Theological Analysis of a Church Service

Your assignment is to sketch a theological analysis of a church service (but not a Westmont chapel service). This can be the service of your choice at the Christian church of your choice.

My goal is to help you draw connections between the doctrine we've been learning in class, and the Christian practice that goes on in the worshiping Church. The latter embodies the former; the former interprets and guides the latter. Make sure you underline and develop the connections by drawing explicitly on the lectures and relevant readings. If you could have written the same analysis without having been in Christian Doctrine, then you haven't fulfilled the assignment.

Don't forget to list the name and denomination of the church, which service you attended, and so on. However, if you want to do well on this assignment, don't spend much time (or even any) rehearsing or describing the service. Analyze it theologically, bringing in background only where directly relevant to the points you are making.

If you attend a church service outside your tradition and find the proceedings unfamiliar, don't be shy — ask a fellow worshipper what is going on, or wait until after the service and ask one of the leaders to explain things. In my experience, these people are delighted to help you by sharing the things they love.

Did I mention that you need to draw extensively on course concepts from lectures and readings? Why, yes I did. At least three times now. Is that because semester after semester, students write 'reports' rather than analyses, with little if any appeal to course concepts and materials? It is indeed. Does that make me suspect that these students haven't done the readings and are hoping I won't notice? Draw your own conclusions.

On the due date of the assignment, please give me the bulletin or order of service in class. If the church has no bulletin or the bulletin doesn't mention the order of worship, then add an appendix with the main elements, list of songs, prayers, scripture readings, and so on.

Further tips:

Look for:

• Prominence of central themes in rs20: for instance, the personhood of Christ; the personhood and work of the Holy Spirit; the threefold office; doctrine of the Trinity; sin and grace; atonement theories; election.
• Connections with particular details from lectures and readings (cited appropriately, of course).
• Particularly insightful or striking uses of doctrinal themes or theological uses of Scripture.
• Ways you see Christian doctrine presented practically, and lived out in the Church.

Look in:

• The structure of the service (what comes where in the order of worship, and why might the order be theologically significant?).
• The words and tenor of either rehearsed or extemporaneous prayers.
• The words and tenor of songs and hymns. Often traditional hymns are theologically packed, and chosen carefully for their liturgical occasion, so pay close attention here.
• Scripture. "Liturgical" churches often have readings preselected from a lectionary. My church picks them ad hoc. How does the choice of Scriptures serve theological purposes?
• Sermon themes and illustrations.
• Other features of the service: processional; dress, decorations, and "effects"; special rituals like baby dedications, drama, baptisms, and confirmation; offering and offertory; Communion; benediction; recessional; etc. How do these reflect doctrinal themes in the church's worship?

Uh-oh! What if the service is theologically and doctrinally poor?

• First, don't condemn it too quickly. Before you give up on the service, look hard for solid doctrine coming to life. Begin with a spirit of charity. Be responsive to the fact that the church may simply be doing things in an unfamiliar way, so that you have to "translate."
• Most of the 'heresies' or 'problems' students identify in these analyses aren't as problematic as they think. However, if the service really does need doctrinal improvement, then tell me how you would improve it. Again, here I would be most impressed with suggestions that tie doctrine in with real Christian worship practice in a compelling way.

Remember, I want to see proper style, clear writing, a thorough answer to the question, and explicit citations of course materials.