Christian practices

Question 1

Define worship

Answer 1

Acts of religious praise, honour or devotion

Question 2

Reasons why people worship

Answer 2

• To celebrate God and who he is
• To communicate with God
• To show gratitude and love to God
• To focus on God rather than ourselves, showing he is more important
• To have a sense of belonging to a community

Question 3

Examples of public worship

Answer 3

• Sharing food
• Preaching
• Pilgrimage
• Celebrating festivals

Question 4

What are the different forms of worship?

Answer 4

• Liturgical and Non-liturgical
• Formal and informal
• Charismatic

Question 5

Advantages of liturgical worship

Answer 5

• Believe they receive forgiveness from God through actions of the priest or vicar
• The service is understood worldwide, in other countries it may be in a different language but believers can still follow
• The liturgy has been passed down over hundreds of years, giving a sense of tradition
• Christians believe they receive the living presence of Jesus in holy communion
• Bible is important, bible readings follow the Christian calendar

Question 6

Advantages of non-liturgical worship

Answer 6

• People believe they are actually able to have a revelation and express their own belief in God
• Christians can express their own personal interpretation of the Bible
• This style of worship is believed to be the worship of the first Christians
• Many Evangelical churches use this form of charismatic worship as they believe it shows inspiration from the Holy Spirit, directly from God

Question 7

Define prayer

Answer 7

Communicating with God, silently or through words of praise, thanksgiving or confession or requests for God’s help or guidance

Question 8

Set prayers

Answer 8

Prayers that have been written down and said more than once by more than one person e.g. The Lord’s Prayer

Question 9

Informal Prayers

Answer 9

Prayers that are made up by an individual using his or her own words

Question 10

Why do Christians pray to God?

Answer 10

Confession - to ask for God’s forgiveness
Thanksgiving - to thank God for all they have
Supplication - to ask for God’s help
Praise - to tell God how wonderful he is
Intercession - to ask God to help others who are suffering

Question 11

Examples of liturgical worship

Answer 11

• Bible reading
• Hymns
• Set prayers

Question 12

Examples of non-liturgical worship

Answer 12

• Artwork
• Worship songs
• Extemporary prayer

Question 13

What is prayer?

Answer 13

Communicating with God, silently to through words of praise, thanksgiving or confession or requests for God’s help or guidance

Question 14

Why do Christians go on pilgrimage?

Answer 14

• Develop their faith in God
• Express sorrow and to gain forgiveness
• Reflect on their lives
• Thank God
• Pray for something
• Meet other pilgrims
• Seek a cure for illness

Question 15

State some pilgrimage sites in the UK

Answer 15

• Iona
• Glastonbury
• Canterbury
• Walsingham

Question 16

State some international pilgrimage sites

Answer 16

• The Holy Land
• Loudres
• Rome
• Assisi

Question 17

What is a sacrament?

Answer 17

An external sign or action which helps thee believe to receive the grace of God

Question 18

How many sacraments to Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians believe in?

Answer 18

Seven

Question 19

What are the seven sacraments?

Answer 19

• Holy Baptism
• Penance
• The Eucharist
• Confirmation
• Holy Matrimony
• Ordination
• Extreme Unction

Question 20

Why do Quakers reject all sacraments?

Answer 20

They claim they are not mentioned or practiced in the Bible

Question 21

What is the Eucharist?

Answer 21

The Christian service, ceremony or sacrament commemorating the Last Supper, in which bread and wine are consecrated and consumed

Question 22

What is the meaning of the Roman Catholic belief in transubstantiation?

Answer 22

The bread becomes Christ’s body, and the wine his blood

Question 23

How does the belief in Holy Communion influence Christians?

Answer 23

• Through it they believe that they receive God’s grace by joining in the great sacrifice of Jesus
• They do not merely remember a past event, it becomes a present reality for them
• It brings the community of believers together in unity, strengthening their commitment to their faith
• Provides support, hope and encouragement to remember Jesus dies for the sins of all
• A shared meal teaches Christians about justice, to treat others equally and to promote agape love

Question 24

Explain two contrasting ways the Eucharist is celebrated

Answer 24

Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians believe that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. They believe that Jesus is fully present in the bread and wine and they as believes mysteriously become present at the the sacrifice of Jesus.

Protestant Christians who celebrate Holy Communion do so as a reminder of Jesus’ words and actions at the Last Supper. The bread and wine remain symbols of Jesus’ sacrifice and help them to reflect on the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection for their lives today.