What happens during a Methodist Sunday service?

[freebornjim]

Hi,

I'm familiar with Anglican Communion and Catholic Mass, but can someone give me a quick rundown of what goes on during an average Sunday service in a Methodist Church please?

What is the format etc?

How does it start, where do newbies sit, what is required?

Is there a formal structure (do certain things HAVE to happen to make it "valid" like in a Mass)?

Is there a sermon? Do you have a liturgical calendar with set seasonal subjects etc? Are hymns ALWAYS sung?

How long does it last, who does what? How often and when do you perform a communion (also what is it called; Lord's Supper, Communion, Lord's Table?)

I'm interested in the Methodist and Baptist churches so any answers would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Historicus]

Hi,

I'm familiar with Anglican Communion and Catholic Mass, but can someone give me a quick rundown of what goes on during an average Sunday service in a Methodist Church please?

Welcome to Wesley's Parish

What is the format etc?

It will depend upon the congregation. Some use the official liturgies, other do not. Some will be traditional (nearly identical to a Anglican service), others will be more contemporary.

How does it start, where do newbies sit, what is required?

There is usually a prelude and call to worship. You can sit anywhere you would like. There are no requirements, we just meet together to worship the Lord.

Is there a formal structure (do certain things HAVE to happen to make it "valid" like in a Mass)?

Depends on the Church in regards to what kind of structure. I'm not sure what you mean by "valid". As in Anglicanism, you won't find that every service is exactly alike as you would in a Catholic Mass.

Is there a sermon? Do you have a liturgical calendar with set seasonal subjects etc? Are hymns ALWAYS sung?

Yes...there will be a sermon. Methodists follow the liturgical calendar, and hymns are usually sung (as is the Methodist tradition) in traditional services.

How long does it last, who does what? How often and when do you perform a communion (also what is it called; Lord's Supper, Communion, Lord's Table?)

Typically services last about an hour or so. Communion depends again on the local custom, and may be every Sunday, once a month, bi-monthly, once a quarter, and on holidays. We call it all of those. It is Holy Communion, it is the Eucharist, it is the Lord's Supper, and is the Sacrament of the Lord's Table. You will typically hear it called though either Holy Communion, or the Lord's Supper. The UMC's liturgy calls it the Service of the Table. Both parts of the service make up the service of Word and Table.

Methodists practice open Communion, which means that all are welcome to come to the Table if they want to do so, because it is Christ's Table, not the Methodist's table.

I'm interested in the Methodist and Baptist churches so any answers would be appreciated. Thanks

No problem, and welcome to Wesley's Parish. Feel free to ask any questions you like and we will attempt to answer them to the best of our ability.

 

[WiredSpirit]

Most churches I've been to will put a cheat sheet in your hand as you walk through the door.

If you're used to Episcopal and RCC services you would probably find a relatively traditional UMC service closer to your liking than a Baptist service. We get a lot of young couples joining our church saying something like, "she was Catholic, I was Baptist and this is what we settled on." I'd think a Baptist service would be at the extreme other end of the spectrum, with snake-handling and an exorcism of all the gay demons (one thing I do know is Baptist are obsessed with sexuality). All of the UMC churches I've been to use contemporary music, but most have a fairly structured service and they're as high-church as any other mainline denomination. One common denominator is candles. All the UMC churches seem to have acolytes bringing forth the light of Christ at or near the beginning of the service, and if communion is served we take by line up and take by intinction although one church I've been do had rails set up where you could kneel and take communion with the elements laid out for you. Some UMCs, on the other hand, have gone off the emergent, post-modern deep end. I kinda like these churches but they're probably not for you.

YouTube - Typical modern Methodist service

 

[Redheadedstepchild]

Just popping in to say that while the above posts offer great answers to your questions, I doubt you will find much in the way of snake handling or exorcisms happening in a typical Baptist church. I do think Baptist churches are less liturgical than Methodist churches as a rule, but you may want to ask in their forum (if you haven't already) to be sure.

 

[Qyöt27]

all the gay demons

Ok, I have to admit - that made me laugh.

Depends on the Church in regards to what kind of structure. I'm not sure what you mean by "valid". As in Anglicanism, you won't find that every service is exactly alike as you would in a Catholic Mass.

'Validity' in terms of Mass is essentially the proper consecration of the elements in the Eucharist (which depends on Apostolic Succession, and probably other things) - I wasn't aware it extended to the entire service, though.

Part of the Eucharistic liturgy in the UMC does take time to point out the consecration of the elements, but Methodists don't generally get into specifics about the validity of things. Methodism does hold Communion as a sacrament, although in the process of it all I'm unaware of restrictions surrounding it being an important issue the way that Catholics consider Confession and so on part of the process as well. The clerical restrictions about it in Methodism aren't really exposed to the laypeople. The only other 'validity' issue with Methodists I assume would be that if you've already been baptized, that it was a Trinitarian baptism.

 

[Nemo Neem]

My stepfather describes Episcopalians/Anglicans as "Catholic Light." (He's Catholic.)

With John Wesley being a former Anglican minister, and with some Anglican elements, would Methodists be "Light Light Catholics?" LOL

 

[New_Found_Faith]

My stepfather describes Episcopalians/Anglicans as "Catholic Light." (He's Catholic.)

With John Wesley being a former Anglican minister, and with some Anglican elements, would Methodists be "Light Light Catholics?" LOL

haha, QFT ^^.

Also, If you're coming from an Anglo-Catholic background you should know that many UM churches have communion around once a month. That's been my experience, but it may not be universal among UM churches. If you check out your church's website it should tell you which services will have communion.

 

[Qyöt27]

No need to add double light to it, I've seen both Anglican and Methodist churches referred to as Catholic Lite...but for perhaps different reasons.

Amusingly enough, on a lot of frivolous Internet 'what's your denomination' quizzes, I've seen many Catholics with 'Wesleyan/Methodist' as the #2 answer, behind Catholic itself. I've also seen the reverse - Methodists with 'Catholic' scored high (maybe not #2, though, but often in the top 5).

And there's nothing 'former' about Wesley's Anglican priesthood - he remained a priest in the Church of England his entire life (and he and Charles have a feast day on the Church of England's liturgical calendar - it was three days ago, on the 24th).

 

[Nemo Neem]

No need to add double light to it, I've seen both Anglican and Methodist churches referred to as Catholic Lite...but for perhaps different reasons.

Amusingly enough, on a lot of frivolous Internet 'what's your denomination' quizzes, I've seen many Catholics with 'Wesleyan/Methodist' as the #2 answer, behind Catholic itself. I've also seen the reverse - Methodists with 'Catholic' scored high (maybe not #2, though, but often in the top 5).

And there's nothing 'former' about Wesley's Anglican priesthood - he remained a priest in the Church of England his entire life (and he and Charles have a feast day on the Church of England's liturgical calendar - it was three days ago, on the 24th).

Thanks for the clear-up.

However, if indeed Methodists are "Catholic Lite," then why do they reject the Apocrypha and Purgatory? I have read some of the Apocrypha from my stepfather's Catholic bible, and they serve as nice stories, is all.

 

[Qyöt27]

Like I said, "but for perhaps different reasons." (Although I don't really find a 'problem' with Catholic doctrines or the Deuterocanon, to be honest. I just don't see them as required.)

The similarity, from what I've seen and heard and so on, is largely in the conception of grace. Methodism is extremely big on the concept of grace, and I've seen some draw comparisons on that point with the way Catholicism expresses belief in grace. There may be other smaller things, but that is often the sum of the argument.

 

[actionsub]

Just popping in to say that while the above posts offer great answers to your questions, I doubt you will find much in the way of snake handling or exorcisms happening in a typical Baptist church. I do think Baptist churches are less liturgical than Methodist churches as a rule, but you may want to ask in their forum (if you haven't already) to be sure.

True that. Baptists, even the Southern variety, aren't any fonder of snakes than Catholics or Methodists are.
As for exorcisms, we find shunning far less labor-intensive than an exorcism would entail. Besides, if we were ever caught doing one, folks would accuse us of being charismatics, and that's usually fighting talk!

Note: our Methodist pastor was raised Southern Baptist, and our UMC church is a pretty fair mix of both Methodist and Baptist practice. We're generally a tad more informal than the average Methodist. Actually, we pick up a lot of former Baptists.

 

[PTruitt]

My wife and I Love our UMC. After the service folks just hang out in the sanctuary talking and the pastor just stands there waiting to greet someone. She actually doesn't get too lonely. There are always a few who need to hit the road. Especially on nice Summer days. So she shakes their hands and then joins the crowd for awhile until the party finally breaks up.

 

[Redheadedstepchild]

LOL @ shunning!