Brief history of evangelical worship

SUMMARY: The emphasis on preaching as the most important part of worship in many Christian churches has its roots in the Protestant Reformation, which emphasized doctrine and theology. This led to a decrease in the importance of emotional and physical aspects of worship, such as praise and symbolism, and a focus on the mental and conceptual space of the believer. This oversimplification of worship has led to it being seen as a prelude to evangelism, preaching, or teaching, rather than an essential part of the Christian experience.

The 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.