though, they've dropped from the order of worship some things that they used to do.


Thank you sooo much for taking the time!

Peace in Christ,

- Caroline

Thanks, and same to you.

 

[Victrixa]

Wow! Thank you! That is sooooo interesting!

Anyone else has some input to share?

Peace in Christ,

- Caroline

 

[Tumnus]

Oh, there is one kind of unique aspect to our church. It started out as an independent church, then decided to go UMC. However, to commemorate their cross-denominational heritage, they have small stained glass windows behind the pulpit, each with the symbol of one of the other respective denominations represented in the original independent church. I think it surprises people from other denominations who are not familiar with the church's background and visit our church only to see the symbol of their church behind the pulpit.

-T

 

[flautist]

What's a Methodist service like?

Well, my church has two services. Early service is at 9 AM and is more traditional. It is usually done by 10-10:30. We have fellowship until 11, at which time second service starts. Second service is contemporary and held in the fellowship hall rather than the sanctuary, as it's more casual.

Do your pastors wear liturgical vestments?

During first service they wear robes and stoles. The stoles vary every Sunday, depending on what mood our pastors are in that day, though they are always very colorful and decorative. The robe is always either white or black, again depending on the pastors moods. However, there are special ones that they will wear for various holidays.

How are the pastors called (Reverend? Father? Pastor?)

In our church, we call them pastor.

Do you use candles, crucifixes or processional crosses, do you have an altar?

We do not have an altar, persay, we have a prayer rail. We use candles at every service, though we do not have crucifixes or processional crosses. We do have a plain cross hanging above the pulpits, though.

Do your pastors wear Roman collars? (I think so?)

nope

What's it like inside a Methodist church? Have any photos?

It really varies. The one I went to as a pre-teen was an old country church: One room, only about 10 pews on each side, with a pulpit at the front. The one I go to now is a really big, beautiful, old building with lots of gorgeous stained glass windows.

Are Methodist services called services or something else? Are they more solemn or charismatic?

None of our services can be considered "solemn;" our pastors are a RIOT! However, the first service is more traditional and subdued in nature, while second service is more upbeat, though I don't know if I would call it "charismatic."

How is Communion celebrated?

We celebrate Communion once a month. The pastors and two ushers stand at the front of the church with a loaf of bread and a cup of grape juice. We go up to the front of the church in single file (two lines, though). We take a piece of bread from the usher who says to us, "This is Christ's body, broken for you." Then we dip the bread in the cup the pastor is holding as she says, "This is Chist's blood, shed for you." Then we eat it. Once we eat, we can either go back to our seat or kneel briefly at the prayer rail for prayer and reflection.

Do you believe in the Real Presence?

Well, I believe Christ is always here, whether we are celebrating communion or not.

Do you follow the Liturgical Calendar for each year?

Yes, though there is not really a huge emphasis placed on it, and I don't really know it.

 

[Ric]

Hi Caroline,
I hope I can answer your questions below:

Hi my brothers and sisters

I have a question for you, maybe more than one but all are related to one another.

What's a Methodist service like?

Well, there are two to three different types of Methodist Services;
1. Traditional = very much like a Roman Catholic mass, minus the parts we believe are unbiblical.
2. Blended = a combination of traditional and contemporary services.
3. Contemporary = a service where all the music is contemporary and usually is done without vestments and such.

Do your pastors wear liturgical vestments? How are the pastors called (Reverend? Father? Pastor?) Do you use candles, crucifixes or processional crosses, do you have an altar? Do your pastors wear Roman collars? (I think so?)

We call our pastors - pastors. The vestments are in the more traditional services. Yes we use candles, crosses not crucifixes, and yes we have an altar (I've never seen a church without an altar in all of the different denominations I've attended). And as for the collars, no. Why should they?

What's it like inside a Methodist church? Have any photos?

Go to my church's web page - we may have some pics online of the sanctuary.
http://www.ocoeeoaksumc.com/

Are Methodist services called services or something else? Are they more solemn or charismatic?

Services. It depends on the type of service you attend.

How is Communion celebrated? Do you believe in the Real Presence?

Yes, we believe in the Real Presence of Christ at His table. But not in the way you are taught in Roman Catholicism. We believe that the Roman Catholic teaching is unbiblical.

Do you follow the Liturgical Calendar for each year?

Yes.

Ah, those are a lot of questions, lol, but all related!

I'm just really curious because I believe that Methodism is kind of liturgical, even kind of Catholic, is it?

Thank you sooo much for taking the time!

Peace in Christ,

- Caroline

Well the roots of the Methodist church comes from the Anglican church what came from Roman Catholicism.

 

[Victrixa]

Thank you so much everyone! It's sooo interesting!

 

[Victrixa]

Yes, we believe in the Real Presence of Christ at His table. But not in the way you are taught in Roman Catholicism. We believe that the Roman Catholic teaching is unbiblical.

Ric,

How is the Real Presence during the Eucharist defined in the Methodist Church?

Thank you.

 

[Ric]

Thank you so much everyone! It's sooo interesting!

Glad I can help, and if you need any more info, please ask!

My wife is a former Roman Catholic and I can give you (most likely) all the answers you need.

God Bless!

 

[Ric]

Ric,

How is the Real Presence during the Eucharist defined in the Methodist Church?

Thank you.

We believe that Jesus is with us at His table, in spirit, but not physically like the Roman Catholic church teaches.

 

[Victrixa]

Thank you Ric.

Either way, He definitively is present!

I checked the link you gave me of your church! Yours looks like a very dynamic church with dynamic Christians who truly love the Lord!

Are you in one of those pictures?

 

[Ric]

Thank you Ric.

Either way, He definitively is present!

I checked the link you gave me of your church! Yours looks like a very dynamic church with dynamic Christians who truly love the Lord!

Are you in one of those pictures?

No, I would break the camera, but my five year old son is in there somewhere.

 

[markbelieves]

Hi Caroline,

I am a former Roman Catholic and now am a member of the UMC. My answers to your questions are within your quote.

Mark

Hi my brothers and sisters

I have a question for you, maybe more than one but all are related to one another.

What's a Methodist service like?
Like some have already say, this will vary between churches. I found most Roman Catholic services to follow the same format, whereas in my current church the format changes from week to week sometimes. We have traditional hymns and we also sing contemporary worship music.

Do your pastors wear liturgical vestments? How are the pastors called (Reverend? Father? Pastor?) Do you use candles, crucifixes or processional crosses, do you have an altar? Do your pastors wear Roman collars? (I think so?)

Our Pastor wears liturgical vestments when performing a baptism, otherwise we wears a suit.
We typically address him with Pastor.
We do have candles, and an alter, not very fancy though when comparing to the alters of most of the RC churches I have been in.

What's it like inside a Methodist church? Have any photos?
Our church is nice but it is does not have the statues that you typically find in the RC church. Ours does not have stained glass windows either but I have seen some UMC that do.

Are Methodist services called services or something else? Are they more solemn or charismatic? Service and somewhere in between solemn and charismatic.

How is Communion celebrated? Do you believe in the Real Presence?
Typically once a month and I personally believe Jesus is always present in spirit.
Do you follow the Liturgical Calendar for each year?
If you mean do we observe the Lenton season and advent, then yes, we do.
Ah, those are a lot of questions, lol, but all related!

I'm just really curious because I believe that Methodism is kind of liturgical, even kind of Catholic, is it? I have found this to be quite a bit different then my experience in the Roman Catholic church.

Thank you sooo much for taking the time!

Peace in Christ,

- Caroline

 

[sinner/SAVED]

Answers inside quote:

Hi my brothers and sisters

I have a question for you, maybe more than one but all are related to one another.

What's a Methodist service like?

Singing, praying, tithing, preaching.

Do your pastors wear liturgical vestments? How are the pastors called (Reverend? Father? Pastor?) Do you use candles, crucifixes or processional crosses, do you have an altar? Do your pastors wear Roman collars? (I think so?)

Our previous two preachers always wore robes. Our current one rarely does. Most of us call the pastor by his or her first name, otherwise we call them Brother or Sister, except for the ones with doctorate level degrees, we call them Doctor. We are all priests in the Body of Christ and all are brothers. I know of at least one pastor who is offended if called reverend. We do have candles on the Communion table that are lit at the beginning of the service by acolytes. We do have an alter and it is used for prayer and communion. No Roman collars that I've ever seen.

What's it like inside a Methodist church? Have any photos?

I have no photos, but our church is very nice, for a small town South Georgia church.

Are Methodist services called services or something else? Are they more solemn or charismatic?

We call them Worship Services. Some are solemn, some have some charismatic elements, most are a blend of traditional and contemporary worship.

How is Communion celebrated? Do you believe in the Real Presence?

Our communion varies on the whims of the Communion Stewards and the preacher. Sometimes crackers and the small cups, sometimes intinction. Sometimes kneeling at the alter, sometimes in a steady procession past the alter.

Do you follow the Liturgical Calendar for each year?

Mostly.

Ah, those are a lot of questions, lol, but all related!

I'm just really curious because I believe that Methodism is kind of liturgical, even kind of Catholic, is it?


Thank you sooo much for taking the time!

Peace in Christ,

- Caroline

 

[Strong in Him]

Hi Caroline,

My answers are as a British Methodist, but maybe you'll still find them of interest.

Over here we have local (lay) preachers who move around the circuit and could preach in a different church every week. Those who are ordained and lead us are called Ministers. Only Ministers can celebrate communion - except in some rare cases. I think Local preachers can take baptism services. There are several churches in a circuit, the leader of the circuit is called a Superintendant, and can be male or female. Local Preachers do not wear robes, but Ministers can wear a single cassock. Although I don't think this is compulsory and may be just a matter of preference. Our Minister usually wears it for communion, but not otherwise.

Churches vary. Ours is quite small, we have an organ, chairs rather than fixed pews and two lecterns but no pulpit. Most of the time we go up to the rail for communion, but occasionally we all stay in our seats and it is passed round. We use real bread, non alcoholic wine and individual communion cups.
As for decoration, we have a large plain cross which stands against the back wall of the church, behind the communion table. We have an easter candle which we try to have alight for communion, though there isn't always room on the table. We have 4 posters in the church which remind us of the 4 parts of "Our Calling" - Worship, Evangelism, Learning and caring, and Service.

Most preachers follow the Lectionary readings for each Sunday, but it's not compulsory. I tend to, unless I have a particular reason for not doing so. We have a number of Special Sundays too - eg Refugees Sunday, Prisoners Sunday, Education Sunday and Sundays for home and overseas Missions. On these occasions the relevant charities may provide literature and teaching material.

Our services themselves generally follow the same kind of pattern. First we have a Call to Worship - often a verse from Scripture focussing on our reason for coming to church. This is followed by a hymn and prayer of adoration as we worship God, and the confession as we ask forgiveness and cleansing for our sins. Then there is a 10 minute children's talk, followed by a children's hymnbefore they go to junior church. After this, we listen to God's word, sing again, hear the sermon and make our response to what God has been saying to us in a hymn, often one of committment, and by praying for the world and ourselves and by giving our money for God's work. We finish wiith a hymn of praise and the blessing.

Because our church is small, we have only one morning service a week. Other churches have evening services as well though. We can only celebrate communion once a month, as we share our minister with another - larger - church.

 

[Strong in Him]

Actually that last point may not be quite true. We probably could celebrate it more often if all the members agreed and providing we could find a minister.

I've only been a Merthodist for a few years, so I'm not an expert on all this.

 

[Ric]

Hi there S.I.H.,

Your church circuit sounds just like the Methodist church back in the early days of the United States. Cool!

 

[Jadis40]

Oh yeah, one thing I forgot to mention is when I was in elementary school the 5th graders got to be the acolytes during the service. This just meant that they went up and lit the candles on the altar at the beginning of the service and extinguished them at the end. I remember I couldn't wait until I was old enough to do that. Back at that time, they did that every service. Sometimes they still do, but not to the extent that they used to.

I also mentioned the robes our pastor wears...he wears it during the "traditional" service, but not during the contemporary one.