Brief history of evangelical worship
Dr. Roberto MirandaThe idea of congregational worship that most believers have is that of something that takes place for a few brief moments during congregational worship, mostly as a prelude to the sermon. The sermon, in turn, is seen by many Christians as the pinnacle of the service, as 'what really matters' on the Sunday show.
This emphasis on preaching as the culminating part of worship probably has one of its main roots in the sixteenth century, during the period of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. That time in history coincided with the influence of the Renaissance, a cultural period that was characterized by a great intellectual revival, and a strong appetite for ancient texts of Greek and Roman philosophy and literature.