In Christianity , worship is the act of attributing reverent honour and homage to God . In the New Testament , various words are used to refer to the term worship . One is proskuneo ("to worship") which means to bow down to God or kings.
128-653: Throughout most of Christianity's history, corporate Christian worship has been liturgical , characterized by prayers and hymns , with texts rooted in, or closely related to, the Bible (Scripture), particularly the Psalter , and centered on the altar (or table ) and the Eucharist ; this form of sacramental and ceremonial worship is still practiced by the Catholic , Eastern Orthodox , Lutheran and Anglican churches, and Methodism to
256-559: A concordat between the Zurich and Geneva churches. He reached out to England when Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer called for an ecumenical synod of all the evangelical churches. Calvin praised the idea, but ultimately Cranmer was unable to bring it to fruition. Calvin sheltered Marian exiles (those who fled the reign of Catholic Mary Tudor in England) in Geneva starting in 1555. Under
384-522: A heretical view of the Trinity , arrived in Geneva. He was denounced by Calvin and burned at the stake for heresy by the city council. Following an influx of supportive refugees and new elections to the city council, Calvin's opponents were forced out. Calvin spent his final years promoting the Reformation both in Geneva and throughout Europe. John Calvin was born as Jehan Cauvin on 10 July 1509, at Noyon ,
512-668: A Christian congregation or denomination on a regular basis. The term liturgy comes from Greek and means "public work". Within Christianity, liturgies descending from the same region, denomination, or culture are described as ritual families . The majority of Christian denominations hold church services on the Lord's Day (with many offering Sunday morning and Sunday evening services); a number of traditions have mid-week Wednesday evening services as well. In some Christian denominations, liturgies are held daily, with these including those in which
640-454: A burden and late in 1542 the council allowed him to preach only once on Sunday. In October 1549, he was again required to preach twice on Sundays and, in addition, every weekday of alternate weeks. His sermons lasted more than an hour and he did not use notes. An occasional secretary tried to record his sermons, but very little of his preaching was preserved before 1549. In that year, professional scribe Denis Raguenier, who had learned or developed
768-484: A city under the enduring influence of the late reformer Johannes Oecolampadius . In March 1536, Calvin published the first edition of his Institutio Christianae Religionis or Institutes of the Christian Religion . The work was an apologia or defense of his faith and a statement of the doctrinal position of the reformers. He also intended it to serve as an elementary instruction book for anyone interested in
896-465: A daily cycle of seven non-sacramental services: The sundry Canonical Hours are, in practice, grouped together into aggregates so that there are three major times of prayer a day: Evening, Morning and Midday; for details, see Canonical hours — Aggregates . Great Vespers as it is termed in the Byzantine Rite, is an extended vespers service used on the eve of a major Feast day, or in conjunction with
1024-547: A desire to make progress therein, that although I did not altogether leave off other studies, yet I pursued them with less ardor. In the second account, Calvin wrote of a long process of inner turmoil, followed by spiritual and psychological anguish: Being exceedingly alarmed at the misery into which I had fallen, and much more at that which threatened me in view of eternal death, I, duty bound, made it my first business to betake myself to your way, condemning my past life, not without groans and tears. And now, O Lord, what remains to
1152-563: A fugitive from ecclesiastical authorities, appeared in Geneva on 13 August 1553. Servetus was a fugitive on the run after he published The Restoration of Christianity (1553), Calvin scholar Bruce Gordon commented "Among its offenses were a denial of original sin and a bizarre and hardly comprehensible view of the Trinity." Decades earlier, in July 1530 he disputed with Johannes Oecolampadius in Basel and
1280-641: A fulfillment of Jesus' words that the time was at hand when true worshipers would worship "in spirit and in truth" ( John 4:23). The theme of worship is taken up by many of the Church Fathers including Justin Martyr , Irenaeus and Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170-c. 236). The Holy Eucharist was the central act of worship in early Christianity. The liturgy of the synagogues and the ritual of the Jewish temple, both of which were participated in by early Christians, helped shape
1408-517: A heretic. The following day he was sentenced to burning at the stake, the same sentence as in Vienne. Some scholars claim that Calvin and other ministers asked that he be beheaded instead of burnt, knowing that burning at the stake was the only legal recourse. This plea was refused and on 27 October, Servetus was burnt alive at the Plateau of Champel at the edge of Geneva. After the death of Servetus, Calvin
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#17328587362431536-451: A house that was supposedly full of Frenchmen. The syndic Henri Aulbert tried to intervene, carrying with him the baton of office that symbolized his power. Perrin seized the baton and waved it over the crowd, which gave the appearance that he was taking power and initiating a coup d'état . The insurrection was soon over when another syndic appeared and ordered Perrin to go with him to the town hall. Perrin and other leaders were forced to flee
1664-781: A large part to a movement known as the Catholic Charismatic Renewal . Worship practices in the Eastern Churches have largely remained traditional. In many Protestant groups, such as the Methodist and Reformed churches and some parts of the Anglican Communion , corporate worship is shaped by the legacy of the Reformation . Worship in such a context also generally features spoken prayer (either unscripted or prepared), Scripture readings, congregational singing of hymns, and
1792-569: A lesser extent. In the Charismatic tradition worship is viewed as an act of adoration of God, with a more informal conception. Among certain Christian denominations, such as those of traditional Anabaptism , the observance of various ordinances rooted in Scripture occurs during Christian worship, such as feetwashing , anointing with oil , and the wearing of headcoverings by women. The term liturgy
1920-506: A letter from Calvin, he appeared before the Consistory. By 1547, opposition to Calvin and other French refugee ministers had grown to constitute the majority of the syndics , the civil magistrates of Geneva. On 27 June an unsigned threatening letter in Genevan dialect was found at the pulpit of St. Pierre Cathedral where Calvin preached. Suspecting a plot against both the church and the state,
2048-536: A letter to Viret: I have been bereaved of the best friend of my life, of one who, if it has been so ordained, would willingly have shared not only my poverty but also my death. During her life she was the faithful helper of my ministry. From her I never experienced the slightest hindrance. Throughout the rest of his life in Geneva, he maintained several friendships from his early years including Montmor, Cordier, Cop, Farel, Melanchthon and Bullinger. Calvin encountered bitter opposition to his work in Geneva. Around 1546,
2176-573: A limited six-month period for heretics to reconcile with the Catholic faith, Calvin decided that there was no future for him in France. In August he set off for Strasbourg , a free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire and a refuge for reformers. Due to military maneuvers of imperial and French forces , he was forced to make a detour to the south, bringing him to Geneva. Calvin had intended to stay only
2304-593: A liturgy committee, composed mainly of Western theologians. The liturgy so prepared was first used at the Synod Session in 1950 and approved for use throughout the church "wherever it is desired" in 1954. The first version of the Confirmation Service for the new church was also released in 1950, translated into regional languages and was quickly adopted by the various dioceses. By 1962 the Liturgy Committee
2432-546: A minister. Calvin protested that the council did not have the legal authority to overturn Berthelier's excommunication. Unsure of how the council would rule, he hinted in a sermon on 3 September 1553 that he might be dismissed by the authorities. The council decided to re-examine the Ordonnances and on 18 September it voted in support of Calvin—excommunication was within the jurisdiction of the Consistory. Berthelier applied for reinstatement to another Genevan administrative assembly,
2560-539: A more clearly Protestant liturgy after problems arose from conservative interpretation of the mass on the one hand, and a critique by Martin Bucer (Butzer) on the other. Successive revisions are based on this edition, though important alterations appeared in 1604 and 1662. The 1662 edition is still authoritative in the Church of England and has served as the basis for many of Books of Common Prayer of national Anglican churches around
2688-459: A prosaic view, writing to one correspondent: I, who have the air of being so hostile to celibacy, I am still not married and do not know whether I will ever be. If I take a wife it will be because, being better freed from numerous worries, I can devote myself to the Lord. Several candidates were presented to him including one young woman from a noble family. Reluctantly, Calvin agreed to the marriage, on
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#17328587362432816-447: A sermon. Some liturgy is normally used but may not be described as such. The Lord's Supper, or Communion, is celebrated less frequently (intervals vary from once a week to annually according to the denomination or local church). Vestments are less elaborate or absent. In Charismatic Christianity (including pentecostalism , the charismatic movement , neo-charismatic movement and certain parts of nondenominational Christianity ), worship
2944-411: A single night, but William Farel, a fellow French reformer residing in the city, implored him to stay and assist him in his work of reforming the church there. Calvin accepted his new role without any preconditions on his tasks or duties. The office to which he was initially assigned is unknown. He was eventually given the title of "reader", which most likely meant that he could give expository lectures on
3072-747: A solid, scriptural, rational piety, than the Common Prayer of the Church of England. When the Methodists in America were separated from the Church of England , John Wesley himself provided a revised version of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer called The Sunday Service of the Methodists . Wesley's Sunday Service has shaped the official liturgies of the Methodists ever since. The United Methodist Church has official liturgies for services of Holy Communion , baptism , weddings , funerals , ordination , anointing of
3200-549: A system of shorthand, was assigned to record all of Calvin's sermons. An analysis of his sermons by T. H. L. Parker suggests that Calvin was a consistent preacher and his style changed very little over the years. John Calvin was also known for his thorough manner of working his way through the Bible in consecutive sermons. From March 1555 to July 1556, Calvin delivered two hundred sermons on Deuteronomy . Voltaire wrote about Calvin, Luther and Zwingli , "If they condemned celibacy in
3328-486: A thousand times over." Calvin also wrote that he was prepared to follow the Lord's calling. A plan was drawn up in which Viret would be appointed to take temporary charge in Geneva for six months while Bucer and Calvin would visit the city to determine the next steps. The city council pressed for the immediate appointment of Calvin in Geneva. By mid-1541, Strasbourg decided to lend Calvin to Geneva for six months. Calvin returned on 13 September 1541 with an official escort and
3456-621: A town in Picardy , a province of the Kingdom of France . He was the second of three sons who survived infancy. His mother, Jeanne le Franc, was the daughter of an innkeeper from Cambrai . She died of an unknown cause in Calvin's childhood, after having borne four more children. Calvin's father, Gérard Cauvin , had a prosperous career as the cathedral notary and registrar to the ecclesiastical court . Gérard intended his three sons—Charles, Jean, and Antoine—for
3584-400: A wagon for his family. In supporting Calvin's proposals for reforms, the council of Geneva passed the Ordonnances ecclésiastiques (Ecclesiastical Ordinances) on 20 November 1541. The ordinances defined four orders of ministerial function: pastors to preach and to administer the sacraments ; doctors to instruct believers in the faith; elders to provide discipline; and deacons to care for
3712-644: A wretch like me, but instead of defense, earnestly to supplicate you not to judge that fearful abandonment of your Word according to its deserts, from which in your wondrous goodness you have at last delivered me. Scholars have argued about the precise interpretation of these accounts, but most agree that his conversion corresponded with his break from the Roman Catholic Church. The Calvin biographer Bruce Gordon has stressed that "the two accounts are not antithetical, revealing some inconsistency in Calvin's memory, but rather [are] two different ways of expressing
3840-575: Is celebrated. In Latin , the corresponding word is Missa , taken from the dismissal at the end of the liturgy - Ite, Missa est , literally "Go, it is the dismissal", translated idiomatically in the current English Roman Missal as "Go forth, the Mass is ended." The Eastern Orthodox Church ( Byzantine Rite ) uses the term " Divine Liturgy " to denote the Eucharistic service. and some Oriental Orthodox churches also use that term. The descendant churches of
3968-472: Is derived from the Greek leitourgia meaning "public service" and is formed by two words: "laos" (people) and "ergon" (work), literally "work of the people". Responsorial prayers are a series of petitions read or sung by a leader with responses made by the congregation. Set times for prayer during the day were established (based substantially on Jewish models), and a festal cycle throughout the Church year governed
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4096-403: Is included either once a month or once a quarter. A few denominations have their main weekly services on Saturday rather than Sunday. Larger churches often tend to have several services each Sunday; often two or three in the morning and one or two in the late afternoon or evening. Christian liturgy Christian liturgy is a pattern for worship used (whether recommended or prescribed) by
4224-471: Is living in Vienne." When the inquisitor-general of France learned that Servetus was hiding in Vienne , according to Calvin under an assumed name, he contacted Cardinal François de Tournon , the secretary of the archbishop of Lyon, to take up the matter. Servetus was arrested and taken in for questioning. His letters to Calvin were presented as evidence of heresy, but he denied having written them, and later said he
4352-403: Is surely no small sign of God's power that throughout the whole world in the churches of God at the morning rising of the sun and at the evening hours, hymns, praises, and truly divine delights are offered to God. God's delights are indeed the hymns sent up everywhere on earth in his Church at the times of morning and evening." The Roman Rite Catholic Mass is the service in which the Eucharist
4480-429: Is viewed like an act of adoration of God, with a more informal conception. Some gatherings take place in auditoriums with few religious signs. There is no dress style. Since the beginning of charismatic movement of the 1960s there have been significant changes to Christian worship practices of many denominations. A new music-centered approach to worship, known as contemporary worship , is now commonplace. This replaces
4608-517: The Anglican tradition's Book of Common Prayer . In most cases, congregations also use other elements of liturgical worship, such as candles, vestments , paraments, banners, and liturgical art. Because John Wesley advocated outdoor evangelism , revival services are a traditional worship practice of Methodism that are often held in local churches, as well as at outdoor camp meetings , brush arbour revivals , and at tent revivals . The liturgy of
4736-694: The Church of South India combines many traditions, including that of the Methodists and such smaller churches as the Church of the Brethren and the Disciples of Christ. After the formation of the Church of South India the first synod met at Madurai in March 1948 and appointed a liturgical committee. The first Synod in 1948 (where the Holy Communion service was that of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland) appointed
4864-725: The Church of the East and various other Syriac Churches call their Liturgy the Holy Qurbana - Holy Offering. Anglicans variably use Holy Communion , The Lord’s Supper , the Roman Catholic term mass , or simply Holy Eucharist dependent upon churchmanship . Mass is the common term used in the Lutheran Church in Europe but more often referred to as the Divine Service , Holy Communion, or
4992-560: The Deux Cents (Two Hundred), in November. This body reversed the council's decision and stated that the final arbiter concerning excommunication should be the council. The ministers continued to protest, and as in the case of Servetus, the opinions of the Swiss churches were sought. The affair dragged on through 1554. Finally, on 22 January 1555, the council announced the decision of the Swiss churches:
5120-751: The Old Testament and New Testament ; one of the three Magi offered Christ frankincense , and in the Book of Revelation , angels and saints appear in Heaven offering incense to God , thus setting a precedent for Christian use of incense in worship. Worship as singing underwent great changes for some Christians within the Protestant Reformation . Martin Luther , a music lover, composed hymns that are still sung today, and expected congregations to be active participants in
5248-529: The Sainte-Madeleine Church and the former Dominican Church, renamed the Temple Neuf . (All of these churches still exist, but none are in the architectural state of Calvin's days.) Calvin ministered to 400–500 members in his church. He preached or lectured every day, with two sermons on Sunday. Communion was celebrated monthly and congregational singing of the psalms was encouraged. He also worked on
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5376-563: The University of Bourges in 1529. He was intrigued by Andreas Alciati , a humanist lawyer. Humanism was a European intellectual movement which stressed classical studies. During his 18-month stay in Bourges , Calvin learned Koine Greek , a necessity for studying the New Testament . Alternative theories have been suggested regarding the date of Calvin's religious conversion . Some have placed
5504-478: The canonical hours are prayed, as well as the offering of the Eucharistic liturgies such as Mass , among other forms of worship. In addition to this, many Christians attend services of worship on holy days such as Christmas , Ash Wednesday , Good Friday , Ascension Thursday , among others depending on the Christian denomination. In most Christian traditions, liturgies are presided over by clergy wherever possible. The holding of church services pertains to
5632-528: The Augustinian and other Christian traditions. Various Congregational , Reformed and Presbyterian churches, which look to Calvin as the chief expositor of their beliefs, have spread throughout the world. Calvin was a tireless polemicist and apologetic writer who generated much controversy. He also exchanged cordial and supportive letters with many reformers, including Philipp Melanchthon and Heinrich Bullinger . In addition to his seminal Institutes of
5760-641: The Baptized Persons, Order for Holy Baptism, Order for the Churching of Women, Order for Holy Matrimony, Order for the Burial Service, Order for the Covenant Service, Order for Ordination Services. The CSI liturgy was again revised in the year 2004 and published as a hardback book in 2006. The CSI Synod Liturgical Committee has developed several new orders for worship for different occasions. The order for
5888-503: The Bible. Sometime in 1537 he was selected to be a "pastor" although he never received any pastoral consecration . For the first time, the lawyer-theologian took up pastoral duties such as baptisms , weddings, and church services. During late 1536, Farel drafted a confession of faith , and Calvin wrote separate articles on reorganizing the church in Geneva. On 16 January 1537, Farel and Calvin presented their Articles concernant l'organisation de l'église et du culte à Genève (Articles on
6016-751: The Catholic Church there is a diversity of ancient liturgical rites: the Roman Rite (including both the Tridentine Mass and the ordinary-form Roman Rite ) the Byzantine Rite , the Ge'ez Rite , and the Antiochene Rite to name several of the more prominent examples. Within the Catholic Church, the charismatic movement has had much less influence, although modern Christian hymnody is found in some parishes, owing
6144-422: The Catholic authorities sentenced him in absentia to death by slow burning. On his way to Italy, Servetus stopped in Geneva to visit " d'Espeville ", where he was recognized and arrested. Calvin's secretary, Nicholas de la Fontaine, composed a list of accusations that was submitted before the court. The prosecutor was Philibert Berthelier , a member of a libertine family and son of a famous Geneva patriot , and
6272-490: The Christian Religion , Calvin wrote commentaries on most books of the Bible, confessional documents , and various other theological treatises. Calvin was originally trained as a humanist lawyer. He broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530. After religious tensions erupted in widespread deadly violence against Protestant Christians in France, Calvin fled to Basel , Switzerland, where in 1536 he published
6400-588: The Christian doctrine of the Trinity and the concept of predestination. In the same year, Calvin's representative, Guillaume de Trie, sent letters alerting the French Inquisition to Servetus. Calling him a "Spanish-Portuguese", suspecting and accusing him of his recently proved Jewish converso origin. De Trie wrote down that "his proper name is Michael Servetus, but he currently calls himself Villeneuve, practicing medicine. He stayed for some time in Lyon, and now he
6528-514: The Christian faith. The book was the first expression of his theology. Calvin updated the work and published new editions throughout his life. Shortly after its publication, he left Basel for Ferrara , Italy, where he briefly served as secretary to Princess Renée of France . By June he was back in Paris with his brother Antoine, who was resolving their father's affairs. Following the Edict of Coucy , which gave
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#17328587362436656-817: The Communion Service, known as the CSI Liturgy, has been internationally acclaimed as an important model for new liturgies. The Committee has also produced three different cycles of lectionaries for daily Bible readings and "propers", and collects for Communion services. In addition, the Committee has also brought out a Supplement to the Book of Common Worship . John Calvin Christianity • Protestantism John Calvin ( / ˈ k æ l v ɪ n / ; Middle French : Jehan Cauvin ; French: Jean Calvin [ʒɑ̃ kalvɛ̃] ; 10 July 1509 – 27 May 1564)
6784-686: The Eucharistic or Catholic tradition, but note that it is not limited to the Catholic Church, but also includes the Oriental Orthodox churches, the Eastern Orthodox churches, the Lutheran churches, and most branches of the Anglican Communion . Worship (variously known as the Mass , Divine Liturgy , Divine Service , Eucharist , or Communion) is formal and centres on the offering of thanks and praise for
6912-499: The Faithful. Different Christian traditions have employed different rites: Historic Protestant Churches have set liturgies , which are referred to as " worship services " or " divine services ". Protestant Reformation -era ministers of the Reformed tradition used set liturgies which emphasized preaching and the Bible. English Puritans and separatists moved away from set forms in the 17th-century, but many Reformed churches retained liturgies and continue to use them today. At
7040-413: The Geneva version. At the end of 1542, Marot became a refugee in Geneva and contributed nineteen more psalms. Louis Bourgeois , also a refugee, lived and taught music in Geneva for sixteen years and Calvin took the opportunity to add his hymns, the most famous being the Old Hundredth . In the same year of 1542, Calvin published Catéchisme de l'Eglise de Genève (Catechism of the Church of Geneva), which
7168-436: The God-inspired psalms of the Bible. The Calvinist Regulative Principle of Worship distinguishes traditional Presbyterian and Reformed churches from the Lutheran or other Protestant churches. Current Christian worship practices are diverse in modern Christianity, with a range of customs and theological views. Three broad groupings can be identified, and whilst some elements are universal, style and content varies greatly due to
7296-464: The Holy Eucharist in North American Lutheranism. Lutherans retained and utilized much of the Roman Catholic mass since the early modifications by Martin Luther . The general order of the mass and many of the various aspects remain similar between the two traditions. Latin titles for the sections, psalms, and days has been widely retained, but more recent reforms have omitted this. Recently, Lutherans have adapted much of their revised mass to coincide with
7424-404: The Organization of the Church and its Worship at Geneva) to the city council. The document described the manner and frequency of their celebrations of the Eucharist , the reason for, and the method of, excommunication , the requirement to subscribe to the confession of faith, the use of congregational singing in the liturgy , and the revision of marriage laws. The council accepted the document on
7552-492: The blame on Calvin for not being sympathetic enough toward the people of Geneva. It asked Bern to mediate with the aim of restoring the two ministers. The Geneva council refused to readmit the two men, who then took refuge in Basel. Subsequently, Farel received an invitation to lead the church in Neuchâtel . Calvin was invited to lead a church of French refugees in Strasbourg by that city's leading reformers, Martin Bucer and Wolfgang Capito . Initially, Calvin refused because Farel
7680-413: The broader Christian tradition. There are common elements found in most Western liturgical churches which predate the Protestant Reformation . These include: The term "Divine Office" describes the practice of "marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer". In the Western Catholic Church, there are multiple forms of the office. The Liturgy of the Hours is the official form of
7808-399: The celebration of feasts and holy days pertaining to the events in the life of Jesus , the lives of the saints , and aspects of the Godhead. A great deal of emphasis was placed on the forms of worship, as they were seen in terms of the Latin phrase lex orandi, lex credendi ("the rule of prayer is the rule of belief")—that is, the specifics of one's worship express, teach, and govern
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#17328587362437936-493: The church in Geneva, Calvin turned his enormous energies toward uplifting the French Protestant cause. As one historian explains: He supplied the dogma, the liturgy, and the moral ideas of the new religion, and he also created ecclesiastical, political, and social institutions in harmony with it. A born leader, he followed up his work with personal appeals. His vast correspondence with French Protestants shows not only much zeal but infinite pains and considerable tact and driving home
8064-401: The church. On 21 September 1540 the council commissioned one of its members, Ami Perrin , to find a way to recall Calvin. An embassy reached Calvin while he was at a colloquy , a conference to settle religious disputes, in Worms . His reaction to the suggestion was one of horror in which he wrote, "Rather would I submit to death a hundred times than to that cross on which I had to perish daily
8192-433: The city's protection, they were able to form their own reformed church under John Knox and William Whittingham and eventually carried Calvin's ideas on doctrine and polity back to England and Scotland. Within Geneva, Calvin's main concern was the creation of a collège , an institute for the education of children. A site for the school was selected on 25 March 1558 and it opened the following year on 5 June 1559. Although
8320-483: The city. With the approval of Calvin, the other plotters who remained in the city were found and executed. The opposition to Calvin's church polity came to an end. Calvin's authority was practically uncontested during his final years, and he enjoyed an international reputation as a reformer distinct from Martin Luther. Initially, Luther and Calvin had mutual respect for each other. A doctrinal conflict had developed between Luther and Zurich reformer Huldrych Zwingli on
8448-425: The civil court's decision. The libertines continued organizing opposition, insulting the appointed ministers, and challenging the authority of the Consistory. The council straddled both sides of the conflict, alternately admonishing and upholding Calvin. When Perrin was elected first syndic in February 1552, Calvin's authority appeared to be at its lowest point. After some losses before the council, Calvin believed he
8576-463: The condition that she would learn French. Although a wedding date was planned for March 1540, he remained reluctant and the wedding never took place. He later wrote that he would never think of marrying her, "unless the Lord had entirely bereft me of my wits". Instead, in August of that year, he married Idelette de Bure , a widow who had two children from her first marriage. Geneva reconsidered its expulsion of Calvin. Church attendance had dwindled and
8704-409: The council appointed a commission to investigate. Jacques Gruet , a Genevan member of Favre's group, was arrested and incriminating evidence was found when his house was searched. Under torture, he confessed to several crimes including writing the letter left in the pulpit which threatened the church leaders. A civil court condemned Gruet to death and he was beheaded on 26 July. Calvin was not opposed to
8832-480: The council decided that all sentencing would be carried out by the government. In 1542, Calvin adapted a service book used in Strasbourg, publishing La Forme des Prières et Chants Ecclésiastiques (The Form of Prayers and Church Hymns). Calvin recognized the power of music and he intended that it be used to support scripture readings. The original Strasbourg psalter contained twelve psalms by Clément Marot and Calvin added several more hymns of his own composition in
8960-402: The council decided to write to other Swiss cities for their opinions, thus mitigating their own responsibility for the final decision. While waiting for the responses, the council also asked Servetus if he preferred to be judged in Vienne or in Geneva. He begged to stay in Geneva. On 20 October the replies from Zurich, Basel, Bern, and Schaffhausen were read and the council condemned Servetus as
9088-416: The course, he entered the Collège de Montaigu as a philosophy student. In 1525 or 1526, Gérard withdrew his son from the Collège de Montaigu and enrolled him in the University of Orléans to study law. According to contemporary biographers Theodore Beza and Nicolas Colladon , Gérard believed that Calvin would earn more money as a lawyer than as a priest. After a few years of quiet study, Calvin entered
9216-441: The date of his conversion around 1533, shortly before he resigned from his chaplaincy. In this view, his resignation is the direct evidence for his conversion to the evangelical faith. However, T. H. L. Parker argues that, although this date is a terminus for his conversion, the more likely date is in late 1529 or early 1530. The main evidence for his conversion is contained in two significantly different accounts of his conversion. In
9344-595: The death and resurrection of Christ over the people's offerings of bread and wine, breaking the bread, and the receiving of the Eucharist, seen as the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Churches in this group understand worship as a mystic participation in the death and resurrection of Christ, through which they are united with him and with each other. Services are structured according to a liturgy and typically include other elements such as prayers, psalms, hymns, choral music (including polyphonic chant, plainchant , and hymnody )
9472-632: The divine liturgy, or certain other special occasions. In the Maronite Church 's liturgies, the office is arranged so that the liturgical day begins at sundown. The first office of the day is the evening office of Ramsho, followed by the night office of Sootoro, concluding with the morning office of Safro. In the Maronite Eparchies of the United States, the approved breviary set is titled the Prayer of
9600-413: The doctrinal beliefs of the community. According to this view, alterations in the patterns and content of worship would necessarily reflect a change in the faith itself. Each time a heresy arose in the Church, it was typically accompanied by a shift in worship for the heretical group. Orthodoxy in faith also meant orthodoxy in worship, and vice versa. Thus, unity in Christian worship was understood to be
9728-399: The end of January 1546, Pierre Ameaux, a maker of playing cards who had already been in conflict with the Consistory, attacked Calvin by calling him a "Picard", an epithet denoting anti-French sentiment, and accused him of false doctrine. Ameaux was punished by the council and forced to make expiation by parading through the city and begging God for forgiveness. A few months later Ami Perrin,
9856-414: The extent to which Geneva was a theocracy . On the one hand, Calvin's theology clearly called for separation between church and state. Other historians have stressed the enormous political power wielded on a daily basis by the clerics. During his ministry in Geneva, Calvin preached over two thousand sermons. Initially he preached twice on Sunday and three times during the week. This proved to be too heavy
9984-503: The first edition of the Institutes . In that same year, Calvin was recruited by Frenchman William Farel to join the Reformation in Geneva , where he regularly preached sermons throughout the week. However, the governing council of the city resisted the implementation of their ideas, and both men were expelled. At the invitation of Martin Bucer , Calvin proceeded to Strasbourg , where he became
10112-482: The first, found in his Commentary on the Book of Psalms , Calvin portrayed his conversion as a sudden change of mind, brought about by God: God by a sudden conversion subdued and brought my mind to a teachable frame, which was more hardened in such matters than might have been expected from one at my early period of life. Having thus received some taste and knowledge of true godliness, I was immediately inflamed with so intense
10240-482: The form of the early Christian liturgy, which was a dual liturgy of the word and of the Eucharist; this early structure of the liturgy still exists in the Catholic Mass and Eastern Divine Liturgy . The early Christian use of incense in worship first originated in Christian funeral rites, and was later used during regular worship services. Incense was also used in the Bible to worship God and symbolize prayer, in both
10368-450: The history and differing emphases of the various branches of Christianity. In many Christian traditions, regular public worship is complemented by worship in private and small groups, such as meditation, prayer and study. Singing often forms an important part of Christian worship. While differing considerably in form, the following items characterise the worship of virtually all Christian churches. This grouping can also be referred to as
10496-534: The interpretation of the eucharist. Calvin's opinion on the issue forced Luther to place him in Zwingli's camp. Calvin actively participated in the polemics that were exchanged between the Lutheran and Reformed branches of the Reformation movement. At the same time, Calvin was dismayed by the lack of unity among the reformers. He took steps toward rapprochement with Bullinger by signing the Consensus Tigurinus ,
10624-609: The lifetime of King Henry VIII. In 1549, Cranmer produced a complete English-language liturgy. Cranmer was largely responsible for the first two editions of the Book of Common Prayer . The first edition was predominantly pre-Reformation in its outlook. The Communion Service, Lectionary, and collects in the liturgy were translations based on the Sarum Rite as practised in Salisbury Cathedral . The revised edition in 1552 sought to assert
10752-431: The man who had brought Calvin to Geneva, moved into open opposition. Perrin had married Françoise Favre, daughter of François Favre, a well-established Genevan merchant. Both Perrin's wife and father-in-law had previous conflicts with the Consistory. The court noted that many of Geneva's notables, including Perrin, had breached a law against dancing. Initially, Perrin ignored the court when he was summoned, but after receiving
10880-456: The minister of a church of French refugees. He continued to support the reform movement in Geneva, and in 1541 he was invited back to lead the church of the city. Following his return, Calvin introduced new forms of church government and liturgy , despite opposition from several powerful families in the city who tried to curb his authority. During this period, Michael Servetus , a Spaniard regarded by both Roman Catholics and Protestants as having
11008-684: The move, sheltering with his friend Louis du Tillet in Angoulême and taking refuge in Noyon and Orléans. He was finally forced to flee France during the Affair of the Placards in mid-October 1534. In that incident, unknown reformers had posted placards in various cities criticizing the Roman Catholic mass , to which adherents of the Roman Catholic church responded with violence against the would-be Reformers and their sympathizers. In January 1535, Calvin joined Cop in Basel,
11136-401: The observance of the Lord's Day in Christianity. The Bible has a precedent for a pattern of morning and evening worship that has given rise to Sunday morning and Sunday evening services of worship held in the churches of many Christian denominations today, a "structure to help families sanctify the Lord's Day." In Numbers 28:1–10 and Exodus 29:38–39 , "God commanded the daily offerings in
11264-795: The office used throughout the Latin Church , but many other forms exist including the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary , the forms of the office specific to various religious orders, and the Roman Breviary which was Standard before the Second Vatican Council , to name a few. There were eight such hours, corresponding to certain times of the day: Matins (sometimes called Vigil ), Lauds , Prime , Terce , Sext , None , Vespers , and Compline . The Second Vatican Council ordered
11392-428: The offices were also combined into the two offices of Matins and Vespers (both of which are still maintained in modern Lutheran prayer books and hymnals). A common practice among Lutherans in America is to pray these offices mid-week during Advent and Lent. The office of Compline is also found in some older Lutheran worship books and more typically used in monasteries and seminaries . The Byzantine Rite maintains
11520-529: The offices were combined into two offices: Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer , the latter sometimes known as Evensong. In more recent years, the Anglicans have added the offices of Noonday and Compline to Morning and Evening Prayer as part of the Book of Common Prayer . The Anglican Breviary , containing 8 full offices, is not the official liturgy of the Anglican Church. In Lutheranism , like Anglicanism,
11648-522: The original Ordonnances were to be kept and the Consistory was to regain its official powers. The libertines' downfall began with the February 1555 elections. By then, many of the French refugees had been granted citizenship and with their support, Calvin's partisans elected the majority of the syndics and the councilors. On 16 May the libertines took to the streets in a drunken protest and attempted to burn down
11776-498: The paradigm for developing proper liturgical expressions. Of great importance to these traditions has been a recovery of a unified pattern of Word and Sacrament in Lord's Day liturgy. Many other Protestant Christian traditions (such as the Pentecostal/Charismatics, Assembly of God , and Non-denominational churches), while often following a fixed "order of worship", tend to have liturgical practices that vary from that of
11904-493: The political climate had changed; as Bern and Geneva quarreled over land, their alliance frayed. When Cardinal Jacopo Sadoleto wrote a letter to the city council inviting Geneva to return to the Catholic faith, the council searched for an ecclesiastical authority to respond to him. At first Pierre Viret was consulted, but when he refused, the council asked Calvin. He agreed and his Responsio ad Sadoletum (Letter to Sadoleto) strongly defended Geneva's position concerning reforms in
12032-540: The poor and needy. They also called for the creation of the Consistoire ( Consistory ), an ecclesiastical court composed of the elders and the ministers. The city government retained the power to summon persons before the court, and the Consistory could judge only ecclesiastical matters having no civil jurisdiction. Originally, the court had the power to mete out sentences, with excommunication as its most severe penalty. The government contested this power and on 19 March 1543
12160-604: The priesthood. Young Calvin was particularly precocious. By age 12, he was employed by the bishop as a clerk and received the tonsure , cutting his hair to symbolize his dedication to the Church. He also won the patronage of an influential family, the Montmors. Through their assistance, Calvin was able to attend the Collège de la Marche , Paris , where he learned Latin from one of its greatest teachers, Mathurin Cordier . Once he completed
12288-457: The priests, and opened the gates of the convents, it was only to turn all society into a convent. Shows and entertainments were expressly forbidden by their religion; and for more than two hundred years there was not a single musical instrument allowed in the city of Geneva. They condemned auricular confession, but they enjoined a public one; and in Switzerland, Scotland, and Geneva it was performed
12416-727: The reading of Scripture, and some form of teaching or homily . In the theology of the Catholic Church , the Mass takes on another dimension, that of a sacrifice which involves a ritualistic re-presentation of the Body and Blood of Christ to God the Father . The liturgy, normally led by a priest who wears vestments (a form of sacred clothing), includes the ritual usage of sacred liturgical vessels , incense , candles, and holy water , and includes ritual acts of bowing, prostration , kneeling, kissing sacred images and relics , and crossing oneself . In
12544-422: The reformers, Nicolas Cop , was rector of the university. On 1 November 1533 he devoted his inaugural address to the need for reform and renewal in the Roman Catholic Church. The address provoked a strong reaction from the faculty, who denounced it as heretical, forcing Cop to flee to Basel . Calvin, a close friend of Cop, was implicated in the offense, and for the next year he was forced into hiding. He remained on
12672-544: The reforms and language changes brought about by post-Vatican II changes. Protestant traditions vary in their liturgies or "orders of worship" (as they are commonly called). Other traditions in the west often called " Mainline " have benefited from the Liturgical Movement which flowered in the mid/late 20th century. Over the course of the past several decades, these Protestant traditions have developed remarkably similar patterns of liturgy, drawing from ancient sources as
12800-453: The same as penance." Very little is known about Calvin's personal life in Geneva. His house and furniture were owned by the council. The house was big enough to accommodate his family as well as Antoine's family and some servants. On 28 July 1542, Idelette gave birth to a son, Jacques, but he was born prematurely and survived only briefly. Idelette fell ill in 1545 and died on 29 March 1549. Calvin never married again. He expressed his sorrow in
12928-400: The same day. As the year progressed, Calvin and Farel's reputation with the council began to suffer. The council was reluctant to enforce the subscription requirement, as only a few citizens had subscribed to their confession of faith. On 26 November, the two ministers hotly debated the council over the issue. Furthermore, France was taking an interest in forming an alliance with Geneva and as
13056-584: The same reality." By 1532, Calvin received his licentiate in law and published his first book, a commentary on Seneca 's De Clementia . After uneventful trips to Orléans and his hometown of Noyon, Calvin returned to Paris in October 1533. During this time, tensions rose at the Collège Royal (later to become the Collège de France) between the humanists/reformers and the conservative senior faculty members. One of
13184-524: The school was a single institution, it was divided into two parts: a grammar school called the collège or schola privata and an advanced school called the académie or schola publica . Calvin tried to recruit two professors for the institute, Mathurin Cordier, his old friend and Latin scholar who was now based in Lausanne , and Emmanuel Tremellius , the former Regius professor of Hebrew in Cambridge. Neither
13312-480: The second edition of the Institutes . Calvin was dissatisfied with its original structure as a catechism, a primer for young Christians. For the second edition, published in 1539, Calvin changed its format in favor of systematically presenting the main doctrines from the Bible. In the process, the book was enlarged from six chapters to seventeen. He concurrently worked on another book, the Commentary on Romans , which
13440-490: The service, singing along. John Calvin , in Geneva, argued that while instrumental music had its time with the Levites of the Old Testament , it was no longer a proper expression for the church. This was expanded upon by John Knox (see Presbyterian worship ); only Psalms were sung, and they were sung a cappella . Furthermore, in the Genevan and Scottish Reformed tradition, man-made hymns are not sung, being seen inferior to
13568-405: The sessions were led by Pierre Tissot, Perrin's brother-in-law. The libertines allowed the trial to drag on in an attempt to harass Calvin. The difficulty in using Servetus as a weapon against Calvin was that the heretical reputation of Servetus was widespread and most of the cities in Europe were observing and awaiting the outcome of the trial. This posed a dilemma for the libertines, so on 21 August
13696-483: The sick for healing, and daily office "praise and prayer" services. Along with these, there are also special services for holy days such as All Saints Day , Ash Wednesday , Maundy Thursday , Good Friday , and Easter Vigil . All of these liturgies and services are contained in The United Methodist Hymnal and The United Methodist Book of Worship (1992) . Many of these liturgies are derived from
13824-401: The style of popular music , Christian rock or folk music and therefore differs considerably from traditional hymns . It is frequently played on a range of instruments that would not have previously been used in churches such as guitars (including electric) and drum kits. Regular Sunday services are a part of most traditions. The Eucharist may be celebrated at some or all of these; often it
13952-473: The suppression of Prime. In monasteries, Matins was generally celebrated before dawn, or sometimes over the course of a night; Lauds at the end of Matins, generally at the break of day; Prime at 6 AM; Terce at 9AM; Sext at noon; None at 3PM; Vespers at the rising of the Vespers or Evening Star (usually about 6PM); and Compline was said at the end of the day, generally right before bed time. In Anglican churches,
14080-470: The tabernacle to be made once in the morning and then again at twilight". In Psalm 92 , which is a prayer concerning the observance of the Sabbath, the prophet David writes "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night" (cf. Psalm 134:1 ). Church father Eusebius of Caesarea thus declared: "For it
14208-652: The time of English Reformation , The Sarum Rite was in use along with the Roman Rite. Reformers in England wanted the Latin mass translated into the English language. Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer authored the Exhortation and Litany in 1544. This was the earliest English-language service book of the Church of England , and the only English-language service to be finished within
14336-405: The traditional order of worship based around liturgy or a "hymn-prayer sandwich" with extended periods of congregational singing sometimes referred to as "block worship". The worship has two parts; one in the beginning with music and the second part with sermon and Lord's Supper . In the 1980s and 1990s, Contemporary worship music settled in many evangelical churches. This music is written in
14464-421: The two ministers were Frenchmen, councilors had begun to question their loyalty. Finally, a major ecclesiastical-political quarrel developed when the city of Bern , Geneva's ally in the reformation of the Swiss churches, proposed to introduce uniformity in the church ceremonies. One proposal required the use of unleavened bread for the Eucharist . The two ministers were unwilling to follow Bern's lead and delayed
14592-412: The uncoordinated forces coalesced into an identifiable group whom he referred to as the libertines , but who preferred to be called either Spirituels or Patriots. According to Calvin, these were people who felt that after being liberated through grace , they were exempted from both ecclesiastical and civil law. The group consisted of wealthy, politically powerful, and interrelated families of Geneva. At
14720-583: The use of such bread until a synod in Zurich could be convened to make the final decision. The council ordered Calvin and Farel to use unleavened bread for the Easter Eucharist. In protest, they refused to administer communion during the Easter service. This caused a riot during the service. The next day, the council told Farel and Calvin to leave Geneva. Farel and Calvin then went to Bern and Zurich to plead their case. The resulting synod in Zurich placed most of
14848-632: The world. Those deriving from Scottish Episcopal descent, like the Prayer Books of the American Episcopal Church, have a slightly different liturgical pedigree. The Methodist liturgical tradition is based on the Anglican heritage and was passed along to Methodists by John Wesley (an Anglican priest who led the early Methodist movement) who wrote that there is no Liturgy in the world, either in ancient or modern language, which breathes more of
14976-417: Was a French theologian , pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation . He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism , including its doctrines of predestination and of God's absolute sovereignty in the salvation of the human soul from death and eternal damnation . Calvinist doctrines were influenced by and elaborated upon
15104-453: Was able to prepare a number of Orders. They were Eucharist, Morning and Evening Prayer, Marriage Service, Burial Service, Ordination Service and Covenant Service (1954), Holy Baptism (1955) and Almanac (1955–56). The Book of Common Worship of the CSI was published in 1963 with all the above orders of service. The orders of service consist of: Order for Morning and Evening Worship, Order of Service for
15232-405: Was acclaimed a defender of Christianity, but his ultimate triumph over the libertines was still two years away. He had always insisted that the Consistory retain the power of excommunication, despite the council's past decision to take it away. During Servetus's trial, Philibert Berthelier asked the council for permission to take communion, as he had been excommunicated the previous year for insulting
15360-560: Was available, but he succeeded in obtaining Theodore Beza as rector. Within five years there were 1,200 students in the grammar school and 300 in the advanced school. The collège eventually became the Collège Calvin , one of the college preparatory schools of Geneva; the académie became the University of Geneva . Calvin was deeply committed to reforming his homeland, France. The Protestant movement had been energetic, but lacked central organizational direction. With financial support from
15488-492: Was defeated; on 24 July 1553 he asked the council to allow him to resign. Although the libertines controlled the council, his request was refused. The opposition realized that they could curb Calvin's authority, but they did not have enough power to banish him. The turning point in Calvin's fortunes occurred when Michael Servetus, a brilliant Spanish polymath who introduced the Islamic idea of pulmonary circulation to Europe, and
15616-537: Was eventually expelled. He went to Strasbourg, where he published a pamphlet against the Trinity. Bucer publicly refuted it and asked Servetus to leave. After returning to Basel, Servetus published Two Books of Dialogues on the Trinity ( Latin : Dialogorum de Trinitate libri duo ) which caused a sensation among Reformers and Catholics alike. When John Calvin alerted the Inquisition in Spain about this publication, an order
15744-404: Was inspired by Bucer's Kurze Schrifftliche Erklärung of 1534. Calvin had written an earlier catechism during his first stay in Geneva which was largely based on Martin Luther 's Large Catechism . The first version was arranged pedagogically, describing Law, Faith, and Prayer. The 1542 version was rearranged for theological reasons, covering Faith first, then Law and Prayer. Historians debate
15872-427: Was issued for Servetus's arrest. Calvin and Servetus were first brought into contact in 1546 through a common acquaintance, Jean Frellon of Lyon; they exchanged letters debating doctrine; Calvin used a pseudonym as Charles d' Espeville and Servetus used the moniker Michel de Villeneuve. Eventually, Calvin lost patience and refused to respond; by this time Servetus had written around thirty letters to Calvin. Calvin
16000-538: Was not included in the invitation, but relented when Bucer appealed to him. By September 1538 Calvin had taken up his new position in Strasbourg, fully expecting that this time it would be permanent; a few months later, he applied for and was granted citizenship of the city. During his time in Strasbourg, Calvin was not attached to one particular church, but held his office successively in the Saint-Nicolas Church,
16128-508: Was not sure it was his handwriting. He said, after swearing before the holy gospel, that "he was Michel De Villeneuve Doctor in Medicine about 42 years old, native of Tudela of the kingdom of Navarre , a city under the obedience to the Emperor". The following day he said: "..although he was not Servetus he assumed the person of Servet for debating with Calvin". He managed to escape from prison, and
16256-565: Was particularly outraged when Servetus sent him a copy of the Institutes of the Christian Religion heavily annotated with arguments pointing to errors in the book. When Servetus mentioned that he would come to Geneva, "Espeville" (Calvin) wrote a letter to Farel on 13 February 1546 noting that if Servetus were to come, he would not assure him safe conduct: "for if he came, as far as my authority goes, I would not let him leave alive." In 1553 Servetus published Christianismi Restitutio (English: The Restoration of Christianity), in which he rejected
16384-548: Was published in March 1540. The book was a model for his later commentaries: it included his own Latin translation from the Greek rather than the Latin Vulgate , an exegesis , and an exposition . In the dedicatory letter, Calvin praised the work of his predecessors Philipp Melanchthon , Heinrich Bullinger , and Martin Bucer, but he also took care to distinguish his own work from theirs and to criticize some of their shortcomings. Calvin's friends urged him to marry. Calvin took
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