Weekly cycles, too, should be examined. That statement is probably very nearly true. But function is often shaped by form. Certain types of worship are almost dictated by certain arrangements of seating, furniture, and participants, as well as respect demanded by or given to the place of worship itself. Building materials of themselves are not sacred, but even as we love and cherish our houses until they reflect our personalities and become our homes, so the House of the Lord becomes more than the sum of its constituent parts.
Prayer is a universal in worship.
It is unthinkable that there should be worship without prayer. It is central in most evangelical services of worship. Others have less lofty ideas of preaching, although it remains central in most Protestant worship orders. It is not beyond the discussion of the governing board, but is so arranged in my mind that I need a separate agenda for talking about it. The songs and hymns a congregation often sings say a great deal about the communal mind-set.