What are the different styles of worship?

In this reflection students learn about worship in Maciene cathedral, Mozambique  and compare and contrast this with experience of the Church in England. Students consider how each community could learn from the other.

There are opportunities to engage in discussion of social difference and privilege. Pupils develop their knowledge from KS3 through the use of the question: “Who is my neighbour?” The reflection aims to empower students with an understanding of how both communities can benefit each other in order to establish a sense of a global connection and neighbourly love.

Key Question

What are the different styles of worship?

Learning Objectives

• To compare and contrast the different worship styles in the UK and Maciene

Starter

Students think back over everything from the previous unit and answer the following question:

What would you expect to see at a typical church service in England?

They must:

• Make a list of ten things in their books
• Consider which one of those ten they like the most? Why?
• Consider which one of those ten they like the least? Why?
• Consider what would they change if they could?

Main Activity 1

Students look at a series of photos and a video of worship in Mozambique.  They draw up a table in their books to highlight similarities and differences in worship. They then discuss these and must complete at least one of the following sentences:

• One similarity of worship in England and Mozambique is…
• One difference between worship in England and Mozambique is…
• My favourite thing about worship in Mozambique is…
• I think worship is better in England/Mozambique because…
• My favourite thing about worship in England is…

Main Activity 2

Students go back to their worksheet from the last lesson – U3L2 The Perfect Service. They look at a quote from someone in Mozambique which says: “The church in England is dead. You have all these buildings but no faith. Where is your passion? Why aren’t you spreading the message of God? I pity you…”

Students must imagine that they are part of a group sent over from Mozambique to improve the church in England. They must design elements of a church service which brings together the best of both locations and makes the church alive again.

They are given very specific criteria for this:

Plenary

Pupils share their ideas as a class and discuss which ideas they like best.

Learning Outcomes

• All pupils will be able to describe an act of worship in England and in Mozambique
• Most pupils will be able to give their opinions on the different styles of worship
• Some pupils will be able to analyse how the styles impact the faith lives of the people who worship

Resources and Points to Notes

• Worship in Mozambique PPT U3L3 Mozambique worship
• Assessment Criteria
• Photos and Videos 

Theology

• Christians understand themselves to be part of a global family, joined through their common relationship with Christ today and his historic work of salvation through his life, death, resurrection and ascension.
• Differences in styles and content of worship are not new – neither are questions about its proper content and ordering.
• 1 Corinthians 12-13 addresses an early Christian community in Greece, advocating order in worship, but also a respect for different styles of worship and its different components. Paul here articulates the primacy of love guiding the choices that are made in worship and in the conduct of the Christian community.
• The consideration of diverse gifts, consistent with groups being ‘different parts of the body’ that need to work together. The same is true on a global basis with the diverse gifts and forms of worship within a global church.

Photo Gallery