Christian Practices Flashcards
Why do Christians worship?
-To praise God
-To ask for forgiveness
-To seek God’s help for others or themselves
-To deepen their relationship with God and strengthen their faith
What is worship?
An act of religious praise, honour or devotion to God to show love and reverence
3 examples of how christians worship
-Prayer
-Singing hymns/songs
-Going on a pilgrimage
Liturgical worship
-Church service that follows a set structure or ritual
-led by priest and is traditional
Non-liturgical worship
-Church service focussed on Bible readings
Worship that follows a changeable structure
Informal worship
A community or house churches meet in and share food
Charismatic worship
May involve the leader and uses more modern language, music, dancing and clapping
Quaker worship
-no leader or set structure
-sit in silence until someone feels moved to share their thoughts with others
Why is Public worship important for Christians?
-Builds fellowship
-Helps them feel connected to older generations of Christians
-Help to feel closer to Jesus
Public worship verse
Matthew 18:20 - “For where two or three gather in my name, I am with them.”
Prayer
Communicating with God, either silently or through words of praise, thanksgiving or confession, or requests for God’s help or guidance
Informal prayer
Prayers that are made up by an individual using his or her own words
Set prayers
Prayers that have been written down and said more than once by more than one person
Five basic forms of set prayer
Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication
Intercession
Adoration
Praising God
Confession
Saying sorry
Thanksgiving
Thanking God
Supplication
Asking for something
Intercession
Praying for someone who may be ill
Lord’s Prayer
Matthew 6:9-13
It links back throughout the history of Christianity
Can be used in public or private worship, out loud or silently
Usually part of all types of worship
Extemporary Prayer
Prayer in the person’s own words and personal style
Why is the Lord’s Prayer important?
-Gives individual Christians a pattern for how to pray as it combines giving praise to God and asking for one’s needs
-Can bring a sense of unity and spiritual purpose in society at important times
-Reminds Christians that God is the Father of the whole community
What is a sacrament?
Rituals that express an inner spiritual experience
Seven sacraments of the Catholic and Orthodox Church
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Holy communion/Eucharist
- Marriage
- Holy Orders
- Reconciliation
- The anointing of the sick
Baptism
-Removal of original sin
-Using water and recitation of the Trinitarian Formula
Trinitarian Formula
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit
Why be baptised?
-Imitates Jesus’ baptism
-Cleansed of sin
Key elements of infant baptism used in Roman Catholics, orthodox, and the Church of England
Baptism of a baby
Use of holy water from the font and poured three times over the forehead
The sign of the cross made on the forehead in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Believers baptism
-Some Christians believe that you have to be old enough to make your own decision about whether you want to be baptised
-use of water and full immersion three times
- trinitarian formula
Confirmation
-Becoming an adult member of the Church
-Bishop anoints you
Eucharist
-Commemorating the Last Supper
-Eat bread and drinking wine to represent the body and blood of Christ
Reconciliation
-forgiveness of sins
-words of forgiveness
Marriage
-Endless love between a couple
-Shown by wearing of rings
Ordination
-Becoming a Priest
-Long process
Healing
-Physical of spiritual healing
-Anointing by the Bishop/Priest
Holy Communion verse
Luke 22:19 - 20 - “This is my body … Do this in remembrance of me” “This cup is the new agreement that God makes with his people”
Transubstantiation
Belief that the bread and wine ACTUALLY become the body and blood of Jesus
Two parts of Eucharist Services
The ministry of the word
The ministry of Holy Communion
Why celebrate Holy Communion?
-To remember a special occasion
-To remember God’s love and forgiveness
-Way of showing unity
Christingle service
-Originally from Eastern Europe
-Children are giving Christingles
- Service has carols, readings, prayers and a collection taken
What is the importance of christmas in Britain today?
- Thanks God for the incarnation
- Time to remember those who live in difficult circumstances
Why is Easter significant?
-Celebrates Jesus’ victory over death
- Because of Jesus’ incarnation, all those who believe in him are given eternal life
- Emphasies God’s omnibenevolence and omnipotence
Palm Sunday
-Christians are given palm crosses at church to take home and keep until the start of Lent
- On Ash Wednesday (first day of lent) the old palms are burned and replaced on the next Palm Sunday
Maundy Thursday
-The Queen of Britain gives out Maundy money to selected older people. This reminds them of the 30 pieces of silver Judas betrayed Jesus for
Good Friday
-Churches are cleared of celebratory items and everything is plain
-Altar cloths are removed and candles remain unlit
- A procession will walk through the streets carrying a large cross as Jesus did
-Traditional to eat fish on this day rather than red meat
Easter Sunday
4 key parts
- Service of Light
-Liturgy of the Word
-Liturgy of initiation
-Liturgy of Eucharist
What is a pilgrimage?
A visit to a holy place. These paces ofte have a feeling of spirituality and of closeness to God
3 Places of Pligrimage
Jerusalem
Lourdes
Iona
Why people go on pilgrimage?
-Reflect on one’s life
-Experience God in a holy place
-Take part in Christian services
Where is Lourdes?
In France
What happened in 1958 at Lourdes that made it a holy place?
Mary, Mother of Jesus visited Bernadette at a spring
What did Mary help Bernadette discover in the grotto?
A spring with healing properties
What is persecution?
Hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of race or political or religious beliefs
Persecution verse
2 Timothy 3:12 - “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”
Matthew 5:10-12 - “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
St Paul’s letters
- Persecution is a form of purification for eternal life
- They are sharing in Christ’s suffering and should trust God to help them in their time of trial
How might a Christian respond to persecution?
-Send practical help
-Pray for themselves and others being persecuted
-Forgive those who persecute them
Church
The community of Christians, also called the Body of Christ
Church (lowercase)
A building in which Christians worship
Agape
A word used in the bible that describes selfless, sacrificial unconditional love
Food bank
Organisations that provide emergency food for people in need for free
Street pastors
People who volunteer to help vulnerable people and help keep their communities and streets safe
The Great Commision
Matthew 28:19-20 - “Go and make disciples of all nations”
How does the Church spread Christianity?/
Sharing testimonies
Using media
Evangelism
Missions
What is the Great Commission?
Jesus’ instruction to his followers that they should spread his teachings to all the nations of the world
Mission
The vocation or calling of a religious organisation or individual to go out into the world and spread the faith
Missionary
A person sent on a religious mission, especially to promote Christianity in a foreign country through preaching or charitable works
Evangelism
Spreading the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness
How do Christians help poverty?
Emergency aid
Short - term aid
Long term aid
How do Christian charities raise funds and awareness?
Campaigning
Increasing public awareness
Fundraising
Why should a Christian forgive?
- Jesus died to bring forgiveness and reconciliation
- Jesus told Peter to forgive 70 x 7 times
- Jesus said God will not forgive sins of people who do not forgive
What is reconciliation?
Bringing people together to be friendly again
Christian groups working for reconciliation
Corrymeela
Community of the cross of nails
Why is the Lord’s prayer important?
-the prayer Jesus taught the disciples
- contains all elements of acts
- Iink back through the history of Christianity
Examples of private worship
Angelus - Roman Catholic
Simple prayer at a time of need
Angelus
A series of short meditations performed three times day
Rosary
A set of beads on a string with a crucifix on the end
Believers thread the beads through the fingers while saying set prayers
Why is it important to worship ?
God wants people to worship im
Can bring a sense of connection with God to a community or an individual
People gain a deeper understanding of their religion or of their faith in God
Purifies the worshipper
Advantages of liturgical worship
Ordered nature makes worshippers feel comfortable and part of the process
How is the Bible used in worship?
Always the focus of worship as it is the ‘word of God’
Gifts of the Hoy Spirit
Knowledge
Courage
Understanding
Right judgement
Wisdom
Reverence
Awe and wonder in God’s presence
Support for infant baptism
Natural for parents to want to bring their child into the Christian faith
Gifts of the Holy Spirit to allow the child to grow up strong in God’s love
Enables the child to receive the other sacraments
Brings comfort to the family of an ill child that if it dies then it will be with God
Removes original sin and purifies the child
Support for believers’ baptism
Only those old enough to understand should take this step - should be able to make their own promises
-A child might grow up to resent the promises made for them so they need to decide for themselves
- Jesus was an adult when baptised
- God’s love is not dependent on human actions - so baptism is unnecessary
- How can a child even have sins to remove ?
Why do some Christians not believe in sacraments ??
No direct reference is made to most of the seven in the Bible
Believe that God speaks directly to the believers’ heart so there is no need for sacraments
Symbols and ritual distract from true religion
Bernadette in Lourdes
Here Bernadette claimed she had seen a woman, the Virgin Mary, in 18 visions
In a cave near the River Gave, she was told to dig away the growth clogging the spring and drink the water
Her friend bathed her dislocated arm in the water and it was healed
Pilgrimage to Lourdes
Many pilgrims visit Lourdes - taking part in processions, saying the rosary and mass, touching the walls of the cave
Water is often taken home and statutes of the Virgin Mary bought
The sick or disabled go hoping for healing
Healings in Lourdes
Since the first in 1858, 69 more Lourdes healings have been declared mírales
Most pilgrims not experiencing physical healing as though they have been healed spiritually
Pilgrims also describe feeling peace of mind
About Iona
Known as the cradle of Christianity in Scotland, as Columba, an Irish monk, settled there in 563 CE
Pilgrimage to Iona today
Iona has a very long history, making pilgrims want to visit
Individuals or groups often go home renewed in their faith to live and work in the modern world
A stay at Iona means work as well as worship and study
Importance of pilgrimages
Allows focus on faith and renewed energy as well as time for spiritual growth
Last supper
The last evening Jesus shared with his disciples before he was arrested
Orthodox Divine Liturgy
Bread and wine is prepared on the altar behind the iconostasis. Th priest invites all baptises members. From one chalice of bread soaked in the wine, spoonfuls are given.
Roman Catholic Mass
Worshipers confess sins and forgiveness is given. The service includes the Nicene Creed being recited. Breas and wine are bought to the altar and the Eucharistic prayer
