This is the third installment of the Church Identity series and follows “The Church as Temple.” That subsequent article provides important background for understanding the context of this one. This article is long, but it has been preserved as a single post to maintain its cohesion. For this reason, it has been divided into two sections for the benefit of the reader.

Section I: Biblical Origins of Worship

Eden and the Fall

Just as we can trace the thematic continuity of the Temple, so can we trace a biblical continuity of worship. If the Temple is a mirror of the heavenly realm, then what happens in the Temple is a reflection. In the cosmic temple—the Garden of Eden—Adam and Eve are God’s representation on earth. They have dominion (lordship) over the earth. Their work and cultivation of the created order reflect God’s own work and creation. They  worked six days of the week and rested on the Seventh, corresponding to the Creation account. They walked with God and had fellowship with each other.

Once sin enters the world, and profanes the cosmic temple, worship takes a different turn. It now requires sacrifice, as made clear in the story of  Cain and Abel. Indeed, the practice of animal sacrifice is added after the Fall to foreshadow the work of Jesus Christ, who is the Lamb of God. Animal sacrifice, and the shedding of blood, was conceived as a way to dispel sin. Sin was tethered to death, but “life is in the blood.”

At Mount Sinai, Moses receives the Law, which instructs the Israelites on how to conduct themselves. They purified themselves from the world before entering the Temple—where heaven meets earth. This means worship was as much about what happened outside of the Temple as what happened within it. In a sinless cosmos, the idea of holiness is redundant. In a fallen cosmos, holiness refers to a person or thing “set apart” from the sin and corruption which profanes the cosmic temple. The Israelites lived their lives according to the Law, to keep themselves set apart, so that the temple and their worship was pure and acceptable.

Worship, then, is not just about hymns or cultic rites, but about holy living. Nevertheless, all of this is always in the context of communion with God. Holiness allows the Israelites to walk into the presence of God, and the sacrifices and prayers of the temple are designed to pursue communion with God. This is not a ceremonial free-for-all, nor is it the arbitrary design of cultural constructs. God gives His people the terms by which they will worship Him.

The Heavenly pattern

When constructing a biblical worldview of worship, postmodern people have a hard time wrapping their minds around the notion that worship is not based on human invention, but a heavenly pattern. The people of God model worship on the heavenly temple. Indeed, the Epistle to the Hebrews says;

Now this is the main point in what has been said: we have a high priest such as this, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord set up, not man. For every high priest is appointed in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices; therefore it was necessary for this one also to have something that he offers. Now if he were on earth, he would not even be a priest, because there are those who offer the gifts according to the law, who serve a sketch and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned when he was about to complete the tabernacle, for he says, “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern which was shown to you on the mountain.” (Hebrews 8:1-5 LEB)

and

“Therefore it was necessary for the sketches of the things in heaven to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves to be purified with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf…” (Hebrews 9:23-24 LEB)

There is no question that Christian worship is based on a pattern. The shape of that worship, however, is another matter. The temple itself was constructed to mirror heaven in its aesthetics and structure. The many images of cherubim on the walls, on the veil, in the Holy of holies, and on the Ark of the Covenant are earthly representations that reflect the heavenly hosts with whom we worship. Worship within the temple had several features;

1. Prayers
2. Recitation of Psalms
3. Sacrifices
4. Incense

Apart from the Psalms, Scripture did not have a prominent place in the temple itself. There were certain occasions when portions of Scripture would be read, like “The Shema,” but it was not emphasized in anyway. The public reading of Scripture usually took place outside of the temple on on Sabbaths and outside the courts  in preparation for the temple.¹

Around this religious life was a “liturgical calendar.” That is, there were various feasts, fasts, and holy days that were observed throughout the year (or every several years) which had influence upon the temple worship. The Day of Atonement, for example, was the one day of the year where the high priest could enter and offer animal sacrifice for the sins of the people.

How do these things correspond to the heavenly sanctuary? The apocalypse of Isaiah 6 instructs us. He has a glimpse into the unseen reality of God’s throne room. Notice that the description of Isaiah is similar to the temple. God is enthroned and the angels in his throne room surround him, just as the Ark of the Covenant is surrounded by cherubim in the Holy of holies.

Worship in Second-Temple Judaism

Later in Jewish history, in the wake of the Diaspora, Jews are scattered throughout the Roman Empire.  They are far, far away from the temple in Jerusalem, so they come up with ways to preserve religious identity and devotional expression. There is the rise of the Pharisee sect and the invention of the synagogue.

In lieu of a nearby temple, the synagogue provided a place for Jews  to gather for prayer, recite the Psalms, and hear the Scriptures read. Though these features are shared with the temple, sacrifice and incense were limited to the temple by Mosaic Law. Though it lacked the ability to perform cult rites, it allowed additional time for teaching and exhortation. After the readings, a rabbi would sit down and interpret the text for the congregation, applying it to their lives.² The synagogue was different from the temple, but the worship of the synagogue has its basis in the pattern of the temple. When the temple still stood in Jerusalem, the synagogue was not a substitute, but a supplement.

During Jesus’ ministry, and the missionary efforts of the Apostles, they worship in the synagogues and the Temple.³ They fully participate in the life and ceremonies of the liturgies. The synagogues featured extra-biblical prayers, for example, and had a regular cycle of readings which were appointed for different days.⁴ Thus we see that prayer and worship do not need to be strictly limited to biblical texts and that prescribed prayers and readings are perfectly in line with apostolic practice.

The synagogues also practiced a systematic method of teaching and discussing Scripture. The rabbi’s were master interpreters of the Law and they would instruct the congregation of the synagogue. They would take on disciples and teach them how to interpret the Law and preserve Jewish oral traditions. Jesus engages in this systematic study of Scripture and takes on disciples of his own. After the founding of the Church, Christian worship takes its cues from the Temple and the synagogue, as well as the apocalyptic visions of the prophets.

Section II: Christian Worship

APOSTOLIC Worship

After Christ’s resurrection, his disciples begin the habit of meeting on the first day of the week (Sunday) to commemorate “the Lord’s Day.” On this day, they would “break bread” and commemorate the Passover meal Jesus instituted when he told his disciples to “Do this in remembrance of me.”⁵ Since Christ is the perfect and sufficient sacrifice, the practice of animal sacrifice is no longer observed.

Since Jesus fulfills animal sacrifice, it is only fitting that the Lord’s Supper replaced its ceremonial place as a rite. Just as sacrifice was central in the Temple, Holy Communion became central to early Christian worship. Traditional liturgies have two parts; the “Service of the Word” and the “Service of Communion.”⁶ The first half of Christian worship most resembles the synagogue, with systematic readings and a corresponding homily from the elder. The second half of the liturgy most resembles the Temple in how its patterned.

Many elements of Christian worship appropriate the biblical pattern.  Incense depicts our prayers rising and reminds us of the presence of the glory of God.⁷ The elder presiding over the “altar” is a reflection of Christ our high priest who offers himself to us. The sacrificial character of Christ’s body and blood in Holy Communion allows us to partake of Christ our sacrifice, made once and for all, who is the Atonement for our sin. The presentation of other sacrifices (offerings to be redistributed to the poor, as well as being living sacrifices who die to self) all appropriate the biblical pattern of worship found in the Temple, in addition to features that were common between the Temple and the synagogues.

Even the shape of the assembly follows the structure of the temple. The nave, where the congregation worships for most of the service, is equivalent to the  courts of the people. Choir and clergy in the chancel can be seen as the hall of priests. The apse, where the altar and Holy Communion are kept, corresponds to the Holy of holies.

In the Revelation to John, we receive another apocalyptic vision of the heavenly sanctuary. God sits enthroned before the altar, showing His presence in the innermost chamber of the Temple. He is surrounded by four cherubim, as is the Arc of the Covenant. The seven lamp stands of the seven-fold Spirit of God represent the menorah that was placed in the Holy of holies.⁸ The Levitical priesthood was governed by twenty-four elders. In the vision, they are enthroned on either side of God. The slain lamb lays on an altar before the throne of God in the midst of the 24 elders.⁹ Standing before the throne and the lamb is an assembly of people from every tribe and tongue, clothed in robes of white.¹⁰ There are angels carrying incense, representing the prayers of the saints. There are prescribed prayers, at prescribed times, when the elders prostrate themselves in response to the call to worship.¹¹ There are three angels that proclaim the gospel.¹² If this is the heavenly sanctuary, how would the Church mirror it on earth?

The Bishop is enthroned in the front of the congregation. He is surrounded by his deacons in attendance, corresponding to the cherubim. The elders stand on either side of him. The altar/table of Holy Communion sits at the center of them all. Three “scrolls” are opened from the Old Testament, Epistles, and the Gospels. The gospel is proclaimed before a multitude clothed in robes of Christ’s holiness. Incense fills the room and the altar is censed also. The congregation stands and kneels at the appointed times, in call and response rhythm, and the very prayers of the angels are recited:

“Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious Name; evermore praiſing thee, and ſaying: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hoſts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory; Glory be to thee, O Lord Moſt High. Amen. “¹³

Yes, this is the structure and habit of a traditional Christian liturgy. It is the same heavenly pattern given on Sinai, the same pattern seen in Isaiah and John, and it is the pattern received by the Church for worship. The pattern, in its essential character, has never changed.

If there is a heavenly  pattern which Christian worship is based on, one might inquire as to why there are such variations in Christian liturgies. I like using the analogy of a knitting pattern. Any one pattern for a sweater could result in countless variations. The color and size of the yarn, the combination of colors, the diversity of buttons,  etc. Regardless of differences, you always end up with a sweater, and there is an inherent commonality among sweaters of the same pattern. Following a heavenly pattern does not mean that Christian liturgies are devoid of cultural elements or the unique human traditions that shape them. These are the things which “fill out” the heavenly pattern, but the pattern is still the basis upon which these organic liturgies are built.¹⁴

The Mystery of Worship

Worship is a reflection of the heavenly sanctuary, yes, but it is not a reflection only. The mystery of worship is that it is a time and space in which heaven and earth meet, so that worship is an earthly participation in the heavenly liturgy. For this reason, worship never really “begins.” Worship is an ongoing reality in which the Church joins in. Saying “Worship begins at ‘x time'” is a bit of a misnomer, then. There may be a designated time for when we join in worship, but worship is as old as time itself–and just as enduring. The Church Militant praises with angels and the saints of the Church Triumphant.

The congregation is told to “Lift up our hearts” in the liturgy. All of us are spiritually elevated to heaven by the Spirit of God, at least those of us who a willing and able to obey this call. Surely, not all who are present for the liturgy are participants in the mystical worship. Just as not all can truly receive the Lord in the Eucharist, not all are capable of worshiping God “in Spirit and in truth.” Although Christian liturgy ought to be conformed to the heavenly pattern, this by no means ensures participation in the spiritual worship of the heavenly sanctuary. Not all hearts will be lifted.

At the same time, Christians who do not abide by this ancient, biblical pattern are not thereby excluded from the mystical participation in the heavenly worship. The form of their worship may not reflect the heavenly sanctuary, but their hearts are lifted and their worship true. Indeed, it is better for those who worship in Spirit without the pattern, than it is for those who rigorously follow the pattern without truly lifted hearts.

Does this undermine the importance of carefully crafting our worship in conformity to the pattern we have received. By no means! Grace is not license to sin. Faith and love are not divorced from works. Membership in the Church invisible does not excuse absence from the Church visible. Just because one can lift up their hearts, by the grace of the Spirit, and participate in spiritual worship does not mean the physical form it takes is irrelevant or insignificant. Again, this is not a case for liturgical colonialism. It is, however, a case for worship that is biblically grounded and unified in its diversity by the heavenly pattern that has been revealed to the prophets. Liturgy is the form and matter of worship, not the essence of it, but the latter presupposes consistency in the former.

Photo credit: Lawrence OP via VisualHunt / CC BY-NC-ND

• Author
• Recent Posts

Brandon Munson

M.Div, Reformed Episcopal Seminary
B.A. Youth Ministry, Eastern University

Brandon lives just outside West Philadelphia with his wife, Elizabeth, and their sons, Kairos and Levi. He is an educator and administrative assistant at Christ Academy in Collingdale, PA

Latest posts by Brandon Munson (see all)

• Pray Then Like This: The Case for Reciting Prayers - July 2, 2022
• Kingdom as Mission - November 30, 2019
• The Mystery of Worship - December 2, 2017

1. See “Temple, Administration and Service of” in The Jewish Encyclopedia, 1906.
2. Luke 4:17-21
3. Acts 3:1 & 13:13-15 are just a couple examples.
4. “Sehmoneh ‘Esreh” in The Jewish Encyclopedia, 1906.
5. Acts 20:7
6. See “Mass: Roman Catholicism” in The Encyclopedia Britannica. Though the article is about the RCC, it is a universal feature of traditional Christian liturgies.
7. Revelation 8:4 & 5
8. Revelation 4
9. Revelation 5
10. Revelation 7
11. Revelation 5:7-10
12. Revelation 14:6
13.  From the Holy Communion service of the 1662 BCP (page 12 in the PDF). Note: the numeral “ſ” is an older version of “s.”
14. For more on this, see The Anglican Liturgy (forthcoming)