Basic 7 · Religious and Moral Education · Worship

Order and Elements of Worship

In this topic you will describe the main parts of a Christian church service, the order of Islamic prayer, and the elements of worship in African Traditional Religion.

By the end of these notes you should be able to:

Describe the elements of a Christian church service
Describe the steps of Islamic Salat and the Jumu'ah service
Describe the elements of traditional worship such as libation and sacrifice

What you already know

Types of worship in the three religions

Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.

Lesson 1

Strand: Religious Practices
Sub-strand: Worship
Indicator: B7.2.1.1.1 – Identify the types of worship in the three major religions

Introduction

Although churches differ, most Christian services include singing, prayer, Bible reading, a sermon and an offering. Each part has a meaning.

1. Parts of a Church Service

Elements of Christian worship

Element	What happens	Purpose
call to worship	the leader invites the congregation	prepares hearts for worship
praise and worship	singing hymns and choruses, clapping and dancing	gives glory to God
prayer	adoration, confession, thanksgiving and requests	communicates with God
scripture reading	passages from the Bible are read	hears God's word
sermon	the pastor or priest explains the Bible	teaches and encourages
offering and tithes	money and gifts are given	thanks God and supports the church
sacraments	Holy Communion (Lord's Supper) and baptism	remember Christ and welcome believers
announcements	news of church activities	informs members
benediction	the final blessing	sends people out with God's blessing

A pastor preaching from a pulpit to a congregation

Figure 1: The sermon List the parts of a church service in order.

2. The Sacraments

Many churches celebrate Holy Communion, in which bread and wine (or juice) are shared to remember the death of Jesus, as He instructed at the Last Supper (Luke 22:19–20). Baptism, with water, shows that a person has become a Christian. Catholic and some other churches recognise further sacraments, such as confirmation and marriage.

3. Music and Movement in Ghanaian Worship

Ghanaian churches blend local culture into worship. Congregations sing in local languages, play drums and dance joyfully during offerings. Choirs sing hymns and anthems, and singing bands perform traditional-style songs. Psalm 150 encourages praising God "with the sound of the trumpet... with timbrel and dancing".

4. Proper Conduct in Worship

Worshippers are expected to dress decently, arrive on time, switch off phones, listen attentively and participate respectfully. These show reverence for God.

5. Kinds of Prayer in a Church Service

Prayers in a service often follow the pattern ACTS. Adoration praises God for who He is. Confession admits sins and asks for forgiveness. Thanksgiving thanks God for His blessings. Supplication asks God for help for oneself and others, such as the sick, the nation and leaders. Some churches use written prayers, while others pray freely. In all cases, the congregation usually ends by saying "Amen", which means "so be it".

New words

sermon: A talk explaining scripture.
tithe: One tenth of income given to God.
sacrament: A sacred ceremony such as baptism or Holy Communion.
benediction: The closing blessing of a service.

Summary

A Christian service includes praise, prayer, Bible reading, a sermon, offering, sacraments and a blessing.
Holy Communion and baptism are important sacraments.
Ghanaian worship uses local languages, drums and dancing, and requires reverent conduct.

Class activity: Order of Service

Write the order of service of a church you know.
Explain the purpose of each part.
Act out a short service with songs and prayer.

You need: Bible, Qur'an, Printed photograph of a Ghanaian traditional shrine

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

1. A talk explaining the Bible in church is a…
- A. sermon
- B. hymn
- C. tithe
- D. benediction
Show answer
Answer: sermonTeaching.
2. Holy Communion remembers…
- A. the death of Jesus
- B. the creation
- C. Christmas
- D. the flood
Show answer
Answer: the death of JesusLast Supper.
3. The benediction is the closing blessing of a service.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueFinal blessing.
4. One tenth of income given to God is a ______.
Show answer
Answer: titheTenth.
5. List four elements of a Christian church service.
Show answer
Answer: Praise, prayer, Bible reading, sermon (or offering, sacraments, benediction).Any four.
6. Explain how Ghanaian culture is shown in Christian worship.
Show answer
Answer: Through local languages, drumming, dancing and traditional-style songs.Cultural blending.

Lesson 2

Strand: Religious Practices
Sub-strand: Worship
Indicator: B7.2.1.1.1 – Identify the types of worship in the three major religions

Introduction

Islamic prayer follows exact steps that are the same all over the world, while traditional worship follows the customs of each community. Both are done with great reverence.

1. Preparing for Salat

Before praying, a Muslim performs ablution (wudu), washing the hands, mouth, nose, face, arms, head, ears and feet in a set order. The worshipper faces the qibla (the direction of the Ka'bah in Makkah) and stands on a clean place, often a prayer mat. The muezzin calls the faithful to prayer with the adhan.

2. Steps of Salat

Main positions in Salat

Position	Action
standing (qiyam)	reciting Al-Fatiha and other verses
bowing (ruku)	bending with hands on knees, praising Allah
standing again	saying "Allah hears whoever praises Him"
prostration (sujud)	forehead, nose, hands, knees and toes touching the ground
sitting (jalsa)	sitting between prostrations
final sitting and salaam	turning the head right and left saying "Peace be upon you"

One complete cycle of these positions is called a rak'ah. Fajr has two rak'ahs, Maghrib three and the other daily prayers four.

A man performing ablution at taps before prayer

Figure 2: Ablution Draw the main positions of Salat.

3. Jumu'ah

On Friday at midday, Muslims gather in the mosque. The Imam delivers a sermon (khutbah) in two parts, followed by a two-rak'ah congregational prayer. The khutbah teaches about faith, good conduct and current issues.

4. Elements of Traditional Worship

Elements of traditional worship

Element	Description
libation	pouring a drink on the ground while calling God, the gods and the ancestors
invocation	calling the names of the spirits to be present
prayer	asking for blessings, health, rain and protection
sacrifice	offering animals such as fowls or sheep, or food
drumming and dancing	honouring the spirits, as at festivals
taboos	rules such as not farming on sacred days

5. Respect in Traditional Worship

Participants show respect by removing sandals at shrines, keeping silent during libation, dressing appropriately and following the instructions of the priest or elder.

6. Unity in Islamic Prayer

Islamic prayer shows unity and equality. In the mosque, rich and poor, young and old stand shoulder to shoulder in straight rows, facing the same direction and following the same Imam. Everyone performs the same movements at the same time. This teaches that all people are equal before Allah, and it builds a strong sense of brotherhood and sisterhood among Muslims.

New words

wudu: Ritual washing before Islamic prayer.
qibla: The direction of the Ka'bah in Makkah, faced in prayer.
rak'ah: One cycle of positions in Salat.
khutbah: The Friday sermon in Islam.

Summary

Muslims perform wudu, face the qibla and pray through set positions in units called rak'ahs.
Jumu'ah includes the khutbah and congregational prayer.
Traditional worship includes libation, invocation, prayer, sacrifice, drumming and taboos.

Class activity: Worship Steps Chart

Make a chart showing the steps of Salat or the steps of a libation.
Explain the meaning of each step.
Present it respectfully to the class.

You need: Bible, Qur'an, Printed photograph of a Ghanaian traditional shrine

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

1. Ritual washing before Islamic prayer is…
- A. wudu
- B. Hajj
- C. Zakat
- D. khutbah
Show answer
Answer: wuduAblution.
2. The direction Muslims face in prayer is the…
- A. qibla
- B. mihrab
- C. minaret
- D. Ka'bah gate
Show answer
Answer: qiblaTowards Makkah.
3. Fajr prayer has two rak'ahs.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueDawn prayer.
4. The Friday sermon in Islam is the ______.
Show answer
Answer: khutbahTwo parts.
5. List four elements of traditional worship.
Show answer
Answer: Libation, invocation, prayer, sacrifice (or drumming, taboos).Any four.
6. Explain the meaning of prostration (sujud) in Salat.
Show answer
Answer: Touching the ground with the forehead shows complete humility and submission to Allah.Humility.

Homework

Write the order of Salat or the steps of libation as practised in your community.