Churches and Religious Worship
Pre-Listening
Do you participate in any religious services or practice? Why or why not?
Listen and Read
Listen to the record about religious services, answer the questions, and then read along with the audio recording.
Listening Quiz
Select the best answer for each question, then press Check Answers.
Use arrow keys to choose between options within each question.
1. How often does the man attend church?
2. Who gives the prayers at the church service?
3. Which is one thing that is NOT mentioned about the church service?
I attend church on Sunday every week because I want to worship God and receive spiritual guidance in my life. I usually sit in one of the middle pews in the church. One of the members gives the invocation, or opening prayer, to begin the service.
During the service, the minister usually gives a spiritual sermon to encourage members of the congregation to change their lives. He reads from the scriptures and shares inspirational stories. An offering plate is passed around to collect donations from the congregation. At the close of the meeting, another member offers the benediction, or closing prayer. My religion gives me hope in spite of the challenges in the world today.
Vocabulary and Expressions From the Audio
- attend (verb): to go to or be present at an event or place
- She attends church every Sunday morning with her family.
- church (noun): a building where people gather to worship and take part in religious services
- The old church in the center of town has been a place of worship for over a hundred years.
- worship (verb): to show deep reverence and love for a god or higher power, often through prayer, song, or ritual
- People from all walks of life came together to worship at the downtown church.
- spiritual guidance (noun): support, advice, or direction related to a person’s faith, beliefs, or inner life
- Many people turn to their church for spiritual guidance during difficult times.
- pews (noun): the long wooden benches found in a church where the congregation sits during a service
- The pews were filled with members of the congregation by the time the service began.
- invocation (noun): a prayer or appeal to a higher power that is said at the beginning of a religious service
- The minister opened the service with an invocation, asking for blessings on the congregation.
- minister (noun): a person who leads religious services and provides spiritual care in a church
- The minister greeted each member of the congregation at the door after the service.
- sermon (noun): a speech or talk given by a minister during a religious service, usually based on a religious text and intended to teach or inspire
- The sermon this week focused on the importance of kindness and forgiveness.
- congregation (noun): the group of people who regularly attend and belong to a particular church or place of worship
- The congregation rose to their feet and sang together at the start of the service.
- scriptures (noun): the sacred or holy writings of a religion, such as the Bible or the Quran
- The minister read a passage from the scriptures before beginning his sermon.
- inspirational (adjective): causing a feeling of motivation, hope, or enthusiasm
- The congregation found the minister’s words deeply inspirational and left the service feeling uplifted.
- offering plate (noun): a plate or container passed among the congregation during a service to collect voluntary financial donations
- The offering plate was passed down each row while the choir sang.
- donations (noun): money or items given voluntarily to support a church or cause
- The church used the donations collected each week to fund community outreach programs.
- benediction (noun): a blessing given by a minister at the end of a religious service
- After the final hymn, the minister gave the benediction and dismissed the congregation.
- hope (noun): a feeling of confidence or desire that something good will happen
- The minister’s sermon gave many in the congregation a renewed sense of hope.
Discussion
What types of religious services and meetings are present in your area? If people of different faiths visit your country, are they able to find places of worship very readily?
Role Play
You are sitting on an airplane next to a man who appears to be a religious leader for his particular faith. After some light conversation on your travels, he politely asks you if you are a member of a specific church or religion. Answer his question and describe your personal feelings on the subject.
Online Investigation
Learning about the religious beliefs and practices of others can help us develop greater understanding for our world neighbors. Choose one religion and use the internet to find out five basic beliefs and practices of this faith. Feel free to interview personally a person who is a member of this religion to learn more on the topic.