For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

3rd century – church buildings (converted houses)

• 4th century
  • Influx of O.T. culture (priesthood, church/state, and more)
  • Influx of paganism (holidays, images...)
  • Basilicas
  • Role of Imperial support
• 5th century
  • Relics
  • Cult of saints
  • Mary
  • The stern Christ
• High Middle Ages
  • Serious ecclesiastical abuses (crusades, Inquisition, etc)
  • Congregations pay little attention during services
  • Yet it was also an age of saints!
• Reformation – Center moves from Eucharist to sermon
• Restoration Movement – even less ceremony
• Modern times
  • Seeker-friendly services
  • "Satisfying“ worship – yet satisfying us or God?

Modern worship scenarios

• House churches
• Park services (trees)
• Renting spaces
• Renting synagogues
• Renting churches
• Churches with buildings
• Underground churches

Oh, Worship the King!

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Oh, worship the King, all glorious above.

And gratefully sing his power and his love;
Our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

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Oh, tell of his might; oh, sing of his grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space;
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
And dark is his path on the wings of the storm.

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The earth with its store of wonders untold,
Almighty, Thy power has founded of old,
Established it fast by a changeless decree,
And round it has cast, like a mantle, the sea.

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Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light,
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

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O measureless Might, ineffable Love,
While angels delight to hymn Thee above.
The humbler creation, though feeble there lays,
With true adoration shall sing to Thy praise.

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Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,

In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail;
Thy mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,
Our maker, defender, redeemer, and friend!