Practices Flashcards
Purpose of worship
expression of adoration and praise for God
Liturgical worship, definition and examples
Follows set pattern and has established rituals
Protestant:
- Thomas Cranmer, first service book in 1554
- Lord’s prayer
Catholic:
- Eucharist:
- Liturgy of the Word
- Homily, reciting the Creed, intercession
- Liturgy of the Eucharist
- Bread + Wine, and blessings
Informal worship examples
Charismatic and evangelical:
- Lacks set pattern
- Emphasise the importance of the Holy Spirit and spontaneous action
- Reflects first decades of church
- Church is not only place for worship, any gathering of Christians
2 types of worship groups
- Corporate worship
- Congregations that meet at set times and places
- Makes up the church
- Individual worship
- “Go to your room, close the door and pray to your father”
- CofE service is declining
- Affects the use of churches
- Key part of Reformation was that everybody is their own priest
Types of prayer (7)
Adoration
Confessional
Contemplation
Praise
Thanksgiving
Supplication
Informal/Extemporaneous
Two types of denominational worship
Quakers:
- Informal prayer that highlights presence of God
- No set prayers
- Often silent, except for ministry
Evangelical worship
- Informal, not set
- Glossolalia
- Singing and dancing
The 7 catholic sacraments
Baptism
Eucharist
Confirmation
Penance
Anointing of the sick
Holy orders
Marriage
Other denominational views on sacraments
Protestant: only Baptism and eucharist
Quaker and salvation army support none, still live holy lives
Baptism ceremony
- Ordained minister or authorised lay person
- symbolises purification of sin
- Born again in life with God
- Infant:
- water sprinkled on head or immersed
- Freedom from original sins for Catholics
- Christening
- Parents and Godparents promise to raise in faith
- Candle lit, oil anointed
- Adults:
- Reflects Jesus
- Believers baptism
Other reasons for baptism
- Entry into Church, and family for infants
- Chance to proclaim faith
- Jesus commanded followers to baptise
Different views on Eucharist
Catholics:
- Bread and wine actually become body and blood, transubstantiation
Lutherans:
- Sacramental union, join but still separate
Protestants:
- Spiritual presence of Holy Spirit
- Baptists believe in memorialism
Purpose of pilgrimage
- Adventure and curiosity
- Meet new people
- New experience
- Act of religious devotion
- Attempt to walk in the footsteps of religious figures
- Atonement
- Supplication
- Reflects journey of life toward God
Walsingham
- Became Holy in 1061
- Contains replica of house in nazareth, after dream of virgin Mary
- Destroyed in 1538
- Anglican shrine today
- Commemorates the birth of Jesus
Taize
- Founded in 1940
- Important ecumenical monastic community and order
- Works for reconciliation of Catholics and Protestants
- 100,000 visitors a year
- 3 services a day
Purpose of Christmas
- Focuses on the importance of incarnation
- Advent highlights importance, used to fast
Celebration of Christmas
- Nativity scenes or plays
- Christingle services
- Carols
- Cards
- Decorations like Advent wreaths
- Midnight mass communions
Lent
- Commemorates time that Jesus spent fasting in desert while tempted by the devil
- Begins on Ash Wednesday
- Catholics get ash cross on forehead in service
- Day of fasting
- Shrove Tuesday, give up vices
Days of Easter
1) Palm Sunday
- Arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem
- Crosses out of palm leaves made
2) Maundy Tuesday:
- Last supper
- Mass takes place and priests wash feet
3) Good Friday
- Jesus’ death on the cross
- Day of mourning, Catholics fast
4) Easter Sunday
Celebrations on Easter
- Cards
- Eggs
- Church services
- Leaving flowers at cemeteries
- Vigil on Saturday of the Holy Week
Fall in Church attendance
Halved from 1980 to 2015, 11.8% to 5%
Christian influence in Law
- House of Lords
- Lords Spiritual are 26 of most senior CofE bishops, non-elected
- Laws reflect the 10 commandments
- Both houses open with Christian prayer
Christian influence on Festivals
- School holidays on Christmas and Easter
- Has become more secular, eg St Valentines day
Christian influence on traditions
- ‘Keep holy the Sabbath day’, regarded as day of rest and shop hours are restricted
- In court of law, people often swear on the Bible, if not, can make ‘witness affirmation’
- Hymns at remembrance services
- Marriages often take place at Church
Religious influence on schools
- 1/3 states schools in UK are faith schools
- All state schools legally have to teach RS
Role of Church in local community
- Food banks
- Youth clubs
- Summer festivals
- Emergency shelter
- Mothers’ union meetings
Church Growth
- Weekly attendance at CofE, feel from 720,000 in 2019 to 650,000 in 2023
- Evangelists churches are growing fast
- Uses church planting, eg Icthus fellowship
Fresh expressions
- CofE movement to attract more people
- Informal settings eg church cafes
World growth of Christianity
In sub-saharan Africa, growing from about half a billion people in 2010 to more than a billion in 2050
Tearfund
- Reflects agape
- Provides aid in over 50 countries
- Helps after disaster
- Role in public awareness
- Fundraises
- Campaigns against poverty
- Set up 30 football clubs in Columbia
Open doors
Created by Brother Andrew in USSR, 1955
- Distributes Bibles
- Trains Christians to deal with trauma
- Practical support
- Speaks on behalf of perscuted, eg by lobbying MPs
World Council of Churches
- 110 countries, not Roman Catholic
- Works for reconciliation through ecumenical services
Ecumenical movement
Started with World missionary conference of 1910
- Different churches can share buildings
- Hold joint services