The History of Christian Worship

This syllabus is designed for a basic worship course. It should cover all the basic aspects of congregational worship life as well as covering the various tasks involved in leading congregational worship.

By:: Lester Ruth
Tags:: syllabus, teaching worship
Article: posted on March 8, 2012

Course Syllabus

Describing the Course

Do the nature and activity of the Trinity have anything to say about how we worship today? In light of the Trinity, does the history of Christian worship have anything to say about how we worship today?

These are the questions that will organize The History of Christian Worship. The class is designed to be an environment in which a student can explore answers to these questions.

We’ll explore these questions by imagining ourselves as leadership in a church named First Methodist Church (we will call it the Touchstone Church in this course), responsible for the church’s “contemporary” service called the New Covenant Service. The premise is that we have felt like we have “hit the wall” in terms of this service. We wonder if there is anything more. What else could we do to renew our worship? What must we leave in place? (For more information on this church, please see the links on the course website.) In this course each student will imagine that she or he is either the associate pastor, who has primary ordained responsibility for this course, or the church musician. The worship design committee has commissioned you to do a study of worship and write a series of five newsletter articles on what we ought to do and think about the worship of this church.

With this premise, what specifically will this course be about? It will be about..

forming students for leading worship in Christian communities (the focus is on corporate worship, not individual experience of worship) in certain key facets;
having a key theological conviction of the Christian faith guide our exploration (the class will be spent in extended reflection on the implications of that compelling theological conviction for Christian worship); and
pursuing a recurring, imaginative placement of the student as a leader within a hypothetical Christian community, giving her/him a chance to see the theological implications in a realistic pastoral situation.

The course will have this flow: becoming familiar with the Touchstone Church and its desire for renewed worship, then cultivating a Trinitarian perspective and expectations about Christian worship, and finally, the use of this perspective and expectations to explore the worship of 5 historic Christian communities for possible answers to the Touchstone Church’s desire for renewed worship.

In this manner we will accomplish the catalog description for the course that speaks of it as a survey of Christian worship over the last 2,000 years. We will grapple with basic issues in worship as well as recurring themes and understandings about worship as represented by different historical traditions. We will explore whether past ways of worshiping, explored under the spotlight of Trinitarian doctrine, might offer options for approaching worship renewal today. Are there “basics,” “essentials,” or “nonnegotiables” for Christian worship today and in the past? That is among what we will explore in The History of Christian Worship.

Course objectives for the student:

Students completing this course will be able to:

understand and appropriate the diversity of Christian worship practices, along with self-critical appraisal of one’s own approach. In the case of this course, the diversity of Christian worship practices will be explored historically;
enrich congregational worship through prayer, Word, and sacraments, making sound worship decisions informed by a variety of sources for theological thought. In the case of this course, contemplation on the Trinitarian nature of God will direct the theological reflection.

Please note that The History of Christian Worship is designed to be a basic worship course. It will cover all the basic aspects of congregational worship life (ministry of the Word, sacraments, pastoral rites, other special rites; prayer, calendar, space, and music) as well as covering the various tasks involved in leading congregational worship (presiding in worship, preparing worship, relating to people, and assessing worship). Because the planning and leading of worship (not to mention participating in it) is a profoundly communal activity, this class emphasizes the ability to speak and act in a gracious manner with others about worship. That is one reason why the Preparation and Participation grade weighs so heavily in the semester grade.

What the Student Needs for This Course: Required “Texts” and Other Items

The course DVD set. They will run in DVD players attached to TVs or on computers with the right software. Copyrighted materials on the website are only for your use as a student in this course. They should not be distributed more widely.
These 4 books:
1. James B. Torrance, Worship, Community & The Triune God of Grace (IVP; ISBN 0-8308-1895-2)
2. Alistair Stewart-Sykes, Hippolytus: On the Apostolic Tradition (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2001; ISBN 0-88141-233-3;
3. John Baldovin, Liturgy in Ancient Jerusalem (Grove Books, 1989; ISBN 1-85174-107-0);
4. James F. White, A Brief History of Christian Worship (Abingdon; ISBN 0-687-03414-0)
Those materials to be found on electronic format either one the course website or in the course center folder in the course’s First Class folder. Please remember that this material is only for your use in this course.
Materials for practicing Communion and baptism in class: Plate and cup, a white cloth approximately 1.5 feet by 1.5 feet, a baby doll, towel, a large and small bowl. Bring on the days we walk through the various services.

An Additional “Text”: A Touchstone Church

To serve as a basis for the course, a semi-fictitious churches has been created for this class. This is our Touchstone Church, named First Methodist Church. Videos for the church are on DVD #1. Other materials for these churches are on the class website.

Grading and Assessment: Portfolio Contents

Your course portfolio will contain four sections to be graded and a fifth non-graded section. The portfolio will constitute 100% of your semester grade (presuming that you have mainly had satisfactory reports on your Preparation and Participation). Here are the five parts.

Part 1: a report to the church on your best answer to the original question (“We’ve hit a wall in our worship service. What else might there be for our worship?”), written as a series of 5 articles for the church newsletter. These 5 articles should be 10 pages maximum length (total for all 5) in 10 point Times New Roman font using space and a half (1.5) line spacing. (Any notes can be single spaced.) As needed, provide citation to other material from the course (your notes, exercises, etc) which have you included within the portfolio. Cite materials that give insights and more information about what you have said in the newsletter articles. Organize these materials and cite in such a way that the professor could easily find the material to which you refer if he should want to see what stands behind what you have said in the newsletter articles.
Part 2: Self-assessment and reflection on the student’s initial answers to the church in module 1 (What else is there? What to change? What to leave alone? Why?). This part of the portfolio’s concern is not as much with what is presented to the church in the newsletter articles but in your awareness of progress of understanding in the semester. In this part of the portfolio include your original, dated answer to the church developed in module 1 and then assess your own initial answer, using the criteria (excluding presentation) used immediately above for part 1 of the portfolio. Reflect on these questions: “What have I learned in this course? In what ways was my original statement a strong or weak initial response, and how do I know that?” 4 pages maximum length in 10 point Times New Roman font using space and a half (1.5) line spacing. (The original answer does not factor into length of this part of the portfolio.)
Part 3: Self-assessment and reflection on the worship questionnaire and list of indifferent matters arising from Trinitarian reflection. In this part of the portfolio include a copy of your original worship questionnaire created at the end of module 2 arising from our work on Trinitarian doctrine. Include, too, your original list of worship matters not as directly impacted by Trinitarian reflection. Write a short essay (3 pages maximum length in 10 point Times New Roman font using space and a half (1.5) line spacing [The original answer does not factor into length of this part of the portfolio.]) describing how you have or have not changed this questionnaire and list over the course of the semester. Emphasize the reasons you have or have not changed these items in light of continued reflection on the Trinity and investigation of historic church. How has interaction with the historic churches and use of this Trinitarian questionnaire sharpened your questions or reinforced your original thoughts?
Part 4: A summary statement of your journal:what is awesome and awe-inspiring about the Trinity? Over the course of the semester you will keep a journal prayerfully reflecting on the collection of Wesley’s hymns on the Trinity and on the historical worship materials. (See below for more information.) The part of the portfolio is to show that you have taken this assignment seriously and have been formed more deeply in awe of the Triune God by it. Write a 1 page summary of your deepened insights on the love of the Trinity using 10 point Times New Roman font using space and a half (1.5) line spacing. [More artistic expressions are possible in lieu of this written summary; these must be approved by the professor beforehand.] The journal itself will not be turned in.
Part 5 (non-graded portion of portfolio): courses materials needed and cited for part 1 of the portfolio In this non-graded portion of the portfolio, put in a logical fashion any materials from the course which you need for part 1 of the portfolio or which you cite in part 1 of the portfolio. Number each page in increasing sequential fashion.

Grading and Assessment: Two Non-graded assignments

A Devotional Journal: There is another required assignment for all students beyond the module materials. Each student should use devotionally some of Charles Wesley’s hymns on the Trinity (available on the course website for free) and the various historic worship texts used in class. These are to be read prayerfully, slowly, and contemplatively. The goal is to have them open new vistas of awe and love for the Trinity. The professor will demonstrate the method in class. Keep a journal recording your discoveries regarding the awesomeness of the Trinity and the nature of love for God. A summary of this journal, mentioned above and below in more detail, is to form part 4 of the portfolio due at the end of the semester.

Participation in opening and closing exercises: Each student will be invited to participate numerous times to open and close class in prayer. This activity is not required and is non-graded. It will, however, give the professor a chance to give students feedback as to the quality of their voice in leading worship and to the graceful postures of their bodies in prayer. A signup sheet will be passed around on the first day of class. Please limit these worship exercises to 2 minutes or less.

The Organization of the Course: 7 Modules

The semester will be organized by 7 modules. Module 1 deals with becoming acquainted with the Touchstone Church and its desired for renewed worship, how it worships, and some of the reasons it worships in this manner. This module will also work with figuring out all the different ways we can look at and speak about worship.

Module 2 will work on contemplating the Trinity in order to develop a way to value things in Christian worship. Must God’s Triune nature and activity impact how the church lives and worships or is it just a doctrine we affirm with our heads? The goal in this module will be developing a set of questions and expectations you can use in the next four modules.

Modules 3-7 will be looks at the worship of five historic Christian communities: Rome in the early 3rd century, Jerusalem in the late th century, Salisbury, England in the late 15th century, Geneva, Switzerland in the year 1543, and the Methodists in Baltimore in 1788 and 1789. In each case the student will be asked to become entirely familiar with the worship in this context by assuming the persona of a minister in these churches. Doing so will give us a chance to try out our Trinitarian contemplation of worship and think about ways to renew the worship of the Touchstone Church.

The Organization of the Course: Schedule for work

Module 1: To prepare for class on February 11 and 16 (Getting acquainted with the Touchstone Church)

Feb. 11: Review all the introductory material and watch the worship video from this church
1. 3 items on the website: description of the church; ViewPoint: Musician; ViewPoint: Pastor; browse the Best Known Songs if helpful
2. 1 item on DVD #1: Touchstone Church Service (transcript is available in the course center in First Class course folder)
Feb. 11: Consider the questions stimulating the worship planning team. Write an initial answer to their questions: What else is there? What could they do to renew their worship? What might they want to consider leaving in place? What might they want to consider changing? Why? Date and save this statement and include in the second section of your portfolio. It will become the basis for your work in this second part of the portfolio. The criteria for assessment are found in the appendix.
Feb. 11: Write out a very short statement on what you thinks motivates the participants and leaders of the Touchstone Church to worship as they do . How does their belief and love for God shape how they worship? How easy or difficult was it for you to enter into this perspective? Could you be the pastor or chief musician in this congregation? In class we will do role-plays, pretending to be a representative from the church visiting some first-time attenders who have questions about the service.
Feb. 16: Write a short description of what you observe in this worship service . Pay attention to what things you focused on. When done, review what you wrote and ask if there is another way to describe this service by observing some different dimension. Write down this other dimension. Repeat until you have 3 or 4 different ways to describe the service . The goal is to try to develop as many different categories by which to observe and describe worship. In class we will compare lists so as to compile a list for the whole class to use.

Assessment: Your work in this first module will be assessed by Preparation & Participation criteria except for your initial answer to the worship questions of this church. This initial response will become the basis for the second part of the portfolio as discussed in the Grading and Assessment section above.

Module 2: To prepare for class on Feb. 16, 18, and 23 (Exploring the Trinity as a way of looking at worship)

Feb 16: Make sure you have access to Charles Wesley’s hymns on the Trinity on the course website. Look under General & Misc. Start to read one or two of them slowly and thoughtfully, contemplating this question, “What do you see about the Trinity or the Persons of the Trinity that evokes awe?” Continue such use of the hymns over the course of the semester, noting your thoughts in a private journal discussed above . This journal will become the basis for a 1-page summary of what you consider awesome and awe-inspiring about the Trinity. The summary will be included in the portfolio at the end of the semester.
Feb 16, 18: Review the materials provided for this module according to the schedule below.
1. 2 items on website: The Trinity-Philip W. Butin (an overview article); Why Wesley was a Trinitarian-Geoffrey Wainwright (an article) (both on Feb. 16)
2. 1 item on DVD #1: Trinitarian Worship (lecture) (Feb. 16)
3. 1 book: James B. Torrance, Worship, Community & The Triune God of Grace(Feb. 18)
Feb. 16, 18: Come prepared to explain what is meant by the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. In class we will role-play conversations parishioners may initiate on the Trinity as well as consider the implications of Trinitarian doctrine.
Feb. 18, 23: Think about your reading on the Trinity. Name two ways you see the nature of the Christian faith as Trinitarian impacting Christian worship directly. Name two aspects of Christian worship where you don’t think the impact is as direct or great. Come prepared to discuss the reasons for your answers in small groups. To prepare consider these questions: Must God’s Triune nature impact how the church lives as church or is the Trinity just a doctrine we affirm with our heads? How should reflection on the Trinity create a grid of expectation for looking at Christian worship?

Assessment: Your journal work reflecting on the Trinity will be assessed by criteria explained in the section above about the journal. Your small group work in this module will be assessed using the criteria for Preparation & Participation.

Assignment due: On Friday, March 4 you will be required to turn in a questionnaire that shows how your reflection on the Trinity has created certain expectation when you look at worship. Include a list of areas in worship that you think are not as directly impacted by the doctrine of the Trinity. This questionnaire and list will become your basis for evaluating the worship of the five historic churches we will review in this class. They will be quickly assessed and returned to you for your use in the remainder of class. A copy of the original questionnaire and list will form the basis for the third part of the portfolio. At the end of the semester you will be asked to review the originals and revise them based on your use and continued reflection. Your self-assessment on the revisions you have been made will be graded using the criteria found in the appendix. This self-assessment, due as part 3 of the portfolio at the end of the semester, will constitute 20% of your final grade.

Module 3: To prepare for class on Feb. 25, March 2, 4, 9 (Rome, early 3rd century)

Feb. 25-March 10: In addition to the technical reading of the historic texts you will have to do to prepare for the exercises below, you must also read these historic worship texts prayerfully, contemplating these questions, “In these texts what do you see about the Trinity or the Persons of the Trinity that evokes awe? How are these texts expressions of love for God?” Continue such use of the texts over the course of the semester, shifting to the new texts as we move from church to church in class, noting your thoughts in a private journal discussed above . This journal will become the basis for a 1-page summary of what you consider awesome and awe-inspiring about the Trinity. The summary will be included in the portfolio at the end of the semester.
Feb. 25: Review the Rome situational overview found in the course center in First Class or on the website
By Feb. 25: Review the following for Rome in the early 3 rd century. Some of the material provided is derived directly from this church’s worship; some is background material to place this church in context.
1. chapters from 1 book: the section in James F. White, A Brief History of Christian Worship on the early Christian Centuries (chapter 2, pp. 40-74)
2. 4 items on DVD #2: the lectures under “Rome & Differences in Worship”
3. 1 book: Alistair Stewart-Sykes, Hippolytus: On the Apostolic Tradition. Focus on the worship texts and sermon found on pp. 53-183, using the commentary only as needed for understanding
4. 3 items on website under “3rd Century: Rome”: Justin Martyr and Baptism; Justin Martyr and the Eucharist; Hippolytus and Music
Feb. 25: As you read the material from Rome make notes as we go through the semester on anything that tends to repeat from church to church across time. We will use this information to make a common list of such things.
Feb. 25: Prepare a 10 question true-and-false quiz to be given to another student. Bring two copies of the test to class: one with answers and one without. Aim at making 10 questions that aim at the most important, critical elements about this church’s worship (If a student made a 100 on your exam, could you say that she or he really understood how this church worshiped?) Try to bring breadth to the questions. Are there significant areas you have overlooked? In class you will give the quiz to another student and take his or her quiz in return. You will be assessed not on your grade on the quiz but whether the person taking your quiz thinks you showed adequate preparation according to the Preparation and Participation criteria outlined in the appendix.
Feb. 25: Go back to the historic worship texts and any supplemental material that give instructions on the physical and movement parts of worship. Finding a private spot, walk through all this choreography of worship; have your body do what the texts say to do. We will use your experience in doing this as a basis for discussing the following questions in class: “How concerned with the body was this approach to worship? What was the range of physical activities you had to do? What was it like to be in the body of this historic worship leader? How as the body used to worship God?”
March 2: Review the material again as you have time and is useful. Prepare notes for yourself on the theological rationale each historic church might have had on why it worshiped in the manner it did. How does the whole thing work together? Make note, especially, of any distinctive aspects of this church’s worship and possible reasons (theological, cultural, or related to piety) that might explain the distinctiveness. You will not turn in the notes, but they will become the basis allowing you to participate more fully in several in-class exercises designed to understand the reasons for each historic church’s worship from the inside out.
March 4: Considering the worship of the module’s historic church, give one possible “pro” and one possible “con” to how each historic church handles the following: the participation of the people, the role of worship leaders, the order of worship, the content of the main worship service, the way prayer is done in worship, the use of worship space, the manner of preaching, how it organizes time, the use of the Bible, how it normally does baptism, how it normally does the Lord’s Supper, how it handles weddings, how it handles funerals, and the church’s view of God as expressed in worship. Using your Trinitarian expectation questionnaire, think through whether any of your listed “pro’s” have rooting in Trinitarian thought. This list of “pro’s” and “con’s” and your reflection on your Trinitarian questionnaire will be the basis for several discussion exercises within class. This list and reflection will not be turned in but is assumed to be important to enable you to work satisfactorily in class according to the Preparation & Participation criteria.

Module 4: To prepare for class on March 11, 16, 18, 30 (Jerusalem, late 4th century). Remember reading week is March 21-25.

March 11-31: Prayerful reading of historic worship texts. See #1 under Module 3.
March 11: Review the Jerusalem situational overview found in the course center in First Class or on the website
By March 11: Review the following for Jerusalem in the late 4 th century.
1. 1 item on DVD #2: the lecture under “Jerusalem”
2. 1 book: John Baldovin, Liturgy in Ancient Jerusalem
3. 3 items on website under “4th Century: Jerusalem”: Cyril of Jerusalem-Edward Yarnold; Essays on Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers; Prayers of the Eucharist: Early and Reformed
4. 2 items found by links on the course website: use the Link to Lectionary for Jerusalem to see what the Scripture readings were for the worship on January 5 and January 6 (the first two entries); use the Link to Egeria’s travel diary to read this pilgrim’s description of worship in Jerusalem
March 11: As you read the material from Jerusalem make notes on anything that tends to repeat from church to church across time.
March 11: Prepare a 10 question true-and-false quiz to be given to another student. Bring two copies of the test to class: one with answers and one without. See #5 under Module 3 above.
March 11: Go back to the historic worship texts and any supplemental material that give instructions on the physical and movement parts of worship. Finding a private spot, walk through all this choreography of worship; have your body do what the texts say to do.
March 16: Prepare notes for yourself on the theological rationale each historic church might have had on why it worshiped in the manner it did. See #7 under Module 3.
March 18: Considering the worship of the module’s historic church, give one possible “pro” and one possible “con” to how each historic church handles the list found in #8 under Module 3 above.

Module 5: To prepare for class on April 1, 6, 8, 13 (Salisbury, late 15th century)

April 1-14: Prayerful reading of historic worship texts. See #1 under Module 3.
April 1: Review the Salisbury situational overview found in the course center in First Class or on the website
By April 1: Review the following for Salisbury in the late 15th century.
1. chapters from 1 book: the section in James F. White, A Brief History of Christian Worship on the Middle Ages (chapter 3, pp. 75-103)
2. 2 item on DVD #2: the lecture under “Salisbury” and the video under “Medieval Mass”
3. multiple items on website under “15th Century: Salisbury”: Liturgies of the Past (for calendar and liturgical year); Worship Calendar; Low Mass/High Mass (read the description of the low mass); Medieval Salisbury (for description of the town); Salisbury Maps 1 and 2 (locate the individual chapels within the cathedral); Sarum Missal 1 (gives the text for low mass); Sarum Missal 2 (gives the texts for marriage and rites with the dead); various links to pictures
April 1: As you read the material from Salisbury make notes on anything that tends to repeat from church to church across time.
April 1: Prepare a 10 question true-and-false quiz to be given to another student. Bring two copies of the test to class: one with answers and one without. See #3 under Module 3 above.
April 1: Go back to the historic worship texts and any supplemental material that give instructions on the physical and movement parts of worship. Finding a private spot, walk through all this choreography of worship; have your body do what the texts say to do.
April 6: Prepare notes for yourself on the theological rationale each historic church might have had on why it worshiped in the manner it did. See #7 under Module 3.
April 8: Considering the worship of the module’s historic church, give one possible “pro” and one possible “con” to how each historic church handles the list found in #8 under Module 3 above.

Module 6: To prepare for class on April 15, 20, 22, 27 (Geneva, mid 16 th century)

April 15-28: Prayerful reading of historic worship texts. See #1 under Module 3.
April 15: Review the Geneva situational overview found in the course center in First Class or on the website
By April 15: Review the following for Geneva in the mid 16 th century.
1. chapters from 1 book: the section in James F. White, A Brief History of Christian Worship on the Reformation period (chapter 4, pp. 104-141)
2. 1 item on DVD #2: the lecture under “Geneva”
3. multiple items on website under “16th Century Geneva”: Geneva Sunday Worship (text for Sunday service); Calvin re: Nativity (a sermon by John Calvin); Calvin re: Mediator (another sermon by Calvin); Calvin re: the Lord Supper (Calvin’s view on the Lord’s Supper); Calvin re: Worship (Calvin’s theology of worship); Geneva Baptism (text for baptismal service); Geneva Marriage (text for weddings); Geneva Worship (description of worship in Geneva); Spirituality in Psalter (an description of the role of the Psalter for early Reformed worship); various links to pictures
April 15: As you read the material from Geneva make notes on anything that tends to repeat from church to church across time.
April 15: Prepare a 10 question true-and-false quiz to be given to another student. Bring two copies of the test to class: one with answers and one without. See #3 under Module 3 above.
April 15: Go back to the historic worship texts and any supplemental material that give instructions on the physical and movement parts of worship. Finding a private spot, walk through all this choreography of worship; have your body do what the texts say to do.
April 20: Prepare notes for yourself on the theological rationale each historic church might have had on why it worshiped in the manner it did. See #7 under Module 3.
April 22: Considering the worship of the module’s historic church, give one possible “pro” and one possible “con” to how each historic church handles the list found in #8 under Module 3 above.

Module 7: To prepare for class on April 29, May 4, 6, 11 (Baltimore, late 18 th century)

April 29-May 12: Prayerful reading of historic worship texts. See #1 under Module 3.
April 29: Review the Baltimore situational overview found in the course center in First Class or on the website
By April 29: Review the following for Baltimore in the late 18 th century.
1. chapters from 1 book: the section in James F. White, A Brief History of Christian Worship on Modern Times (chapter 5, pp. 142-177)
2. 1 item on DVD #2: the lecture under “Baltimore”
3. multiple items on website under “18th Century: Baltimore”: Articles of Religion (early Methodist doctrinal statements); Baltimore City Map; Baptism of Infants (text for baptismal services); Early Methodists (description and overview of people); The Lord’s Supper (text for Communion services); Burial of the Dead (text for funerals); Jesus Christ (overview of Methodist view of Savior); Methodist Calendar; Wesley on Sunday Service (Wesley’s view on printed worship texts); Worship and Preaching (description of worship and various texts concerning worship); multiple pictures
4. 1 items found by link on the course website: Beams of Light on Early Methodism (read Ezekiel Cooper’s description of Baltimore in 1788 and 1789 in chapter 5)
April 29: As you read the material from Baltimore make notes as we go on anything that tends to repeat from church to church across time.
April 29: Prepare a 10 question true-and-false quiz to be given to another student. Bring two copies of the test to class: one with answers and one without. See #3 under Module 3 above.
April 29: Go back to the historic worship texts and any supplemental material that give instructions on the physical and movement parts of worship. Finding a private spot, walk through all this choreography of worship; have your body do what the texts say to do.
May 4: Prepare notes for yourself on the theological rationale each historic church might have had on why it worshiped in the manner it did. See #7 under Module 3.
May 6: Considering the worship of the module’s historic church, give one possible “pro” and one possible “con” to how each historic church handles the list found in #8 under Module 3 above.

Wrap-up: To prepare for class on May 13: This class will be dedicated to spontaneous asking and answering of questions, reflecting on the semester. No special preparation needed.