Service of worship facts for kids
A service of worship is a special gathering where people meet to show their respect and love for God. These meetings often happen in a church or cathedral. You might also hear it called a church service or prayer service. This term is most often used in the Christian religion. Sometimes, it's also used in Judaism, though prayer service is more common there.
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Christian Worship Services
In Christianity, worship services are usually led by a pastor. Sometimes, people who are not pastors, called laypeople, might lead parts of the service.
When Services Happen
Most Christian church services take place on Sundays. However, larger churches or cathedrals might have services on other days too. Special services are also held for weddings, funerals, or other important events.
What Happens During a Service
During a Christian worship service, people often do several things:
- They say prayers together.
- They sing songs of praise.
- They listen to a sermon, which is a talk given by the pastor.
- They hear readings from the Bible.
- Some services include Holy Communion, which is a special meal.
- A morning service without communion is called Matins.
- An evening service is often called Evensong.
Jewish Prayer Services
In Judaism, prayer services are built around two main prayers. These prayers help Jewish people connect with God and remember their faith.
The Shema Prayer
The Shema prayer includes three parts from the Torah. These parts talk about the most important ideas in Judaism. They explain about God and God's relationship with the Jewish people. The Shema is said in the morning and evening services. This is because the text says it should be said "when you go to bed" and "when you wake up." It is not said during the afternoon service.
The Amidah Prayer
The Amidah is a "standing prayer." It is a group of blessings that cover many parts of the relationship between God and Jewish people. After the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed long ago, prayer became a way to replace sacrifices. Because of this, the Amidah is said at certain times of the day, just like sacrifices used to be:
- Every morning and afternoon.
- Every evening.
- Musaf: This is said late morning on Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh (the start of a new Jewish month), and major Jewish holidays. This is because extra sacrifices were offered then.
- Ne'ilah: This special prayer is said late afternoon at the end of Yom Kippur, a very important holy day.
Jewish prayer services happen whenever the Amidah prayer is said. In the morning and evening, they also include the Shema.
Images for kids
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A Lutheran Divine Service in the United States
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A Catholic Mass at St. Maria Church, Sehnde, Germany
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A picture showing early Christian worship in the Catacomb of Callixtus
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A worship service at Dream City Church in Phoenix, United States, in 2007
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A worship service at Hillsong Church UK in London, UK
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A church choir singing at a service in Cathedral Church of Christ, Lagos, Nigeria
See also
In Spanish: Servicio (iglesia) para niños
