Painting depicting St. Peter preaching in catacombs The earliest Christian worship meetings seemed marked by simplicity : mainly the reading of Scripture with preaching/teaching, prayers and praise, and communion (the Lord's supper). The earliest description of church gatherings comes from Pliny the Younger (ca. AD 112). Writing with concern about the growing number of Christians in Bithynia in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), Pliny relates to the Emperor Trajan the following about the church meetings: "They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so. When this was over, it was their custom to depart and to assembl...