Christian Worship and Practice

Question 1

What are the key differences between high and low churches?

Answer 1

• Liturgical vs non-liturgical - How fixed the order of service is. High churches believe liturgy creates unity and belonging, whereas low churches believe a lack of liturgy allows people to be more flexible and reflect on their moods
• Sacraments vs no sacrements - Sacrements are religious ceremonies involving God, Roman Catholic church has 7, low churches believe rituals are not necessary to communicate with God
• Altar centered worship vs pulpit centered worship - Importance of eucharist vs sermons, altar unimportant in low churches as they do not see eucharist as sacrificial, instead a communion table is used
• Hierarchy and led by trained clergy vs no hierachy and lay leadership (apostolic succession vs equality)
• Authority of teachings of church vs authority of Bible - High church believes the Bible should be taught through clergy and church as apostilic succession gives them authority, whereas low churches focus on individual readings of the Bible. Conscience is still important for all as it was given by God.

Question 2

What are the significant internal features of a Roman Catholic Church, what is there purpose and how is it related to beliefs and practices within the Church?

The Roman Catholic Church is a high church

Answer 2

• Altar - used during the Eucharist, centered as the Eucharist is a sacrificial sacrement which is the most important thing in Roman Catholicism
• Pulpit - Where the priest delivers the sermons and the word of God is made accessible, however not centered as it is not the most important thing
• Tabernacle - Where the elements of the eucharist are stored, very important, signifies importance of communion for Roman Catholics
• Stations of the Cross - Series of 14 images depicting the events leading up to Jesus’ death
• Font - Bowl containing holy water used for baptism (predominantly infant baptism - place of initiation into Christianity)
• Stoup - Small basin at entrance containing holy water which Catholics use to renew their baptismal promises
• Highly decorated and grand buildings to show God’s glory and reveal truths surrounding God, and give God the riches and honor he deserves

Question 3

What are the significant internal features of a Baptist Church and what is their purpose?

The Baptist Church is a low church

Answer 3

• Puplit - centered, where the priest delivers long sermons and the word of God is made accessible (the most important thing in baptist church)
• Communion table - Used for eucharist, not seen as an altar as eucharist is not seen as sacrificial
• Altar - not centered, not used for eucharist
• Baptistry - seperate area built for baptism, only adult baptism
• Less grand buildings and not decorated as it is believed that decorations will detract from true worship and may become a focal point instead of God, also because they believe this money should be spent helping others

Question 4

What is some evidence for why church design should be grand, and why it should be simple

Answer 4

• ‘Because my house lies in ruins… the heavens above have witheld their dew and the lands have witheld their produce’ - Haggai 1:1 scripture
• ‘The house where God is worshipped should be in accordance with His character and majesty’ - Testimonies for the Church
• ‘Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth’ Colossians 3:2
• ‘Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord’ - Proverbs 19:17

Question 5

What are some general features of Christian places of worship (inside and out)?

Answer 5

• Cruciform (shape of cross), symbolic of Jesus’s sacrifice
• Steeple/tower pointing towards heaven (closer to God)
• Altar facing east - Facing Jerusalem, where last supper, cruxifiction and ressurection happened, symbolic of Jesus’s sacrifice for us
• Nave - seating area

Question 6

Why are churches important for Christians?

Answer 6

• Allows Christians to gather and support eachother in prayer
• ‘Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good. Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing’ - Hebrews 10:24
• Allows people to be closer to God as Jesus is present
• ‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them’ - Matthew 18:20
• Source of authority which is very important to some such as RCs

Some may argue that it is more about our personal understanding of the Bible and Jesus’s teachings so the church is not necessary

Question 7

What are some non-religious functions of (parish) churches?

Answer 7

• Giving space for activities like youth clubs
• Run food banks and homeless shelters
• Provide financial aid to struggling families
• Provide relationship advice to couples
• Provide spaces for communities to gather

Question 8

What were the roots of the practice of holy communion?

Answer 8

• The Last Supper
• The Bible reads ‘And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it and gave it to them saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in rememberance of me”’
• Also with reference to wine ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you’
• People therefore practice communion to follow this command
• It is also to intergrate yourself into Christ
• Doing it on an altar represents his sacrifice

Question 9

How do Roman Catholics practice communion?

Answer 9

• Mass
• They take it weekly, if not more, and it is expected that everybody does it as it is a focal point of the denomination
• It occurs at the altar
• They believe in transubstanation, where the bread and wine becomes Jesus Christ as they eat it
• They believe that this binds them to the body of Christ on earth, allowing them to follow him and his teachings fully and achieve salvation
• They also believe they are representing his sacrifice which is significant as this is when the sins of humanity were removed

Question 10

How does the methodist church practice communion?

Answer 10

• They take it monthly, and with no expectation
• They made use grape juice as opposed to wine
• It is believed that that the bread and wine is merely symbolic of Jesus Christ but that they are still following his invitation when taking it
• They see communion as symbolically important but less necessary as Jesus only did it once

Question 11

What is the importance of individual prayer for Christians?

Answer 11

• Forgiveness of sins through confession, therefore helping them achieve salvation
• Supplication - Asking God for something - help with something, helping someone else etc.
• Adoration - Praising God and admitting his authority - this is acknowledging his fundamental characteristics as stated in the Bible
• Feel connected to other Christians when performing set prayers like the Lords Prayer
• Allows Christians to learn from their mistakes (as they speak aloud about sins)

Question 12

What are some ways in which Christians pray?

Answer 12

• Set prayers, such as the Hail Mary or Lord’s Prayer
• Using aids such as a rosary to help them focus their attention on praying and designate a prayer for each bead
• Icons may be used to focus attention on a specific person or pray to a specific person
• Candles are seen as symbols of Jesus and the ‘light of the world’, so people feel they are closer to Jesus when using candles to pray

Question 13

What are the three main rites of passage for Christians?

Answer 13

• Baptism
• Marriage
• Funerals

Question 14

What is baptism and generally and why is it performed?

Answer 14

• A rite of passage in Christianity whereby people begin a new life of faith without sin
• It is people’s initiation into the faith and Church
• It is believed that you receive the Holy Spirit
• It is believed that it cleanses people of sin, specificially original sin
• It is seen as good becuse in the Bible, Jesus, the son of God asked for Baptism to be performed on him and God praised him for it
• It can be a public declaration of faith
• Bible commands ‘Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned’ - Mark 16:16

Question 15

What is some of the symbolism associated with baptism?

Answer 15

• Cross drawn on forehead symbolic of Jesus’s sacrifice which granted us atonement and allowed us to achieve salvation
• This is why baptism cleanses us of the original sin granted to us by the fall
• The water is symbolic of Jesus’s baptism in the River Jordan as well as the ‘cleansing’ of sin - The Bible and Jesus’s lives are perfect examples to follow, especially as Jesus’s actions were praised by God

Question 16

How is baptism performed in the Roman Catholic church?

Similiar to other high churches

Answer 16

• Baptism in the Roman Catholic Church happens to members when they are infants
• It is one of the 7 sacrements, meaning it is a ritual involving God
• Holy water from a font is drawn out in the shape of a cross (symbolic of Jesus’s sacrifice, so cleanses us of Original Sin) on a baby’s forehead
• Parents will promise to give the child a Christian upbringing
• The belief in Trinitarian God is stated and reinforced

Infant baptism is seen as positive as it means people will be free of original sin their whole life

Question 17

How is baptism performed in the Baptist church?

Similiar to other low churches

Answer 17

• Baptism in the Baptist Church happens to members when they are adults
• It is not a sacrement
• They have a full body immersion in the baptistry, which is symbolic of Jesus’s full immersion in the River Jordan - The Bible and Jesus’s lives are perfect examples so should be followed
• They see it as less essential than Roman Catholic’s as you only need to do it as an adult and it is not a sacrement so not in front of God

Adult Believers Baptism is seen as positive as it gives people a choice as to whether or not they want to be baptised and commit to Christianity. It also allows them to make their baptismal vows themselves

Question 18

What are the parts of a Christian marriage ceremony?

Answer 18

• A priest will recite Christian beliefs and expectations about marriage (The rite of marriage)
• The couple declare their support for eachother in front of God, making a promise to him to maintain unity
• The vows are then made - ‘to love and to cherish, till death do us part’ and the priest blesses their rings
• The priest proclaims them a couple, and prayers and sermons are recited
• The register is signed and legal requirements are met, with a legally binding contract being created

• Marrying in Church ensures it is in front of God and that a priest can bless them and their rings. Because matrimony is a sacrement for RCs, it must be in a sacred place
• The rings are symbolic of eternal love and bonding, like Jesus’ love for us

Question 19

What are the purposes of funerals for Christians?

Answer 19

• Gives them closure and allows them to respectfully remember the persons life, while mourning and finding comfort in eachother
• They are formally handing over the soul of the person to God and acknowledges their new place in the afterlife
• Allows them to celebrate the person’s life
• ‘whoever believes in him shall not perish but shall have eternal life’ - John 3:16. This shows that funerals may be a source of comfort as people are reminded they are in a better place

Question 20

What are the stages of a Christian funeral?

Answer 20

• Prayers for the deaceased and their good fortune in the afterlife are said which emphasise that there is a life after death
• There is a short talk called a euology about the person’s life, thanking God for granting it
• The committal then takes place where you either bury or cremate them and commit them to the afterlife
• Here their soul is commended to God for his merciful and loving safekeeping
• In Catholic funerals, the Eucharist will take place to pray for the soul’s peace known as ‘requiem mass’