Most churches hold services every Sunday morning. In Danish, the word for (church) service is gudstjeneste. Gud means God, tjeneste means service, and gudstjeneste refers to two things, namely that we are serving God and He is serving us. The Sunday service has a special name: højmesse, directly translated; high mass, or holy service. The service reflects the relationship between God, the individual and the congregation. You do not have to be a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church or any other church to attend church services.
The church bells are rung before every service as an invitation to participate. At church services, hymns are sung and prayers are said. The congregation listens to passages that are read aloud from the Bible and to a sermon, which is the pastor’s interpretation of a biblical text. At most services, the Eucharist also takes place. This is a meal that signifies the fellowship of Christians, and reminds us that Jesus gave his life to redeem humanity. On Sundays, the church service may also include baptisms. Most parish churches follow the same order of worship – called the liturgy – when celebrating the højmesse, and the instrument that accompanies the hymns is usually an organ.
