Christianity Practices Flashcards
What is worship?
act of religious praise, honour or devotion (way for Christians to show their deep love and honour to God)
What is private worship?
when believers praise or honour God in their own home
Why do Christians worship?
-to praise and thank God
-to ask for forgiveness
-to seek God’s help for themselves or others
-to deepen their relationship with God and strengthen their faith
What is Liturgical worship?
church service that follows a set structure or ritual
What is non-liturgical worship?
a service that does not follow a set text or ritual
What is informal worship?
a type of non-liturgical worship that is ‘spontaneous’ or ‘charismatic’ in nature
What form does liturgical worship take?
-takes place in a Church
-led by priest
-formal prayers with set responses
-music and hymns
What form does non-liturgical worship take?
-takes place in a church
-often focused on Bible readings followed by a sermon
-may have prayers and hymns but no set order and can change from week to week
Examples of liturgical worship?
-Eucharist for Catholic
-Orthodox Church
-Anglican Church
Examples of non-liturgical worship?
-Methodist
-Baptist
-United Reformed
Why is liturgical worship important to Christians?
-familiar to everyone
-passed down generations so it is traditional
-teach Christian history and faith
Why is non-liturgical worship important to Christians?
-services can be planned to fit themes
-non-conformist churches place and emphasis on the word of God in the Bible
What form does informal worship take?
-community or house churches meet in private homes and share food
-Quaker worship is mainly silent and only speak when moved by God
-‘charismatic’ worship may involve speaking in tongues and clapping and dancing
Why is informal worship important to Christians?
-similar to worship of early Christians
-can take active part in the Church
-may have emotional impact with feeling of personal revelation from God
Examples of informal worship?
-community or house churches
-Quaker worship
-worship of Pentecostal Church
Why is prayer important?
-gives strength in times of trouble
-gives sense of peace
-helps Christians to accept God’s will even if it means suffering
-helps Christians to keep a close relationship with God
-enables Christians to talk and listen to God
-encourages reflection in the middle of a busy life
What is a sacrament?
holy rituals through which believers receive a special gift of grace
Why is the Lord’s Prayer important to Christians?
-model of a good prayer (combines praises of God and asking for one’s needs)
-reminder to forgive others in order to be forgiven
-reminder that God is the Father of the whole Christian community
-used in all types of things e.g. marriages, funerals and baptisms
-Jesus replied with the Lord’s prayer when his disciples asked how to pray
What is a baptism?
ritual through which a person becomes a member of the church and involves the use of water to symbolise the washing away of sin
What is a believer’s baptism?
baptism for people who are old enough to understand the significance of the ritual
What are the seven sacraments that Catholic and Orthodox recognise?
-baptism
-confirmation
-holy communion
-marriage
-holy orders
-reconciliation
-the anointing of the sick
What are the two sacraments recognised by Protestant?
-baptism
-holy communion
What happens through a baptism?
-imitates Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist
-becomes a member of the Christian Church
-becomes a child of God
-is cleansed of sin
-receives God’s saving grace and the Holy Spirit
-enters new life with Christ in the Christian community
What do Catholic and Orthodox believe about infant baptisms?
removes original sin
What is a Holy Communion?
(also known as the Eucharist) is the sacrament that uses bread and wine to celebrate the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection
What does the Holy Communion recall?
the last supper of Jesus, using his words and actions
What is a pilgrimage?
a journey made by a believer to a holy site for religious reasons
What does the holy communion do?
bring Christians closer to each other and God
What is the impact of the Holy communion on individuals?
-receive God’s grace by joining in the sacrifice of Jesus
-strengthens their faith
-become closer to God
What is the significance of Lourdes?
-Mary appeared in many visions of a young girl called Bernadette
-Mary told Bernadette to dig in the ground and when she did spring water appeared
-water was believed to have healing properties and a number of healing miracles claimed to take place there
Why would someone go on a pilgrimage?
-grow closer to God
-strengthen faith in God
-be forgiven for sin
-reflect of one’s life
-pray for something special
-thank God for a blessing
-seek a cure for illness
-help other pilgrims who are disabled or ill
-experience a holy place
-meet others of the same faith
In an Orthodox Church what is Holy Communion called?
Divine Liturgy
What do Protestant Christians celebrate the Holy Communion for?
as a reminder of the Last Supper, they don’t believe the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ, instead they believe the bread and wine remain symbols of Jesus’s sacrifice (which helps believers to reflect on its meaning today)
What do Catholic, Orthodox Christians and some Anglicans believe about the Holy Communion?
the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ and Jesus is fully present in the bread and wine
What pilgrims do in Lordes?
-bathe in the water of spring
-help other pilgrims that are disabled or ill to bathe in springs
-pray for healing or forgiveness
-may recite the rosary together
What is the significance of Iona?
-where St Columba established a monastic community in the 6th century AD
-community now has an ecumenical centre where pilgrims can stay
What do pilgrims do in Iona?
-spend time praying, reflecting or meditating because it is peaceful
-attend services in the abbey church, take part in workshops and visit the island’s holy or historic sites
Why is Easter the most important festival to Christians?
celebrates the rising of Jesus from the death
What happened on Good Friday?
Jesus was crucified
During the holy week on Saturday night, what does it celebrate and how does it end?
celebrates Jesus’s resurrection and service ends with Holy Communion
What do eggs symbolise during the holy week?
new life
What is The Church?
the holy people of God, also called the Body of Christ, among whom Christ is present and active
What is agape?
selfless, sacrificial and unconditional love
What is a church?
a building in which Christians worship
Two examples of Christian organisations that provide practical help to local communities?
-Street Pastors
-Parish Nursing Ministries UK
What do Christians believe about their faith?
it is important to put their faith into actions by helping vulnerable people of the community
What do street pastors do?
people who are trained to patrol the streets in urban areas and help vulnerable people by providing a reassuring presence on the street
What is a mission?
a vocation or calling to spread the faith
What do Christians spread the faith through?
evangelism (showing faith in Jesus by example or by telling others)
What is the Great Commission?
Jesus’s instructions to the disciples to spread his teachings
How was the Great Commission said to be performed by Jesus?
-spread the gospel
-make disciples of all nations through baptism
-Holy Spirit at Pentecost gave the disciples the gifts and courage to carry it out
What is the purpose of missionary work and evangelism?
persuade people to accept Jesus as their Saviour
What is a way that people become missionaries or evangelists?
going to foreign countries to preach or do charitable work
What is Alpha?
a course used as an introduction for those interested in learning about Christianity, used by different denominations in Britain and abroad
Example of evangelism in Britain?
Alpha
What is Alpha and opportunity for?
to explore the meaning of life through talks and discussions
What does Christ for all Nations do?
it is a Christian organisation that promotes evangelism by holding evangelistic meetings throughout the world, but particularly in Africa
What are some ways Christians can spread faith?
-sharing what God has done for them with others
-inviting people to Christian meetings, fellowship meals and social events
-praying for others to accept God
-advertising and using media (such as Facebook, Twitter or Premier Christian Radio)
What is The Church’s mission?
to make disciples, not just new believers (this means that new Christians are also expected to help spread the faith as part of their commitment to Jesus)
What is reconciliation?
restoring harmony after relationships have broken down through initiatives to develop peace and understanding
What fraction of the world’s population claims to be a Christian?
up to a third
How do Christians believe that they were reconciled to God?
through Jesus’s death and resurrection which helped to restore the relationship between God and humanity that had been broken by sin
What is the mission of the world wide Church?
to restore people’s relationship with God and with one another
What type of Christians believe that the sacrament of Reconciliation also helps to restore people’s relationship with God?
Catholics
Examples of organisations working for reconciliation and how they do it?
-Irish Churches Peace Project (brings Catholics and Protestants together in Northern Island)
-World Council of Churches (reconciliation between different Christian denominations and members of other faiths)
-Community of the Cross of Nails (works with partners in other countries to bring about peace and harmony)
What is persecution?
hostility and ill-treatment
Examples of persecution?
-being forced to pay extra tax
-job discrimination
-being forbidden to build churches
-attacks on Christian homes, churches and families (including murder)
Why do some Christians believe that persecution has a positive effect on them?
-strengthens their faith and conviction
-allows them to share in the suffering of Jesus
What and why do Christians do things about poverty?
they follow the example and teaching of Jesus in working to relieve poverty by having Christian charities
What are the three Christian charities that help the poor?
-Christian Aid
-Tearfund
-CAFOD
Examples of Jesus helping the poor?
-told a rich man to sell everything and give to the poor
-Jesus helped outcasts such as lepers, tax collector and sinners
