Religious Studies for ECLPE ,LE, SME

Key Unit Competence:
Assess the moral values that believers draw from worship practices.

Introductory activity

1. Why do you thing people go to churches?
2. Identify the different religions that you find in your region and what
they do as actions of worshipping God.
3. Discuss the importance of worshipping God

4.1. Forms of worship and moral values

Learning activity 4.1

1. What is the meaning of the term worship?
2. Discuss the various forms people use to worship God

Meaning of worship
The word worship is used to mean having a strong feeling of respect and
admiration for God or a god. It also means to show a lot of love and adoration
for something. Religious believers worship gods, and people can worship other
people too.

Worship is an extreme form of love; it is a type of unquestioning devotion. If you
worship God, then you love God so much that you do not question him at all.
Going to church is a form of worship, so is a prayer.

People also use the word worship in other cases. If you love a musician or a
sport star, you might say, “I worship her!”

Worship is not the slow song that the choir sings. Worship is not the amount you
place in the offering basket. Worship is not volunteering in children’s church.
Yes, these may be acts or expressions of worship, but they do not define what
true worship really is. There are numerous definitions of the word worship. Yet,
one in particular contains the priority we should give to worship as a spiritual
discipline: As worship is to honour with extravagant love and extreme submission,
then true worship, in other words, is defined by the priority we place on who
God is in our lives and where God is on our list of priorities. True worship is a
matter of the heart expressed through a lifestyle of holiness. Thus, if your lifestyle
does not express the beauty of holiness through an extravagant or exaggerated
love for God and you do not live in extreme or excessive submission to God.
Believers are invited to make worship a non-negotiable priority in their lives.

The first thing we need to consider, before worshiping God is our attitude.
Jesus told the woman at the well, recorded in John 4, something profound in this
regard. He states that those who wish to worship the Father must do in Spirit
and in truth (John 4:24).

Many scriptures commanded us that we reverence God such as Genesis 35:1,
Exodus 15:1; 1 Chronicles 16:29, Haggai 1:8; Mark 1:44 among several others.
There are at least seven types or ways, according to the Bible; we can worship
our loving Creator.

1. Praise
We worship our creator though a grateful declaration of praise, either in public
or in private. This declaration can also made though prayer (Ephesians 5:20).
A very special praise and thanking to the Lord took place when Solomon
completed the Temple, with voices and many instruments of music praising the
God of Heaven (2Chronicles 5:13).

2. Joyful songs
We can worship our Maker through songs like the Psalms. King David especially
called on people to make a joyful shout to the Lord and to come before Him with
singing on our lips (Psalm100:1-2, James 5:13, Colossians 3:16).

3. Dancing
King David not only offered sacrifices to God when the Ark of the Covenant was
brought to Jerusalem, he also danced as a form of worship (1 Samuel 6:12-
14)! There were dancing for joy when the sea through, a miracle, killed Pharaoh
and his army as they were as they were pursuing the fleeing children of Israel
(Exodus 15:20-21).

4. Observing annual feast days
Jesus observed the Feast of Passover during his entire ministry (Matthew 26:17).
He also faithfully kept, as his disciples and family did the feast of Tabernacles
(John 7:2, 10). The disciples even worshiped by keeping the Day of Pentecost
after Jesus had died and rose from the grave (Acts 2:1).

5. Cheerful help to others
God especially loves those who help others not grudgingly or of necessity but
out of a willing heart of service and love (2 Corinthians 9:7; 8:1-2; Acts 2:44-
45).

6. Using our spiritual gifts
We can, in every real sense, worship God by using the natural and supernatural-
given gifts he gave us to serve as many people as we can (1 Corinthians 12:1,
4-7, Ephesians 47,11-13,15-16).

7. Be a living sacrifice
The last of the seven ways we can worship God is by being a living sacrifice.
This means that we dedicate our entire lives to serving Him and being a blessing
for others. “So then, my friends, because of God’s great mercy to us I appeal to
you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifices to God, dedicate to his service and
pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer” (Romans 12:1).

While differing considerably in form, the following items characterise the worship
of virtually all Christian churches.
– Meeting on Sunday (Sabbath in Christianity, Sabbath in seventh-day
churches is an exception.)
– Bible readings
– Communion or the Eucharist
– Music, either choral or congregational, either with or without instrumental
accompaniment.
– Prayer
– Teaching in the form of sermon or homily
– A collection of offering.

Place of worship
A place of worship is a specially designed structure or consecrated space
where individuals or group of people such as congregation come to perform
acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used
for this purpose is sometimes called a house of worship. Temples, churches,

synagogues for Christians and Jews, and mosques for Muslims are examples of
structures built for worship.

Under International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Conventions, religious
buildings are offered special protection, similar to the protection guaranteed
hospitals displaying Red Cross or Red Crescent. These international laws bar
firing upon or from a religious building.

Religious architecture expresses the religious beliefs, aesthetic choices, and
economic and technological capacity of those who create or adapt it, and thus
places of worship show great variety depending on time and place.

Five major world religions and how they worship

1. Judaism

Sabbath for Jews is known as Shabbat and runs between Friday and Saturday
evenings. Depending on the Jew, services might start at sundown or later in the
evening. Shabbat begins with a meal that includes braided bread and grape
juice or wine. A special prayer and blessing known as “Kiddush” is said Friday
evening. Some observe a special service Friday night, Torah reading Saturday
morning and Havdalah ceremony Saturday evening to formally end Shabbat
observance.

Jews who observe Shabbat view it as a time of renewal and peace. It reminds
many to take time to live. Some Jews may avoid shopping; others might avoid
gardening and other forms of work.

2. Islam

Muslims are required to offer five prayers daily. Every part of their life is supposed
to remind them to worship Allah (the Arabic word for God). They have a special
day for congregational prayer on Fridays at noon. These noontime prayers are
called Jumah. Muslims are encouraged to come to the mosque for Friday prayers
or with other Muslims, while on every other day of the week they have the option
of praying at home. Men and women pray separately. Other than having a set
day of prayer, Muslims do not observe a Sabbath.

3. Buddhism
Buddhists do not observe a weekly holy day. Some Buddhists, however, observe
Uposatha, or a day of resting, listening to and discussing Buddhist teachings
and meditation. The timing and frequency of Uposatha are based loosely off the
lunar calendar, and may vary by sect. Depending on the tradition and person,
Buddhists attend a temple or worship in their homes. They will also worship
during different festivals and observances throughout the year. Buddhists do
not worship a deity in the same way as Christians, Jews and Muslims. They
venerate and respect the Buddha, but do not see him as a God.

4. Hinduism
There is no set day for worship in Hinduism. That said, different deities are linked
to different days of the week and may be remembered on those days. Worship
is less formal than some other forms of religious worship and those attending
can come and go as they please. Hindus will often worship in the early morning
or evening, at home, in a temple, or during a pilgrimage.

5. Christianity
Christians in general celebrate Sabbath and worship on Sunday, a practice for
some that began after Biblical accounts of Jesus’ resurrection. Christians see
this as a day to draw closer to God and will often hold worship services on
Sunday.

Ways of observing the Sabbath vary depending on tradition and person. Some
Christians will avoid spending money and restrict their activities on this day.
Others will spend time in nature and with their families, or take time to visit the
sick or those who are in need. Some Christians do not see the need to observe
a Sabbath and see it as no longer relevant.

Seventh-day Adventism
Seventh-day Adventists observe a Friday night to Saturday night Sabbath. They
believe the Bible to be the main authority for practice and doctrine, called Sola
Scriptura, and sees the bible as setting Saturday as the Sabbath.

Similar to other Christians, Seventh-day Adventists see their Sabbath as being
a day of physical and spiritual rest and will attend worship services when
possible. They are encouraged to avoid any secular activities and to spend
the day with their families, in nature and visiting those in need, among other
activities. Adventists are encouraged to refrain from working during their
Sabbath, if possible. If not, they are encouraged to do what they can to set the
day apart from others.

Application activity 4.1

1. Identify the various forms of worship.
2. Explain how worshiping can improve one’s moral values.

4.2. Importance of worship in the society

Learning activity 4.2

We often see many people going to Mosques on Friday and others to
Churches on Saturday and Sunday. Do you think it is important to worship
God? Discuss the importance of worshiping God.

Man, in general, has an inner need to express his love and gratitude to some
deity and that someone is who determines his worship.

Believers can worship the Lord with all their heart and soul because they have
already invited him into their lives; their spirits have already been united with and
quickened by the Holy Spirit. In other words, believers in Christ can internally
communicate their love of the Father through the spirit.

Nonbelievers, on the other hand cannot really worship the Lord in this way
because their spirits are not yet united or quickened by God’s Spirit. In other
words they cannot internally communicate or fellowship directly with the Father.
They can only have an external form of worship. It is true that without an intimate,
internal relationship with Christ, nothing on earth will ever fill us.

Though God does not need our worship; He is seeking those who are worshipers.
(John 4:23-24) thus, one of the reasons we worship is to minister and to bless
Him. Worship is the time we forget about ourselves, concentrate on God and
experience His presence.

The entire book of Revelation concerns the importance of worship and what
God thinks of worship. Let us see what Revelation 4:8-11 says, “The four and
twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that
lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, you are
worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for you have created
all things and for your pleasure they are and were created.” Other pertinent
Scriptures are Revelation 11:16 and 19:4.

There are many other Scriptures in the Word that tell us God is seeking true
worshipers. Scriptures like Psalm 95:6-7: “Oh, come, let us worship and bow
down; let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For He is our God, and we are the
people of His pasture and the sheep of His flock” And Psalm 99:5, “Exalt ye the
LORD our God, and worship at His footstool; for He is holy.”

Worship is very important because it is the key to God’s presence. It is what
brings us intimacy with the Father. In other words, worship is a two-way
communication. We come into His presence by loving, adoring and exalting Him.
He then makes Himself known by communicating His Love and His inspiration
(and revelation) back to us. This, of course, results in inexpressible joy for us.

This daily communion is what allows us to endure difficult circumstances. If we
are hearing from the Lord and keeping our eyes only on Him, we can withstand
anything. Worship, then, is not only the key to intimacy; it is also the key to
withstanding trials and problems and restoring the joy of our salvation.

Purpose of worship
The goal and purpose of worship is to magnify, exalt, love and adore the only
true God, Jesus Christ. In other words, worship is simply a prayer of relationship
in which the “created” magnifies the “Creator.”

It is our expression of His worthiness. When we worship, we join in the angels,
the cherubim, the seraphim, the prophets, the apostles and the host of heaven
falling down on the faces and exalting the one and only true God. Revelation 7:11-
12 says, “And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders
and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshiped
God, saying, Amen! Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and
honor, and power, and might be unto our God forever and ever. Amen.”

It is truly believable that if the church were really taught how to genuinely
worship, it would revolutionize the Church.
Noah worshiped God, and as a result a brand new creation was born. (Genesis
6:9, 18; 8:16-9:3)

Abraham built an altar and worshiped the Lord and, again, a whole nation
resulted.

Moses worshiped the Lord, and because of his obedience God freed an entire
people from the bondage of slavery. (Exodus 34:1-8).

People have to note that prior to Moses’ revelation of God’s glory on Mount Sinai,
he prayed, interceded, wept and pleaded with God, but he never worshiped.
Exodus 34:8 is the first mention of Moses worshiping the Lord.

Even though the Lord is a Spirit, He still is passionate and expresses emotion.
Our worship should, also, be emotional and passionate as we express our love
for Him. Worship is not simply an act of our willpower, but an all-consuming
having a strong desire in our spirit, as well as an overflowing of our emotions of
gratitude and love. Consequently, worship involves all of our mental, emotional
and spiritual faculties, but the specific place we worship and express our love is
in our spirit. John 4:23-24, “The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true
worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth: and indeed the Father
seeks such people to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who that worship
Him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”

Application activity 4.2

1. With biblical references explain why worshiping God is important to
the individuals practicing it and the society in general.
2. In whict attitude people must worship God according to scriptures.

4.3 End Unit assessment

End of unit assessment

1. Define the concept worship.
2. Discuss the various forms of worship with biblical examples of
     people who used them.
3. Only believers can worship God. Explain why nonbelievers cannot
     worship God.
4. Explain this statement: “worship is a two-way communication.”
5. Do you think it is important to worship God? Explain why or why not.