Christian Worship, Sacraments and Prayer
Forms of Christian Worship
Worship is how Christians express love and devotion to God. Christians worship in several distinct forms, and different denominations emphasise different approaches.
Liturgical worship follows a fixed, formal structure. Anglican services follow the Book of Common Prayer (or its modern successor, Common Worship); Catholic services follow the Roman Rite; Orthodox services follow centuries-old liturgical patterns. The advantage is that worshippers know what to expect, the service connects them to centuries of Christian tradition, and the same words unite Christians globally. Anglicans, Catholics and Orthodox all use liturgical worship as their primary form.
Non-liturgical worship is less structured and more flexible. It is common in Methodist, Baptist and many Reformed churches. There is no prescribed prayer book; sermons are central; hymns and readings are chosen to suit the congregation’s needs. Some Christians prefer this form because it allows the Spirit to guide the service rather than following a predetermined script.
The Book of Common Prayer (1662 version) is the historical service book of the Church of England, providing set liturgies for Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, Holy Communion and other rites. It shaped Anglican worship for centuries and remains in use today, especially in traditional parish churches. Many Anglicans also use the modern Common Worship (2000) book. Knowing its name and denominational context is important for exam questions.
Pentecostal churches (and charismatic congregations in other denominations) worship very differently from liturgical traditions. Services are spontaneous and led by the Spirit: worship includes contemporary music with guitars, drums and clapping; congregants may speak in tongues (glossolalia), give prophecies, pray aloud spontaneously and respond physically. There is no fixed order of service and no prayer book. Pentecostal worship has grown rapidly in the UK and globally — it is the fastest-growing Christian expression worldwide. The contrast between Pentecostal and Anglican/Catholic liturgical worship is a prime example for exam questions on denominational diversity.
The most common exam comparison is with Islam. Similarities: Both Christian and Islamic worship include communal prayer, reading from sacred scripture, and acts of praise directed towards God. Friday Jumu'ah prayers in Islam and Sunday services in Christianity both serve as the primary communal worship event of the week. Differences: Islamic Salah is highly ritualised (five set times daily, specific bodily postures, Arabic recitation, ritual purity required); Christian worship varies enormously from the Pentecostal free-flowing to the Catholic Mass. Islamic worship is strictly non-sacramental; Christian worship often centres on sacramental acts (Eucharist, baptism). Islam explicitly rejects the use of music and images in worship in many traditions; Christianity has a rich tradition of sacred music and art.
Sacraments in Different Denominations
A sacrament is an outward, visible sign of an inward, spiritual reality. The number of sacraments is a significant denominational difference. Catholic and Orthodox Christians recognise seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance (Reconciliation), Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. Most Protestant churches recognise only two — Baptism and the Eucharist (Lord’s Supper) — because only these two were explicitly commanded by Jesus in the Gospels. The 39 Articles XXV–XXXVI are the Anglican doctrinal statement on sacraments: Article XXV affirms two sacraments “ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel” (Baptism and the Supper of the Lord) and describes the five other Catholic sacraments as “not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel.”
Baptism is the sacrament of initiation into the Christian community — widely practised across denominations. The mode and timing vary: Catholics, Anglicans and Orthodox baptise infants (paedo-baptism); Baptists and many evangelicals baptise only those who have made a personal declaration of faith (believer’s baptism). The meaning also varies: in Catholic and Orthodox theology, baptism washes away original sin and incorporates the person into the Body of Christ; in Protestant theology, it is primarily a sign of inclusion in the covenant community and a declaration of faith.
The Eucharist (also called Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper or the Mass) is the other universally accepted sacrament. However, what happens during the Eucharist is one of Christianity’s most significant theological disputes. Catholics teach transubstantiation: the substance of the bread and wine is truly transformed into the body and blood of Christ, though the outward appearance remains. Most Protestants either hold a memorialist view (bread and wine are symbols only, recalling Christ’s sacrifice) or a spiritual presence view (Christ is genuinely but spiritually present in the sharing). The Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles deliberately leave room for both views.
Prayer: Set and Informal
Prayer is a central Christian practice. Jesus taught about prayer in Matthew 6:5–14: he warned against ostentatious public praying done to impress others, and instructed his followers to pray in private and to use a model he gave them — the Lord’s Prayer. Christians use two main types of prayer. Set prayers are written texts used repeatedly — for example, the Lord’s Prayer, the General Confession from the Book of Common Prayer, or prayers from liturgical books. They provide unity, connect worshippers to tradition, and are especially central in liturgical worship. Informal prayer uses the believer’s own words, allowing personal and spontaneous expression of faith.
The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13) is the model prayer Jesus gave his disciples. It is the one prayer shared by virtually all Christian denominations worldwide, said in liturgical services, at weddings, baptisms and funerals. Its structure includes: address to God as Father in heaven; hallowing of his name (praise); petition for God’s kingdom to come; request for daily bread (provision); request for forgiveness; and protection from temptation and evil. It teaches Christians that prayer should combine praise, submission to God’s will, requests for daily needs and forgiveness.