Christian practices

• Worship


  The way in which Christians show their deep love, reverence and respect for God. Showing God's worth.
• Activities considered acts of worship


  • (not provided)
• Reasons why Christians worship

  • Praise and thank God for his blessings
  • Ask for forgiveness of sins
  • Seek God's help for themselves or others who might be suffering
  • Deepen relationship with God
  • Gives them comfort and strength
  • To live a more truly Christian life
  • Joining a community
• Liturgical Worship


  Most common in Roman Catholic, Orthodox and many Church of England churches. Formal, ordered, ritual, symbolic, structured (set and planned).
• Non-Liturgical Worship


  Some Church of England, Methodist, Baptist. Some structure, less formal, some spontaneity, simple-no ritual.
• Informal Worship


  Some Baptist, Pentecostal church. Little structure, very simple, spontaneity, very informal, congregation participate.
• Acts of Worship


  • Holy Communion
  • Bread/wine
  • Mass, prayers
  • Singing hymns
  • Celebrating festivals (Christmas, Easter)
  • Prayer (Lord's prayer, holding hands)
  • Processing with cross, statues
  • Making a pilgrimage to a holy place
  • Charitable work
  • Baptism, confirmation, marriage, funerals
  • Using rosary
• Prayer


  Talking to God
• Reasons for prayer


  • Adoration, worship, devotion, reverence
  • Confession, admit
  • Thanksgiving, acknowledgement, gratitude
  • Supplication, request, asking for something
• Occasions when a Christian might pray

  • Asking for forgiveness; when doing something wrong
  • When in danger
  • Festivals; Christmas, Easter
  • Funerals, weddings, baptisms
  • Mass
  • Thanking, grateful
  • Request on behalf of someone else
  • Prayer before a meal; grace
  • Service
• Set prayers


  Prayers that have been written down and aid more than once by more than one person, for example the Lord's Prayer.
• Informal prayers


  Prayers that is made up by an individual using his or her own words.
• Nonconformists


  An English Protestant who does not conform to the doctrines or practices of the established Church of England.
• Denomination


  (not defined)
• Orthodox


  (not defined)
• Method of prayer


  (not defined)
• The four main reasons for praying are ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication
• Catholics use a rosary in prayer
• Icon


  An image of a saint that an Orthodox Christian uses to focus their mind and meditation and prayer
• Liturgical worship


  Ordered and structured and has set prayers
• Non-liturgical worship


  More spontaneous and less formal
• Denominations that practice liturgical worship

  • Some Church of England, Methodist, Baptist
• Sacrament


  A holy ritual which outwardly expresses an inner, spiritual experience. Sacraments involve physical elements, such as bread and wine and symbolic actions, like the breaking of bread, to represent a belief.
• Seven Sacraments (Catholic and Orthodox)

  • Baptism
  • Confirmation
  • Holy Communion
  • Reconciliation (also called confession)
  • Marriage
  • Holy Orders-when a priest takes vows to become ordained
  • Anointing of the sick (also called last rites for the terminally ill)
• Infant Baptism


  Welcoming baby to Christianity, parents and God Parents make the promises on their behalf, priest dip their thumb in holy oil and sign the baby, believes that God is present at the baby's baptism, God will be present in the baby's lives, removes the original sin, practiced by Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Church of England, involves sprinkling of water
• Believer's Baptism


  Only baptises people who consciously commit themselves as a disciple of God, teaches the person what being a Christian is, gives testimony-their own will, thinks that a baby is too young to understand the meaning of baptism, people should wait till they are mature enough to make their own decisions, they believe that baptism does not itself save a person; it is someone's conversion to living a life dedicated to Jesus, involves full immersion in pool, practiced by Baptist, Pentecostal
• Transubstantiation


  The belief of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox denominations, the bread and wine changes to the body and blood of Christ even though the physical appearance looks the same
• Consubstantiation


  The view of The Church of England, the bread and wine remain physically bread and wine, but they are spiritually changed
• Memoriale


  The view of non-conformist protestant Churches like the Baptist or Methodist, the bread and wine are merely symbols, an act of remembrance and not a sacrament
• The importance of Holy Communion is that it brings Christians closer together as a community
• Pilgrimage


  A devotional practice consisting of a prolonged journey, undertaken on foot or on horseback, toward a specific destination of significance
• Reasons and benefits of pilgrimage

  • Grow closer to God
  • Express sorrow for sin and forgiveness
  • Reflect on their lives
  • Pray for something or thank God for a blessing
  • Seek a cure for illness
  • Help other pilgrims who are disabled or ill
  • Experience a holy place
  • Meet others who share their faith
• The difference between a pilgrimage and a holiday is that a pilgrimage is a journey taken for religious reasons to a sacred place whereas a holiday is a journey taken for fun and relaxation
• Examples of famous places of pilgrimage include Canterbury and Jerusalem
• Lourdes


  A place in the South-west of France dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus, important because in 1858 a young girl had visions of Mary in a grotto (cave) near the river. Pilgrims go there to help cure their illness and to recite the rosary and then to bathe in the water.
• Iona


  An island off the west coast of Scotland dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Some people think that the wall between the spiritual world and real world is thin. Iona is remote so many pilgrims think that it is a place where God reveals his infinite power and presence. Pilgrims hold daily services in the Abbey Church, lead a seven-mile hike, and attend workshops.
• Similarities between Lourdes and Iona: both are dedicated to the Virgin Mary, both were created by saints
• Differences between Lourdes and Iona: Lourdes is for healing, Iona is for reflection, Lourdes is for Roman Catholic and Iona is for Ecumenical
• The Trussell Trust is an organisation that provides emergency food, help and support based on Christian principles, with the aim of ending hunger and poverty in the UK
• Street Pastors are Christian adults who volunteer to receive training in order to patrol the streets in urban areas, providing a reassuring presence and helping vulnerable people in practical ways