The Worship Network

In a presentation at the Calvin Symposium on Worship, David Rylaarsdam presented a workshop on the worship practices of early Christians in 100-400 A.D. These practices, he writes, "were strikingly different but perhaps more biblical than ours today. What did worship according to Scripture look like in the first Christian centuries? How did the type of water used in baptism or the shape of the font, for example, proclaim biblical teaching? What was the celebration of the Lord's Supper like? Why was a person's posture during prayer so important?"

Rylaarsdam, who serves as professor of church history at Calvin Theological Seminary, answers these questions and many more in his workshop.

Some interesting points include:

--Early Christian baptism called for the new believer to be immersed not once but three times, as part of the belief in the trinity.

--These churches preferred baptizing with running water, to show the living character of the Holy Spirit. (They also preferred using cold water!)

--During the Eucharist, a milk and honey compound was offered to the newly baptized as well as the bread and wine.

Click here to access a full outline and MP3 download of Rylaarsdam's complete session.