This teacher’s copy of the What is Christian Worship lesson plan is printer-friendly.
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Table of Contents:
RESOURCES:
An A4 sheet of paper for each child, (could be coloured paper), brown would be good.
Optional: Some pictures of football players, (or pop stars, if using the alternative illustration).
Optional: Something that can play music + a reading book which requires a lot of
concentration.
STARTER:
Q. What is worship? Describe what it is.
(Possible answers: singing hymns, kneeling to pray)
These things can help to express worship, but what actually is worship?
An illustration of worship:
Imagine you are going to a football match.
(Teachers note: The illustration could be of going to a pop concert).
You go through the turn styles and into the ground.
The players come out to warm up. Now look around you at the crowd.
Q. What emotions and feelings do you think are in the crowd?
(Possible answers: excitement, etc)
Many of those in the crowd would be ‘fans’ of particular players.
Many would have pictures and posters of their heroes.
The great players would be their ‘idols’.
It would be correct to say that these fans worship these players.
So to return to the question: What is worship?
Q. How would you describe worship now?
It really is raising someone up in your mind, they are important, they’re brilliant, very special, very skilful, they are a hero.
So because of these qualities, you look up to them and admire them, and you spend time thinking about them.
That is worship.
When a Christian worships God, God is all these things to the worshiper.
God becomes the most important Person in their lives because they see him as being very special – the Creator God of everything, and they want to spend time thinking about Him.
MAIN TEACHING:
Christians can’t go to the football ground to watch their ‘hero’, God, come onto the field!
Q. So what things help Christians to worship God?
(Possible answers: going to Church, singing hymns).
(1) In many Churches there will be a cross.
There is nothing special about these crosses, they can be decorated or very plain.
For Christians, they serve as a reminder that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, died on a wooden cross to take the blame and pay the penalty for the wrong things that we have done.
(Teacher’s note: If the children ask questions about this, then a good illustration to explain this is):
Imagine running into a neighbour, knocking them over and they break lots of teeth. They then get the teeth repaired privately and give you a massive bill for you to pay! But you haven’t got anywhere near that amount and non of your family can pay it.
Then an unknown distant cousin turns up and offers to pay for the full amount of the repairs, even though they weren’t responsible for the damage.
That is what Jesus did – He paid so we could be free of the debt to God.
An activity to make a cross from paper:
[1] Place an A4 sheet of paper on a table. Lift the top up and fold along the A – A line.
[2] Lift the right side up and fold along the B – B line.
[3] Now cut or tear along the C – C lines.
[4] Open out and you should have a cross!
The children could be encouraged to write something meaningful and relevant on the cross that they have learnt so far.
(2) Christians will read, or listen, to the Bible to help them in their worship of God.
(Teachers note: See What is the Bible? Lesson Plan opens in a new tab).
Christians believe that the Bible is inspired by God.
That means that although the Bible was written by many people, they were all given the words of God.
So by listening to the Bible, it is like hearing from God Himself.
They learn more and more about God, and therefore they can appreciate him more, so this raises their worship.
(3) In many Churches Christians will sing hymns to help them in their worship of God.
(Teachers note: See Christian hymns and songs lesson plan opens in a new tab).
If the hymn or song is well written it will focus on a part of God’s character, or on something that he has done.
Here is an example of an old hymn which describes where Jesus’ cross was and the reason for it:
(1st verse:)
There is a green hill far away,
Outside a city wall,
Where the dear Lord was crucified,
Who died to save us all.(2nd verse:)
We may not know, we cannot tell,
What pains He had to bear;
But we believe it was for us
He hung and suffered there.(4th verse:)
Composed by Cecil Frances Alexander
There was no other good enough
To pay the price of sin;
He only could unlock the gate
Of heaven, and let us in.
Q. What focus for worship does verse 2 have for Christians?
It makes Jesus’ death and suffering relevant and personal to Christians now.
Jesus had a purpose in going to the cross.
Q. What focus for worship does verse 4 have for Christians?
Christians believe that this was the purpose, the reason, for going to the cross.
No one is perfect, and no one deserves to go to heaven, but Jesus opened the way to heaven.
Again, if the hymn or song is well written it will put into words what people are feeling, or it will provide encouragement in their difficult situation.
For example a modern song:
(1st verse:)
Composed by Jenny Hewer. Copyright 1975 Kingsway’s Thankyou Music.
Father, I place into Your hands
The things I cannot do.
Father, I place into Your hands
The things that I’ve been through.
Father, I place into Your hands
The way that I should go,
For I know I always can trust You.
Q. How would this help a Christian in a difficult situation?
By believing that God is far more wise and powerful than themselves, they can trust that this situation will work out for the best, and to stop worrying!
(4) In a Church service there will be a time for praying.
There will be praying and periods of silence to help them in their worship of God.
(Teachers note: See The Lord’s Prayer Lesson Plan opens in a new tab).
An activity to show the benefit of silence:
(Teachers note: Place a child on a chair and right near them, have your source of music ready. Ask the child to read a section of a reading book which requires a lot of concentration. After about a third of the way through, ask the other children to gather around (the child is still reading – then turn the music on and whisper to some children to call things out to create more distractions).
Q. Was it easier to concentrate during the quiet time or the noisy time?
It is much easier to make a big, important decision when you haven’t got any distractions or lots of noise.
It is good to have times of quiet reflection, to think about ourselves, other people, and God.
So Church services ought to have times of quiet.
(5) But there will be times when Christians will be feeling joyful, excited, and thankful to God.
So if it was all quiet then it would be very difficult to express their inner joy.
An example:
Imagine you have been given a wonderful present and you want to tell your friend about it.
But your friend is in the library!
You run up to them and you start to excitedly tell them about your present. But everyone else is telling you to be quiet!
You are not allowed to express your excitement.
Church services should cater for these different emotions.
Christians do not only worship in Church:
Worship is not only singing songs, listening to the Bible, praying, etc.
Here’s a story from the Bible which has been given modern stage props:
Job (pronounced Jobe!) had a wife and family and ran his own business.
One day his lorry got stolen, his warehouse got burnt down with everything in it, he discovered that he wasn’t insured for any of it!
And other bad things happened as well.
What a terrible day!
But what does the Bible say he did?
Q. What do you think he did?
Or perhaps more to the point, what would you have done?
Kick some things around?! Shout at God?!
The Bible tells us that he fell to the ground and worshipped God!
Wow! Isn’t that amazing? He then went on to say:
Naked I came into the world, naked I shall depart. The Lord (God)
Job 1:20-22 NIV
gave, and the Lord has taken away, may the Name of the Lord be praised.”
So in this example, worship had nothing to do with singing, or going to Church.
Q. How would you describe this worship?
(Possible answers: he’s stupid!)
Job didn’t react in the way that you would expect.
He had lost a huge amount; his business, but even in all this he was able to worship, because:
- He believed that everything he had, his business, his money, and even his children were given by God.
- Job trusted God. So even if this situation was terrible, Job believed that God had a plan which would end up for the best.
Christians believe that God is pleased with such worship.
PLENARY:
Q. What things do you worship?
(Possible answers: fashionable clothes, football, cars, beauty)
Q. Are there any dangers in worshipping these things?
If we make these things to be very, very important, we may find later in life that these things were only short-lived, and nowhere near as important as we thought they were.
Q. Should worshipping God be a natural part of our lives?
Either take a short time to discuss it, or leave it with them.
(Teachers note: There are two worksheets to accompany this lesson plan:
What is Christian worship worksheet 1
What is Christian worship worksheet 2
See also: Christian hymns and songs. RE resources)