Have you ever been to a church service from a different Christian

denomination? Would you? Why/why not?

If you did, was there anything that surprised you/ you liked/ made you feel uncomfortable?

Different Christian attitudes to the Eucharist

• To Know different beliefs about the Eucharist in different Christian traditions

• To Understand the reason for these differences

Who was Martin Luther ?

Martin Luther said there is only one power:

faith in Christ. Which of these will Protestants reject as incapable of bestowing salvation/ communicating God’s grace ?

1. Good works2. Rituals eg sacraments3. Priests 4. Blessed Objects eg holy water, altar

What difference will this make to the way Protestants celebrate the Lord’s supper ?

What do other Christians believe ?Draw an arrow, going from most to least catholic from top of your page to the bottom. Put the different churches along this arrow, according to how catholic they are. All Protestants: There is no physical

presence of Jesus, only faith.

Non-conformists (methodists, baptists) Only accept 2 sacraments: baptism and “Holy Communion”. Do not use “eucharist”.The bread and grape juice (they don’t use wine) do not change. They only symbolise the presence of Christ, bring blessing from God and help unify the believers as one. The service is a COMMEMORATION (reminder) of what Jesus did, not the actual act of sacrifice, or his real presence.

Salvation Army/ Quakers Jesus is the only priest, nobody / nothing can hold any special spiritual powers – there are no rituals eg sacraments, and no priests. Worship is direct contact with God, not through symbols eg bread & wine: so they don’t celebrate communion.

Anglicans High anglicans are more like Catholics, and believe in priests and the 7 sacraments. Others (low anglicans) only believe in baptism and for them, Holy Communion is like for the non-conformists

Orthodox ChristiansDo believe the bread and wine become the Real Presence, as heaven comes down to earth in the body/ blood of Jesus during the Divine Liturgy (=mass). They call how it happens “a holy mystery”. They eat the bread mingled with wine from a spoon.

Catholics & Orthodox

High Anglicans

Low Anglicans

Quakers, Salvation Army

Non-Conformist Protestants (Methodists, Baptists)

Holy CommunionService

Eucharist / Mass

No Celebration of the Last Supper

Importance of the Eucharist: what’s the good of celebrating it ?

• For Catholics/ Orthodox ?“If you do not eat my flesh, and drink my blood, you have no life in you. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I shall resurrect him on the last day.” Jn 6:54-57

- Salvation & promise of resurrection- forgiveness of sin- strength for living as God wants- sharing in Christ’s life

For other Christians (not Eucharist, but Holy Communion)?• spiritual nourishment & blessing from God• learning what it means to be a disciple

Exam Question: choose one (the one you’re less clear about)

• Explain the main differences between Catholic and Protestant attitudes to the Eucharist. (8 marks)

• “The Eucharist is not important to Christians” (6mks)– Do you agree ? Give reasons for your opinion. – Give reasons for why some people might disagree

with you.

Who said this? (which Christian?)

1. The bread and juice are representative of the body and blood of Christ, for us to remember his act of sacrifice.

2. The Eucharist is heaven come down into the body and blood of Jesus

3. To be holy or spiritual, you don’t need any practices or rituals apart from faith.

4. The bread and wine are not bread and wine any more. They are the whole Christ.