Protestants: In what ways is your church service considered "worship" ?

Question

Looking at the church service for Catholics, known as the Mass, we see that Catholics kneel in the real and true presence of Jesus. Humbly kneeling in the presence of God, they offer gifts to God, the bread and wine, work of human hands. They ask God's mercy and offer Him praise and sacrifice.

So I have to wonder, do protestants really consider it to be "worshiping God" when they go to church and listen to a man talk for most of the service, giving his personal interpretations and opinions about scripture and God?

It seems to me that Catholics are focused on Christ while the protestants are focused on their pastors.

Serious answers only.

Ted, as I said, serious answers only. You obviously know as little about Catholicism as you do about rocket science. Therefore, it would behoove you to stick to topics on which you have some knowledge.

On a side note: The question isn't about Catholics anyway.

The misconceptions about Catholicism never cease to amaze me. The fact that you go around spouting hearsay rather than finding out for yourself shows your ignorance and laziness.

You can pretend that you know what you are talking about, but there will always be knowledgeable people around to expose your downright preposterous attempt to appear well-informed.

It figures that when you can't provide an answer to the questions regarding your own faith, you cope by attacking the faiths of others.

Answer 1

Pastor Billy says: the Protestant "service" can never attain the same level of worship, solemnity and reverence one finds at the Christian (Catholic) Mass.

God had a very distinct design for how we are to worship him and the Mass with it's ancient liturgy and the Real Presence is it for all Christian believers. Anything that is still good in Protestant services is what has been retained as a remainder from Catholicism. I personally find little true worship in a Protestant service as the majority of the time is spent as a bible study verse true worship of the One God.
The Christian Mass contains both the liturgy of the Word and the liturgy of the Eucharist. In brief the entire Mass is chalked full of prayer and reverence to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Some Protestant services are so lost without structure and become informal they neglect proper prayer and worship and thereby lack a solemness and reverence.

I pray for my Protestant brethren to return to true worship.

Answer 2

Hello Raven,

I am no longer a protestant but back when I was a member of the "Lord's Recovery" we did the following things on Sunday.

Met at 10:00AM and sat at the meeting hall (a large plantation house) in a circle. In the middle of the circle was a coffee table. For about an hour we sang songs from a hymnal. This was followed by a 10 minute break where people socialized.

We then got back together and an elder would talk about the readings we were all supposed to have read during the week. Every weekday had a meditation published by Living Stream Ministries that everyone was supposed to buy and read faithfully. After a brief introduction the elder would sit down and people would take turns sharing their opinions on the reading, be it stuff they enjoyed or wondered about. You didn't have to say anything but were strongly encouraged to. Only positive comments were encouraged. Halfway through the sharing a group of people would get a dish of thin bread and crush it up on the coffee table and pass it around. A container of grape juice was also passed around with little cups. Each person was to take a piece of bread and a cup of juice and consume them while listening to the sharing that was going on. Near the end of the meeting their would be pray-reading. This was the repeating of portions of a bible passage, generally in three-word increments by everyone until the passage was complete. The meeting would generally come to an end at around 12:00PM.

These people believed they were worshiping God in these meetings. They never recognized an official pastor but there were elders who acted like unofficial pastors. Elders did not have messages of their own but relied on materials from the publishing company mentioned above.

I felt there was something missing in the services so I moved on in search for a church that was more spiritual, one that was built on the rock.

Answer 3

Good question, Raven.

If you attend a Catholic Mass you will see the first part of it consists of reading and preaching; we stand for the Gospel, but we sit for the other readings and for the preaching.

The Mass is a sacrifice, and there are times--especially in the last part--when the faithful pray on their knees.

Kneeling shows our humility before God.

Scripture suggests you should kneel.

In Ephesians 3:14 Paul says, "I kneel before the Father," and in Acts 9:40 Peter "knelt down and prayed."

The Catholic habit of kneeling is consistent with Scripture and is another manifestation of the continuity between the Church of the first century and the Catholic Church of today.

"The knee is made flexible by which the offence of the Lord is mitigated, wrath appeased, grace called forth" (St. Ambrose, Hexaem., VI, ix).

"By such posture of the body we show forth our humbleness of heart" (Alcuin, De Parasceve).

"The bending of the knee is an expression of penitence and sorrow for sins committed" (Rabanus Maurus, De Instit. Cler., II, xli).

The liturgical rules for genuflecting are now very definite.

All genuflect (bending both knees) when adoring the Blessed Sacrament unveiled, as at Expositions.

All genuflect (bending the right knee only) when doing reverence to the Blessed Sacrament, enclosed in the Tabernacle, or lying upon the corporal during the Mass. Mass-servers are not to genuflect, save when the Blessed Sacrament is at the altar where Mass is being said (cf. Wapelhorst, infra). The same honour is paid to a relic of the True Cross when exposed for public veneration.

The clergy in liturgical functions genuflect on one knee to the cross over the high altar, and likewise in passing before the bishop of the diocese when he presides at a ceremony. From these genuflexions, however, an officiating priest, as also all prelates, canons, etc., are dispensed, bowing of the head and shoulders being substituted for the genuflexion.

On Good Friday, after the ceremony of the Adoration of the Cross, and until Holy Saturday, all, clergy and laity alike, genuflect in passing before the unveiled cross upon the high altar.

Answer 4

During worship service in my fundamentalist days, there were a few similarities to parts of the Mass. We did sing a hymn together at the beginning of the service. We prayed communally, in a way, bowing our heads and saying "amen" (similar to "Lord, hear our prayer") while a pastor or deacon spoke prayers aloud. We took up a collection of offerings.

Otherwise, though, we were an audience. There was usually a hymn or "praise song" sung by a choir or small group or soloist; the pastor's sermon was an emotional exhortation, and we heard far less undiluted Scripture read aloud than at the average Mass; and the high point, the apex, the climax of the service was not Holy Communion. It was the "altar call", though with no visible altar, in which (it was hoped) unsaved individuals who happened to be present would come down the center aisle to the pastor, to be prayed over and "accept Christ" -- i.e., become "saved".

It happened occasionally. More often, while another hymn was playing, no one came forward and we just ... sort of ... sat there, waiting, until the pastor decided it wasn't going to happen that day and went into his closing prayer. Holy Communion was relegated to a quarterly remembrance called the "Lord's Supper", in which we passed around grape juice and crackers.

Is it any wonder that some of us -- like me -- felt that there had to be much more to "worship" in the body of Christ than this?

Answer 5

It depends on ones Priest and also, I think on a persons upbringing. I live in Canada. Raised and still am a Confessional Lutheran. I grew up in a rural area of Ontario and have many friends who are of Irish Catholic Decent. Also from the Same Parish were 2nd. generation Dutch Catholics. The Dutch never had a problem attending other Churches, however they would only Commune in a Catholic Church. Communion in our Church is closed to those not in fellowship, so in my Church they were not allowed anyway. My Irish friends still are uncomfortable attending another Church, and some quickly run to the Priest to confess it as a sin! There Priest was an old Irish Priest. He and I became good friends until he died. He had no problem with attending each others Church. As a matter of fact he admonished me for not receiving the sacrament in his Church, He reasoned that since we both believed in the real presence of Christs body and blood, and the means of grace (the forgiveness of sins given with Christs Body and Blood). Go figure. Keep it between you and God Maybe its Cultural.

Answer 6

Is this a serious question?

We are not "focused" on the pastor and his personal interpretation or opinion about scripture and God. That is a misconception that many Catholics have about protestants. The sermon is based on scripture, the pastor shares what he feels the Spirit has lead him to speak about. Not much different than the priest and his homily. It is amazing how the Spirit brings things together... the songs, the message, the scripture... often it is just what we need, when we need it.

We gather together to praise God, reporting blessings and trials, praying for and with one another. We lift our voices in song with joy and awe. Many often become broken and humbled in God's presence during our worship. His Spirit often is tangible; convicting, blessing and assuring our soul and spirit. We have communion once a month, in remembrance of Christ, with gratefulness and thanksgiving. We are free to kneel, simply bow our heads, or even lift holy hands in prayer. Our focus is on God, abiding in and following His Spirit, not in rituals.

The church community often gathers during the week for other activities and outreaches. There a weekly activities for the children, with Bible study, fun and games. The teens have their TNT "Thursday nights together". There seems to always be something that someone can become involved with and help out.

Hope this helps you to understand that the love of God and the love for others is primary concern in the Protestant's faith.
If you were to phrase your question and comments in a way as to not bash or "talk down" to your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, you probably would not have negative Catholic responses. Besides, it seems Catholics use these types of questions as a platform to bash protestants.

My brothers and sisters, it is not in our religions and denominations that we will find unity... that is found by our common belief in Jesus Christ and what He has done in our individual lives.

Answer 7

I think you bring up a good point.

I have heard a lot of people complain that the Catholic Mass is boring. The music is boring, the priest is boring, etc. It appears to me that they are focusing on the quality of the music and the oratory abilities of the priest.

When you focus on Christ being present in the person of the priest consecrating the bread and wine, the people gathered together in His name, in the Word proclaimed, and in the Eucharist - the Body and Blood of Christ, the Mass is a foretaste of Heaven itself.

Answer 8

AMEN Brother!! Reminds me of yesterdays liturgy and homily, to worship God means to do so in praise and thanksgiving. Yes Jesus Christ is truly present in His Church, the Catholic Church

Answer 9

Protestants give praise and worship to God.

The reading of the scriptures are the basis of the sermon. We read scripture and then the preacher teaches us about them.

It's not that much different from mass. When the priest gives his Homily, that is just like ours giving his/her sermon.

and we are in the presence of God at church. and the Holy Spirit lives in us because we are born again.

Answer 10

Quite to the contrary when I attend a service the majority of our 2 hour service is spent lifting our voices in song to the Lord and praying to him only a half hour is spent listening to our Pastor but that is not to glorify the pastor but rather to grow in the understanding of the Lord's word. All this is done to glorify the Lord our God!