Worship in the New Testament

Communities

Christian Initiation

Jesus’ Initiation: Brit milah Matthew 1:18-25 Luke 2:21

Jesus’ Initiation: Bar mitzvah? Luke 2:41-50

John the Baptizer’s Ministry Mark 1:2-8 Luke 3:1-18 Matthew 3:1-12 John 1:19-28; 3:22-30

Jesus’ Initiation into John the Baptizer’s Movement Mark 1:9-11 Luke 3:21-22 Matthew 3:13-17 John 1:29-34

Baptism by Jesus [?] and his Disciples John 3:22-24 John 3:25-26 John 4:1-3

Missionary Commission Matthew 28:18-20 Mark 16:15-16

Emergence of Christian Initiation in the Acts of the Apostles Acts 1:5 Acts 2:37-41 Acts 8:12-17 Acts 8:36-38 Acts 9:17-19 Acts 10:44-48 Acts 11:15-18 Acts 16:14-15

Acts 16:29-34 Acts 19:1-7 Acts 22:12-16

Initiation in the Pauline Literature Romans 6:1-11 1 Corinthians 1:11-17; 6:11; 10:1-4; 12:13;

15:29 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 Galatians 3:26-29 Colossians 1:13-14; 2:11-13; 2:14-15 Ephesians 1:3-14; 4:1-6; 4:30; 5:25-27

Initiation in the Pastoral Epistles 1 Timothy 6:12-14 2 Timothy 2:11-13 Titus 3:4-8

Initiation in the Johannine Literature John 3:1-21 1 John 2:20, 27 1 John 5:5-8

Initiation in the Letter to the Hebrews Hebrews 6:1-6 Hebrews 10:22-23

Initiation in 1 Peter 1 Peter 1:3-21 1 Peter 2:2-10 1 Peter 2:21b-25 1 Peter 3:18-22

Daily Public Prayer 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Acts 1:14 Acts 2:15; 10:9; 3:1; 16:25 Didache 8:2-3

“(And) do not pray as the hypocrites / but as the Lord ordered in his good news. / Pray thus: / Our Father, / the [one] in heaven, / your name be made holy, / your kingdom come, / your will be born upon earth as in heaven, / give us this day our loaf [that is] coming, / and forgive our debt [at the final judgment] / as we likewise now forgive our debtors / and do not lead us into the trial

[of the last days] / but deliver us from [that] evil / because yours is the power and the glory forever. / Three times within the day pray thus.”

Weekly Public Prayer Acts 20:7 1 Corinthians 16:2 Revelation 1:10 Didache 8: 1

“(And) let your fasts / not stand with the hypocrites, / for they fast on the second / and on the fifth [day] of the week. / You fast, on the other hand, during the fourth / and during the [sabbath] preparation [day].”

Didache 14 “(And) according to [the] divinely instituted [day/rule] of

[the] Lord, / having been gathered together, break a loaf. / [And] give thanks, having beforehand confessed your failings, / so that your sacrifice may be pure.”

Ignatius of Antioch: Letter to the Magnesians 9:1 “If, then, those who walked in ancient customs come to a

new hope, no longer sabbathing but living by the Lord’s Day, on which we come to life through him and through his death…”

Letters of Pliny the Younger to Trajan 10.96-97 It is my practice, my lord, to refer to you all matters

concerning which I am in doubt. For who can better give guidance to my hesitation or inform my ignorance? I have never participated in trials of Christians. I therefore do not know what offenses it is the practice to punish or investigate, and to what extent. And I have been not a little hesitant as to whether there should be any distinction on account of age or no difference between the very young and the more mature; whether pardon is to be granted for repentance, or, if a man has once been a Christian, it does him no good to have ceased to be one; whether the name itself, even without offenses, or only the offenses associated with the name are to be punished.

Meanwhile, in the case of those who were denounced to me as Christians, I have observed the following procedure: I interrogated these as to whether they were Christians; those who confessed I interrogated a second and a third time, threatening them with punishment; those who persisted I ordered executed. For I had no doubt that, whatever the nature of their creed, stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy surely deserve to be punished. There were others possessed of the same folly; but because they were Roman citizens, I signed an order for them to be transferred to Rome.

Soon accusations spread, as usually happens, because of the proceedings going on, and several incidents occurred. An anonymous document was published containing the names of many persons. Those who denied that they were or had been Christians, when they invoked the gods in words dictated by me, offered prayer with incense and wine to your image, which I had ordered to be brought for this purpose together with statues of the gods, and moreover cursed Christ--none of which those who are really Christians, it is said, can be forced to do--these I thought should be discharged. Others named by the informer declared that they were Christians, but then denied it, asserting that they had been but had ceased to be, some three years before, others many years, some as much as twenty-five years. They all worshipped your image and the statues of the gods, and cursed Christ.

They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so. When this was over, it was their custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of food--but ordinary and innocent food. Even this, they affirmed, they had ceased to do after my edict by which, in accordance with your instructions, I had forbidden political associations. Accordingly, I judged it all the more necessary to find out what the truth was by torturing two female slaves who were called deaconesses. But I discovered nothing else but depraved, excessive superstition.

I therefore postponed the investigation and hastened to consult you. For the matter seemed to me to warrant consulting you, especially because of the number involved. For many persons of every age, every rank, and also of both sexes are and will be endangered. For the contagion of this superstition has spread not only to the cities but also to the villages and farms. But it seems possible to check and cure it. It is certainly quite clear that the temples, which had been almost deserted, have begun to be frequented, that the established religious rites, long neglected, are being resumed, and that from everywhere sacrificial animals are coming, for which until now very few purchasers could be found. Hence it is easy to imagine what a multitude of people can be reformed if an opportunity for repentance is afforded.

Yearly Public Prayer 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 I Corinthians 16:8

Eucharist 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Luke 22:14-20 Mark 14:22-25 Matthew 26:26-29 John 13:4-11

Didache 9: “(And) concerning the eucharist, eucharistize

thus: First concerning the cup: / ‘We give you thanks,

our Father, / for the holy vine of your servant David / which you revealed to us through your servant Jesus. / To you [is] the glory forever.’

And concerning the broken [loaf]: “We give you thanks, our Father, / for the life and knowledge / which you have revealed to us through your servant Jesus. / To you [is] the glory forever.

Just as this broken [loaf] was scattered over the hills [as grain], / and, having been gathered together, became one, / in like fashion, may your church be gathered together / from the ends of the earth into your kingdom. / Because yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ forever.’

(And) let no one eat or drink from your eucharist / except those baptized in the name of [the] Lord, / for the Lord has likewise said concerning this: / ‘Do not give what is holy to the dogs.’

Didache 10 “(And) after being filled [by the meal], give thanks thus: ‘We give you thanks, holy Father, / for your holy name, /

which you tabernacle in our hearts, ‘ and for the knowledge and faith and immortality / which you revealed to us through your servant Jesus. / To you [is] the glory forever.

You, almighty Master, created all things / for the sake of your name, / both food and drink you have given to people for enjoyment / in order that they might give thanks; / to us, on the other hand, you have graciously bestowed / Spirit-sent food and drink for life forever through your servant [Jesus].

Before all [these] things, we give you thanks / because you are powerful [on our behalf]. / To you [is] the glory forever.

Remember, Lord, your church / to save [her] from every evil / and to perfect [her] in your love / and to gather [her] together from the four winds / [as] the sanctified into your kingdom / which you have prepared for her, / because yours is the power and the glory forever.

Come, grace [of the kingdom] ! / and pass away, [O] this world! / Hosanna to the God of David! / If anyone is holy, come! / If anyone is not, convert! / Come Lord [maranatha]! Amen!’

(And) turn toward the prophets [allowing them] / to eucharistize as much as they wish.

Reconciliation 1 Corinthians 5:5 2 Corinthians 13:2 Hebrews 6:4-6

Healing Mark 6:13 James 5:14-16

Marriage John 2:1-11

Leadership/Ordination Mark 3:14-15 Acts 6:3, 6; 13:2-3; 14:23; 15:2 1 Timothy 4:14 Titus 1:5

Preaching Acts 2:16-36 Acts 3:12-26 Acts 13:16-41 Acts 17:22-31

Music Ephesians 5:19 Colossians 3:16 Acclamations:

Amen Hallelujah / Alleluia Hosanna Abba Maranatha

Short Musical Formulae Doxlogies Eulogies Thanks formulae

Infancy Canticles God Hymns Christ Hymns