Early Monasticism and its Relevance to Modern-Day Christianity

Worship throughout History
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Worship throughout History
Christian worship has its origins in the ancient Israel traditions and modifications by apostles and Jesus' early followers. Moreover, they form the basis of worship. Earlier churches inherited a wide array of practices and convictions from Judaism that put an inedible stamp on Christian worship. At the center was the belief that Old Testament Scriptures were authentic and authoritative. They glued together the scriptural interpretation in the person and work of Jesus coupled with its Trinitarian implications. As such, corporate worship became centered on the yearly calendar alongside historical acts of God that are presently rooted in Christ. Notably, worship majorly focused on the ceremonial commemoration rites, including reading and interpreting holy texts that ultimately incorporated the New Testament.. Also, prayer, whether sung or uttered, found its meaning and pattern in Psalms that were viewed in light of Christ. In essence, worship assumed the conventional four-fold structure that baptized people, read and interpreted scriptures, celebrated the Lord's Supper, and went out to spread the Gospel.[Saugatuck. “A brief history of Christian worship.” Saugatuckcrc.org, /single-post/2015/04/30/a-brief-history-of-christian-worship]
Over its first three hundred years, the family home formed the basis of the Christian Church and poured its rich and colorful heritage. There is little evidence, but apparent homes were transformed into worship spaces, and after celebrations, they returned to their everyday use. Notably, worshippers followed the Liturgical Calendar guidelines as a path that dictated a series of services, rituals, ceremonies that followed the annual cycles of birth, life, death, and Jesus' resurrection.. The calendar is divided into four to include the Advent of Christmas, Time after Epiphany, Lent to Easter through Pentecost, and the period post-Pentecost known as Kingdomtide.[New Year. "The traditional liturgical calendar of the roman." The Construction of Time in Antiquity: Ritual, Art, and Identity (2017): 248] [Leah, Woods. "Where Time and Eternity Intersect: the Integration of the Liturgical Calendar into the Worship Practices of the Evangelical Church." (2018).]
Often, the main congregation would converge in the atrium when the weather was favorable or sometimes in the dining rooms. In wealthier homes, the tablinum became the shrine and reception room where believers read and deliberated on the word as they celebrated communion. Home furnishings such as utensils, tables, and chairs, among others, acted as the articles of worship. Interestingly, the homes provided much cover and served as Church, especially during persecution.. The home as a church indeed affected worship. Limited space resulted in higher intimacy coupled with a sense of community involvement. During these times, Christianity was not mainstream, and during moments of persecution and in spaces of social stigma, commitment to worship experienced newfound strength in Church as God's family. Local homes led to the adoption of local customs and language.[Saugatuck. “A brief history of Christian worship.” Saugatuckcrc.org, HYPERLINK "/single-pos...