When Jesus was once asked about how best to pray, the gist of His response was:
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Do it in public, at least as loud as the others
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It only works properly if you're in a recognised religious building
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Go somewhere quiet and private and talk to your Heavenly Father
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God won't listen unless you use the right words
Q.2.
It might be easy enough to imagine that first great Christian convert and missionary, St Paul, arriving in a new port somewhere around the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, greeting a Christian contact (if any) and then asking 'Take me and show me the Church'. Why would that NOT have been likely, or even possible?
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The early Church typically consisted of groups of believers who had to meet in secret, and such a faith-community was the Church; but they would not have dared (or afforded) to build a place of worship that others might identify and attack
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At that early stage there was no precedent or style for church-building, so any such structure would have been unremarkable and blended-in with its surroundings
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The believers did not feel they should be sinking large amounts of money into physical facilities, rather than welfare and 'good-works' programmes ~ hence an absence of purpose-built 'churches'
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There was so much suspicion about early Christians (e.g. distorted 'urban myths' about their communion meetings ~ supposedly involving cannibalism), that nobody would dare use the word 'church' in a public place where they might be overheard and come under suspicion
Q.3.
Which of the following broadly paraphrased statements has NEVER, at any time, been held-to by a recognisable portion of the worldwide Church as a whole?
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'Music is the work of the Devil and should, as such, have no place in Christian worship'
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'Music lifts the soul and brings us nearer to God; we cannot possibly worship without music'
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'Serve the Lord with gladness, and come before His presence with a song'
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(Each of the above represents an official position in one or another time and context)
Q.4.
Again there will probably be exceptions ~ but for churches that follow a Liturgy (i.e. they use a set 'Prayer Book' with organised services, rather than seeing themselves as spontaneous and 'Spirit-led'), most such services will include certain standard spoken elements. Which of the following would most likely happen FIRST within such a service?
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At least one reading from Scripture (or probably two: one from the Old, one from the New Testament)
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A sermon (otherwise known as an Address, Talk or Homily) in which the minister (or equivalent) will 'unpack' the Bible reading and explore how it is relevant to congregants' daily lives
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A time of prayer, usually led by one individual and probably concluding with the Lord's Prayer said together
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Times when the congregation collectively confesses and apologises for past sins, and reaffirms its faith by reciting a Creed together
Q.5.
The second word of the Lord's Prayer, in most (if not all) mainstream English versions, is 'Father'; what is the second word of most forms of the Creed?
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... praise ...
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... pray ...
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... believe ...
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... want ...
Q.6.
Where does Christianity, in general, stand on the matter of whether its buildings &/or worshippers ought to be facing in a particular direction? Choose ONE of the following which is the probably most generally true.
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Many churches nowadays, where structurally practicable, are adapting their interiors to focus on a 'nave altar' (i.e. towards the 'old front' of their main assembly area, rather than 'right up at the sharp end where hardly anyone could see'). This may involve taking out some old pews (which may not greatly matter, if the congregation is now fewer in number than these were originally put in to seat) ~ while the sightlines, audibility and sense of closer involvement are generally seen as a welcome overall improvement in terms of the texture of worship. But in such a 'church-in-the-round', a congregant could be facing the altar from almost any corner of the compass except, probably, the east
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All Christians believe that worship should be led 'from the front' by a priest, or equivalent
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Church buildings, wherever architecturally practical, have their focus at the East end, facing the rising sun (and thus tapping into the symbolism of resurrection, light and hope)
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It is accepted that during the Creed, everyone stands and faces the church's high altar ~ which should be at the official east end
Q.7.
In which of the following situations might a gathering acceptably remain completely silent throughout?
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Quakers (the Religious Society of Friends) at a meeting
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A community of monks or nuns at worship
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An Amish funeral
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Choral Evensong at an Anglican Cathedral
Q.8.
Which of the following represents the LEAST likely, widespread or regular use for candles in connection with Christian worship?
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As a sanctuary lamp, to quietly signal that the reserved sacrament is kept available from the most recent communion service
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As a symbolic gift to the newly-baptised (or their parents / guardians)
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To represent progress through the penitential season of Advent &/or, possibly, Lent, with the prospect of the Light of God drawing closer
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In symmetrical pairs on the main altar, representing the Epistle and Gospel sides (alias Cantoris and Decani) during worship
Q.9.
Some of the more major and traditional branches of the Christian church change the colour scheme of their liturgical linen (altar frontals, priestly garments and suchlike) according to the time of the church's year, so that the colour helps to signal an occasion and evoke a mood. All through the summer (after Trinity and well into the autumn) the default colour is usually green; there are also white, red and blue, and rather occasionally other possibilities. Blue/violet is for penitential and preparatory seasons (Advent before Christmas; Lent before Easter); white represents innocence (the birth at Christmas; festivals involving the Spirit, such as non-martyred saints and the conversion of Paul); which of the following is NOT a liturgical significance of red?
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Special days marking the Passion of Christ (i.e. as representing His blood shed, e.g. on 'Good Friday')
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The feast day of All Saints
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Feast days of matryred saints
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Festivals referencing the power of the Holy Spirit, principally Pentecost ~ plus (by extension) for Confirmation services
Q.10.
'Surely any church worthy of that name ought to contain an organ?' ... Well, if you were hoping to 'sing along', there could be plenty of good reasons why you may not find one. Which of these would you consider the saddest, or weakest?
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'Our denomination doesn't hold with congregational singing; never has, never will; and would begrudge the space and expense of anything so complex and indulgent as an organ'
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'The days of the mechanical organ have been and gone, and we felt we needed to free up precious space for other activities. An electronic keyboard meanwhile takes up a barest fraction of the room'
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'We couldn't find anyone that knew how to play it'
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'We have a Worship Band now, which is far more lively and brings in a younger congregation'
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