Forms of liturgy in the home - family devotions
Forms of worship in the home are connected with the origin and development of the Church. First of all, Jesus’ disciples met in the Temple and in their homes. Christians also used synagogues, which were spread across the whole Roman Empire. Further advancement brought an emphasis on the development of wor- ship in the home, which is preserved in the record called Didachē, and later on, “daily prayer of the Church”—liturgia horarum—which provides proof of the im- portance that was placed on family devotions along with continual prayer.
Some forms of daily prayer were developed in monastic communities and others came to life in the homes of the laity. Practically every period of Church renewal wasconnected with new emphases on liturgy in the home. We can follow that deve- lopment in both the Czech and worldwide reformation and in other streams of renewal. Worship in the home had the advantage of accessibility for entire fami- lies since it was not dependent on the presence of an ordained minister, and it introduced knowledge of the Scriptures and an active life of prayer. This article looks at the topic of worship in the home (family devotions) from an ecumenical perspective today. What is the problem and what can become an inspiration for the renewal of liturgy in the home?