Worship Tradition Assessment Instructions

CHRI 2373: Christian Theology and Tradition

Basic Requirements:
 Attend a church service of a tradition, either high church or low church, that you don’t
normally attend
 250+ word reflection on your personal trip, including a selfie of you at the service or in
front of the church
 In the reflection, do not just walk through each element that occurred, rather focus only on
the central elements
 This material is worth 10 points. (-1 point per day late)
 Stipulations:
o Please briefly include this information in your reflection:
 your current church affiliation (if any),
 whether your current church (if any) is a High Church or Low Church
tradition.
 The type of church tradition you expected to attend, either High Church or
Low Church. This must be the opposite of your historical/current tradition.
o The report must include the following:
 the name and affiliation of the church the student attended
 the date you attended the service
 a completed assessment
o Online church services or Convocation (or other campus worship services at HBU)
may NOT be used for this assignment.

Assignment Summary:

In the interest of bridging the gap between theory and practice, students have the opportunity to
attend a worship service at a Christian church. As Christianity developed over the past two
millennia, a variety of traditions have arisen. While there are a number of ways to describe
the variety, one simple way is to separate traditions into High Church and Low Church
traditions. We explain this distinction in Engaging Theology chapter 10. These approaches
to ecclesiology are reflected in their worship styles, with High Church traditions following
an Ancient model and Low Church traditions following a Revivalist model. To help you
understand the background and distinction between please watch this YouTube video about
Worship Traditions: https://youtu.be/SPwTUHHNTJQ .

To help you appreciate the diversity, you will attend a church tradition that worships in a different
style and is in a different denomination than that to which you are accustomed.

If you usually attend You must visit

a Low Church (aka Revivalist) tradition a High Church (aka Ancient) tradition
a High Church (aka Ancient) tradition a Low Church (aka Revivalist) tradition
a Reformed tradition1 (I.e., Presbyterian or a High Church (aka Ancient) tradition
Methodist)

If you do not attend church (nor were raised in church), you may visit any tradition.

1
By “Reformed”, we’re discussing the worship style rather than merely those theologically Reformed.
You will then submit a 250 word (+/- 10%) theological reflection paper about your experience. To
aid in your assessment of this experience, a Worship Assessment Worksheet is appended to these
instructions.

From your observations, your 250 word reflection should answer the following questions about the
tradition and theology of the service:
a. What tradition/style does this worship service represent?
b. What doctrines were reflected in the service and how do these relate to the topics
we have covered in class through Engaging Theology?
i. What doctrines was/were reflected in the songs?
ii. What doctrines emerged in the sermon/homily?
iii. How were these doctrines explained and applied?
iv. (How) did the four sources of theology play a role in the service: scripture,
tradition, reason, and experience?

Notes and Reminders:

o In your paper, don’t just give a play by play of the service or a detail of all the
issues on the survey form, since there’s not enough space for that; rather, focus on
the unique or important elements. This includes how the architecture and flow of
worship reflected the tradition, and how the service helped communicate specific
theological doctrines.

o Churches are usually very welcome to have visitors. As you visit, you should
remember, however, that worship services often carry great meaning for people, so
you should be respectful in your time there. Also, you might quiet strongly disagree
with something you see. You are welcome to note your disagreement in the report,
but you should do so in a respectful manner.

o Almost any church will be appropriate, but you may only attend theologically
orthodox Christian traditions for this assignment. In particular, you may not attend a
Mormon (Latter Day Saints) or Jehovah’s Witness service. If you are in doubt,
please ask your professor.

o Online church services or Convocation (or other campus worship services at HBU)
may NOT be used for this assignment.

Tips for Visits:

o With regard to clothing, it is usually safest to wear business casual clothing to a
service. However, many churches will note on their website if they are more
relaxed.

o In Catholic and Orthodox churches, the Eucharist is usually reserved for those who
are members of that tradition. Feel free to go forward with your row, but just keep
your arms crossed over your chest (like an X) and the priest/server will give you a
blessing rather than the elements.
 Assessing a Church’s Worship Tradition

There are three general worship models that churches follow: Ancient (Word/Table), Reformed
(Word), and Revivalist (Music/Sermon). These questions will help you think through the worship
service to assess which model the church you visit follows.

1. Church’s Name: ___________________________________________

2. Church’s Denomination:_____________________________________
3. Describe the congregation’s demographics (age, ethnicity, gender, economics, etc.):
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

4. Architecture
a. In what type of building was the service held?  Traditional  Multipurpose  Home
b. What is the visual focus of the worship area (i.e., what is prominent or what do you notice
first when you enter)?
 Pulpit/Lectern  AV Screen  Band  Altar/Communion Table
 Baptistry  Empty Stage  Choir  Other:_____________
c. What symbols are used in the church?
 Stained glass  Cross/Crucifix  Icons  Candles  None
 Other:________________________
d. Whom do the acoustics and amplification tend to favor? (E.g., when there is singing, do
you hear only the leaders/band or can you hear your neighbor?)
 Leaders (Choir/Band)  Congregation
e. What kind of seating is used?
i. Style of Seating:  Pews  Chairs  Theater  Other:________
ii. How is seating arranged? ____________________________
iii. What does this encourage? ___________________________

5. Worship Service Structure

a. How long was the service?  45-60m  1h-1h15m  1h15m-1h30m  1h30m+
b. Approximately how much time (in minutes) is spent on each of the following aspects?
Communion_____ Prayer______ Preaching_____ Reading Scripture_____
Singing_____ Giving_____ Creeds_____ Other( )____
c. Does the church follow a lectionary?  Yes  No
d. Is there a psychological climax of the service?_____________________________
e. Which act(s) dominate(s) the gathering (i.e., what is the apparent focus for planning and
leadership)?  Lord’s Table  Prayer  Preaching  Reading Scripture
 Singing  Creeds  Other:__________

6. Communion
a. Do you know how often it is celebrated?  weekly  monthly  quarterly  annually
b. Do you know which service it is celebrated in?
 Sunday Morning  Sunday Night  Wednesday Night  Home Groups

7. Final Assessment
 Ancient (Word/Table)  Reformed (Word)  Revivalist (Music/Sermon)
Key Evidence: ________________________________________________________________
250 Word Reflection & Selfie