AJ the Irish Lass' Ramblings

Liturgical worship dates back to before the founding of Christianity, and has its origins in Jewish worship. In reading the Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy), we see that God mandated certain ceremonies to be observed by His people. By the time of Jesus, weekly Sabbath (Shabbat) services had a regular structure that included hymns of praise, reading from the Hebrew Scriptures, and a sermon on the text. These elements, have survived in traditional Christian worship.

The earliest Christians were mainly Jewish converts who continued to worship in the Temple and synagogues as well as with the growing Christian community. However, believers in Jesus were soon expelled from the synagogues. Christians of the New Testament era, due to persecution, originally met in homes. The Hebrew Scriptures and the books of the New Testament, as they were written, were read. A sermon would be given. An offering would be taken and prayers offered. Then communion…