Religious Studies

Paper 2:

Christianity

Christianity: The Greek Orthodox ChurchChristianity: The Greek Orthodox Church

Dome withIcon of Christ

Narthex

Nave

choir

Chapel of Prothesis, where bread and wine are prepared.

Sanctuary with a dome – represents the spiritual realm where only priests enter.

Altar table represents the presence of God and the tomb of Christ

Diaconicon – where robes, books and equipment are kept.

Iconostasis – a screen painted with icons which divides the sanctuary from the nave. This represents the division between heaven and Earth.

The Royal Doors –at the centre of the iconostasis. Opened at special points in the service, priests carry the Bible and communion elements through the doors.

Nave – where the congregation stand. There are no seats so all can move about freely, representing how the world can be transformed by Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Circular dome – represents the eternity of Christ and that all must accept salvation through Christ.

Narthex – represents the world waiting for the coming of Jesus Christ.

•Icons help them to concentrate their prayers and focus on God. They allow them to enter a spiritual place of mind, and forget about day to day worries to become closer to God. Icons often depict how God rescues from sin.

•Greek Orthodox pray to saints, and saints with the same name as the person are believed to offer special protection.

•Before the beginning of the Sunday service, they will go through confession, one of the seven sacraments. They are confessing to God, and the priest gives absolution, or forgiveness.

•Before the service begins, the priest burns incense to make the building holy. The service usually lasts from 1.5 to 3 hours.

•Holy Communion is called the Divine Liturgy. Priest and deacons enter with the Bible (the Ministry of the Word). This remembers the death and resurrection of Christ. Jesus commanded Christians to “do this in my name” at the last supper. The bread and the wine are placed on the Holy Throne, the altar behind the iconostasis. The priest closes the doors and ask them to be turned onto the blood and body of Christ.

•The congregation then sing the Confession of Faith, the doors are opened, and the consecrated bread and wine are offered to the congregation, together on one spoon.

•Before leaving church, they kiss the cross as a sign of fellowship, or kiss the ring of the priest showing that they accept his authority.

Christianity: The Greek Orthodox ChurchChristianity: The Greek Orthodox Church

Baptism of BabiesIn the orthodox church, there is a large font in which babies are covered 3 times. They are dressed in white clothes and given a cross. The hair is cut in the sign of the cross, and the Godparents walk around the church and font carrying the baby and a candle.

After the baptism, the babies are taken to the iconostasis and the royal doors. Only boys can go through the Royal doors to the sanctuary.

ChrismationThis is confirmation into the church when the baby is anointed in Holy Oil. It is believed to be when the baby receives their guardian angel.

Agree

1. Want it to be as beautiful as possible to show how much God is valued, show respect for his power

2. Make it attractive for visitors and other people in the building

Disagree

1. Appearance is not important, the only thing that is important is how you relate to God

2. May distract and take attention away from God

3. Money could be given to charity

Baptist

Moveable preaching area

Baptistery

Methodist/United Reform

PulpitCommunion table

Font

Church of England

Altar in Sanctuary

Choirs in Chancel

Pulpit and Lectern

Font

Roman Catholic

Lady Chapel

Altar & Tabernacle in Sanctuary

Choirs in Chancel

Pulpit and Lectern

Font

Stations of the Cross

Confessional

Key features to remember:Key features to remember:

Baptist - preaching area, baptistry, no altar

Roman Catholic – stations of the cross, confessional, lady chapel

Quaker – table in centre of room, comfy seating, no altar

Orthodox – no seats, icons, royal doors

Quaker

Comfy Seating

Table

Altar – where offerings are made to God

Baptistry – a pool where believers are baptised

Chancel – area where choir stand

Confessional – a box where you can confess sins to God (RC or Orthodox)

Font – small bath used in infant baptism, usually next to entrance

Icon – holy picture of Jesus or a saint

Lady chapel – in Orthodox or RC, a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary

Lectern – where Bible is read

Nave – area where people sit

Pew – wooden bench for congregation

Pulpit centred – focal point of the church is the pulpit, meaning that reading and preaching the word of God is most important aspect of worship; Methodist, Baptist, United Reform

Altar centred – altar is central at the eastern end of the church, and holy communion is the most important service in these churches. The service represents how Jesus sacrificed his life in order to pay for the sins of believers so that they may have eternal life; orthodox, RC and C of E.

A pilgrimage is a journey to a place of religious significance. Christians go on Pilgrimages for many reasons;

1. To learn more about their religion

2. To learn more about the life of Jesus by visiting places where he lived

3. To take time out to concentrate on faith

4. To ask for help and healing

5. To spend time with other Christians, to learn from them and develop their faith

Bethlehem was the place where Jesus was born, and Christians visit the church of the nativity where Jesus is believed to have born.

Rome is the capital of roman Catholicism, the home of the pope and where many people believe that the disciple Peter was killed and buried.

Nazareth is the town where Jesus grew up. Pilgrims go to a carpenters house and shop which date back to the time of Jesus, and some believe that this is where Jesus lived.

Jerusalem is where the trials, crucifixion and burial of Jesus took place.

Galilee is where Jesus did most of his teaching and where the Sermon on the Mount took place. Jesus also calmed a storm on the lake.

Assisi is the home of St Francis known for his love of animals, a beautiful town in Italy.

Turin is home to the cathedral where the shroud, in which Jesus’ body was wrapped after the crucifixion, is kept.

Lourdes is a place of Christian pilgrimage at the foot of the Pyrenees mountains in France.

Why is it important to Christians?

•It is believed that the Virgin Mary appeared to 14 year old Bernadette Soubirous in 1858

•The Virgin Mary appeared to her in a grotto close to her home, and told her to dig at a rock. A stream appeared and when a sick child was bathed in the water, they recovered from their illness.

•4 years later in 1862, the Pope declared the visions to be authentic, and now approximately 6 million people make a pilgrimage to the site every year.

67 miracles have been accepted by the Vatican, but approximately 7000 people have claimed to have been healed.

What happens on a Pilgrimage to Lourdes?What happens on a Pilgrimage to Lourdes?

1. Visit the Grotto where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared. Here, they will pray, light candles or write prayers on pieces of paper.

2. Wash and drink in the spring water because it is believed to have healing properties. Water is collected and taken home.

3. Walk around the 12 stations of the cross in order to remember the last days in Jesus’ life and the sacrifice he made

4. Receive holy communion in one or more of the churches at Lourdes as an indication that they are part of the body of Christ.

5. Torchlight procession around the area in the evening

Does pilgrimage strengthen faith?Does pilgrimage strengthen faith?

Yes

•Feel closer to God after visiting a place where Jesus had been

•Spending time with other Christians gives time to discuss and reflect upon faith

•Healing of a medical condition could affirm their belief in the power of God

No

•Disappointing because areas have been highly commercialised and are full of souvenir shops

•Tourism detracts from the religious atmosphere that pilgrims may need to strengthen their faith

•If they are not healed and had asked for God to heal them they may lose faith in His power.

The Christian festivals celebrate events in Jesus’ life. The cycle of festivals begins at Advents and ends at Pentecost. During the cycle, churches are decorated in different colours to show which is being celebrated:

RED – Saints days for sacrifice, Pentecost for Holy Spirit

PURPLE – for advent and lent, in times of preparation

WHITE - used at Christmas and Easter, the main celebrations

Advent • Advent means ‘coming’ . It begins on the 4 th Sunday before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve.

•The purpose of advent for a Christian is anticipation and expectation for the coming of Christ. It is a time where they prepare carefully for Jesus’ arrival.

•At Advent, Christians think about the coming of Jesus as an infant, and the Parousia, Jesus’ second coming.

The Advent Wreath

• Circle of evergreen leaves with 5 candles, one in the centre and 4 around the outside. The Christ candle in the centre is white, the colour of joy, and the other 4 are purple or blue, the colour of penitence.

•The evergreen circle represents the hope of eternal life brought by Jesus Christ. Each Sunday, one more candle is lit, and the central one on Christmas Day. As the weeks progress, the wreath becomes brighter as the birth of the light of the World gets nearer.

•The wreath helps the congregation to focus their minds on the spiritual preparation for Christmas. As candles are lit, prayers are said and bible passages are read.

The Advent Candle - Has numbers 1-24 spaced down the side, and every day during advent, the candle is burned to the next number as prayers and readings are said.

The Advent Calendar – has 24 numbered windows, one of which is opened on every day of Advent. They have bible messages printed on the windows which helps children to concentrate on the Christian message of Christmas.

ChristmasChristmas

This festival celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The festival begins on December 25th and lasts for 12 days.

The incarnation is God the Son taking on the nature of human being; in Him, God took on all that is meant to bee human. This is emphasised by the beginning of John’s gospel.

Christians believe that Jesus was born of a Virgin mother by the power if the Holy Spirit. Mary was told of the pregnancy by the Angel Gabriel (Luke 1:35)

Christians believe that the birth of Jesus is a sign of God’s great love for humanity; when God became man in Jesus Christ. This is why Christmas is a joyful occasion.

The manner of Jesus’ birth is important; the Son of God was born in a stable, not a palace. His visitors were shepherds not Great Leaders. Christians believe that this shows the universal nature of Jesus – He is saviour of the world.

The Crib – is a model of the stable where Jesus was born. It was used by St Francis to teach about the birth of Jesus. Crib contains figures of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and stable animals. The infant Jesus is placed in the crib on Christmas Eve. 12 days after Christmas on Epiphany, the shepherds are removed and the wise men put in place.

Christingle – an orange with a red ribbon, a candle on top and 4 cocktail sticks with fruit and sweets placed around the orange. The orange represents the world; the red ribbon represents the blood of Christ shed for all at the crucifixion; the candle represents Jesus, Light of the World, and the 4 sticks with fruit represent the four seasons in which God provides food.

Presents – represent God’s gift of his son to man kind and gifts from the wise men to Jesus. Cards – words help to pass on the message of Christmas. Money raised can be given to charity.

Services – held throughout Advent. Passages from Bible relating to the birth of Christ and the nativity are read. Service of nine lessons and cards held on the Sunday before Christmas day. Toy service to collect presents for children in need. Midnight mass in RC churches beginning at 11.30pm. Christmas day there may be family services and a service of the Eucharist.

Epiphany Epiphany Epiphany means appearance or showing, and is celebrated on January 6th.

Christians celebrate the wise men visiting Jesus. They celebrate the appearance of Jesus to the Magi, the baptism of Jesus, and His first miracles and teachings.

Jesus received gold as a symbol of his kingship, myrrh as a symbol of his future sacrifice and frankincense as a sign of his divinity.

The wise men were gentiles, not Jews, and their visit shows how Jesus was shown to the entire world, and how he was the saviour for all people and changed the lives of everybody.

LentLent•Lent is a time of preparation for Easter. The first day is called Ash Wednesday, and it lasts for 6 and a half weeks, which is 40 days not including Sundays.•In he time of lent, Christians remember the temptations of Jesus when he was in the desert, and when he was put to test by the devil. Christians remember their own temptations and how often they are sinners. •Lent is a time of repentance, which is feeling genuinely sorry for your sins and asking for God’s forgiveness. •No flowers are put in churches during lent because lent is a time of penitence and reflection, whereas flowers are for celebration, and would not be appropriate. •Making a lent rule means deciding on something to give up in order to grow closer to God through self discipline. •On Ash Wednesday in a Roman Catholic service people are given ash in the shape of the cross on their forehead. As he does this, the priest says, “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return. Turn away from evil and follow Christ”.

Palm SundayPalm Sunday

Holy Week is the last week of lent. During Holy Week, people celebrate and recall the events in the last days of Jesus’ life. These events are marked by special services on the important Holy days. Palm Sunday is the first of these days, and this celebrates the day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.

Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem. Jesus sent 2 disciples to get a donkey and a colt from the village ahead. This fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 that ‘the King will come, gentle and riding on a donkey’. As Jesus went along on the colt, people threw their cloaks on the road for him and the crowd began to praise God. People of the city came out to greet him and through branches on the road.

Palm SundayPalm SundayThe events of palm Sunday are significant for a Christian; the palm branches laid on the road indicate that the King was coming in victory and triumph. It was customary for a King to enter on a donkey as a symbol of peace, symbolising that Jesus is the King of Peace.

Today, palm branches and palm crosses are still used in Sunday services. The palms are blessed and large leaves are carried in procession. Members of the congregation hold crosses to remember those which were waved when Jesus entered Jerusalem and to remember the cross on which Jesus died.

Maundy ThursdayMaundy ThursdayMaundy or Holy Thursday is according to the Bible, the day on which Jesus shared the Last Supper and the Passover meal with his 12 disciples. During the last supper, Jesus took bread and wine and asked God to bless it. He then said, “This is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” He took a cup of wine and said. “This wine is the token of God’s new covenant to save you – an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you.” This is the biblical basis of Holy communion. After the Last Supper, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane , outside of Jerusalem. When Jesus was there, he prayed for strength for the crucifixion, but as he was doing this, Judas brought the chief priests to arrest him. Jesus kissed him on the cheek so that the guards knew who to arrest, and he was taken away for trial.

Maundy comes from the Latin word ‘Mandatum’, meaning commandment. Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment; to love with humility by serving one another just as Christ loved them.

Jesus washed the feet of his disciples to show them the full extent of his love. Jesus demonstrated how Christians are to love one another through humble service

In some churches on Maundy Thursday, the priest washes the feet of 12 people as a representation of what Jesus did. Some churches hold a Eucharist Communion service, and after this, the Altar is stripped and left bare until Easter.

The Mass of the Chrism is when all of the holy oils to be used in the coming year are blessed by the Bishop. The oils of the Chrism are used in baptisms, ordination and confirmation, as well as for anointing consecration crosses and pouring onto the altar when it is dedicated.

Good FridayGood FridayOn Good Friday, Christians remember how Jesus was crucified at Calvary (Golgotha).

The day is called Good Friday because it is the most important thing that could have happened to the world – it opened the doors of Heaven to everyone.

There is never a service of communion on Good Friday because the Lord has been taken away.

On Good Friday, a Procession of Witnesses walk through the streets of towns, carrying crosses and small acts of worship. This makes everyone aware that it is Good Friday and shows that they want all to be aware of the death of Jesus Christ. On Good Friday evening, some orthodox Christians bring an icon of the dead Jesus into the church wrapped in burial clothes. Members of the congregation kiss the icon as an act of worship.

Easter SundayEaster Sunday

Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. Worship on Easter Sunday is very different to that on Good Friday; churches that were stripped bare for Good Friday are lavishly decorated with flowers, and joyful hymns and songs are sung.

An Easter vigil is held to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, light of the world. The service begins at a time where everywhere is dark, like Holy Saturday sunset, midnight or dawn on Easter Sunday. An important part of the rite is the blessing and lighting of the Paschal candle. It begins outside the church. A light is struck and the new fire of Easter is lit. The candle is lit from the fire, and carried through the church to a special stand. The congregation light their own candles and pass it along by lighting candles near to them. This symbolises the spread throughout the world of the joyful news of the resurrection of Jesus.

The Paschal candle is lit to represent the rising of Jesus, light of the world. The cross symbolises the crucifixion; the five pieces of incense or brass represent the wounds on Jesus’ body (crown of thorns, two hands, two feet and spear in the side), alpha and omega represent that Jesus is the beginning and end of all things.

An Easter egg is full of symbolism for a Christian. It is a symbol off birth and rebirth, a symbol of Christ’s crucifixion then resurrection.

Pentecost (Whitsun)Pentecost (Whitsun)Pentecost celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit, celebrated 50 days after Easter.

At Pentecost, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples (acts 2: 1-11): “From Heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues as of fire appeared among them and a tongue rested on each one of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the spirit gave them ability”. The crowds accepted the words of Jesus Christ and became Christians on that day.

Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is the third of the Godhead, equal to God the Father and God the Son. They believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in each person and enables them to live a Christian life.

Pentecost is known as the birthday of the church because it was the day that the apostles were filled with the holy spirit. It is related to the Jewish harvest festival of Shavuot, commemorating God giving the 10 commandments to Moses at Mount Sinai, 50 days after the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.

Prayer Prayer Prayer is communication with God.

There are 5 main types of prayer;

1. Confession – a person admits doing something wrong and wants to put it right and be forgiven by God

2. Thanksgiving – Christians thank God for everything good in their life

3. Praise – being aware of how wonderful and incredible God is

4. Intercessions – asking for something for somebody else

5. Petition – asking prayers for oneself. Prayers are asked in God’s name because God knows what is best.

Within the Lord’s Prayer, there are each of these types of prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer is so named because Jesus made this prayer and gave it to his disciples. The word ‘hallowed’ means praised and holy. Trespasses are sins, and the word ‘Amen’ means ‘may this happen according to your will’.

Postures for PrayerPostures for Prayer

•Kneeling – helps to concentrate on thoughts, a sign of humility, making yourself small in front of God.

•Standing – respect and keeps alert

•Sitting, eyes closed, hands together – comfort in presence of God

•Lying on Floor (Prostrate) – extreme helplessness, submission and showing complete dependency on God

Set Prayer – somebody else made the prayer up, like in the Book of Common Prayer (Roman Catholic)

Spontaneous prayer – make it up on the spot, coming from your heart.

Prayer Prayer The Jesus Prayer

•Sometimes used as a form of meditation by Orthodox Christians. It says:

““Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me” on me”

It is a form of confession because the person recognises that they are in need of mercy, and it is also a prayer of petition. The prayer is repeated over and over again to concentrate the mind and try to communicate with God.

Why do Christians pray?Why do Christians pray?

1. They believe in God

2. They believe that God cares for people

3. They are following the example of Jesus, like on the night before his death in the garden of Gethsemane

4. Jesus told his followers to pray and gave them the Lord’s Prayer.

Aids to PrayerAids to Prayer

1. Rosary beads –1. Rosary beads – consist of 5 sets of 10 beads. Each set of 10 is called a decade. At the start of each decade the Lord’s Prayer is said. For each bead in the decade the person says the Hail Mary. At the end of each decade the person says The Gloria. As Catholics progress through the decades, they concentrate on important events in the life of Jesus and Mary. These are called mysteries, known as the Joyful, the Sorrowful and the Glorious. Rosary beads gives a Catholic something to hold and something to concentrate on.

Aids to PrayerAids to Prayer

2. Icons –2. Icons – An icon is a religious picture of Jesus, Mary or the Saints. The picture is thought to be filled with the spirit of that person. People do no pray to the icon, it just helps them to focus their prayers.

Aids to PrayerAids to Prayer

3. Candles –3. Candles – Candles remind Christians that Jesus is the light of the world. Light brings comfort, gives guidance and reveals things to us. In many churches, Christians light a candle and place it in front of an icon, statue or altar. The candle may represent a prayer or just their presence in that place. This is a Votive candle and comes from the Latin word “votare” to ask for something.

Aids to PrayerAids to Prayer

4. Stations of the Cross –4. Stations of the Cross – This is a series of pictures or statues placed on the inside walls of Roman Catholic Churches. There are usually 14 different pictures. They show the final stages of Jesus’ life, starting with the trial before Pilate and ending with the crucifixion and burial. Christians use the stations of the cross particularly at Lent when they are preparing for the celebration of Easter.

A rite of passage is a service that marks an important stage in a person’s life. In Christianity, there are 4 main rites of passage; baptism, confirmation, marriage and funerals.

Infant BaptismInfant Baptism

•Parents decide that the child will be baptised

•Parents choose Godparents

•Parents/godparents stand around the font. The priest asks if they believe in God and if they will guide the child in Christianity. Priest makes the sign of the cross on the baby’s forehead, and puts water over the head three times in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

•The family is given a candle to represent that Jesus, light of the world, has entered their life

•Child is welcomed into the family of the church.

Believer’s BaptismBeliever’s Baptism

•The person decides for themselves

•They will go to preparation classes

•They will give a testimony to the congregation about why they want to be a Christian

•They want to make a public declaration of their faith

•Stand in baptistry with minister and declare that they have turned away from sin and turn to Christ

•They are baptised by total immersion. They leave the baptistry via a different set of steps than the ones they entered by, to symbolise that they have left their old life and their new life in Christ has begun.

•Believer’s Baptism is important because: Jesus was baptised in this way; sign of cleansing and a new beginning; public declaration of faith; makes you a full member of the church family.

ChrismationChrismation

In the orthodox church when the infant is christened, they are also anointed with holy oil called Chrism. This is equivalent of confirmation on the RC tradition. This represents that God is in the baby’s life.

The baby’s hair is cut in the shape of the cross, and chrism is anointed at 3 points; forehead (God is in the mind); chest (God is within the heart); top of legs (God is the source of life).

ConfirmationConfirmation

Only happens in churches that practise infant baptism. It is the second stage of baptism – the person confirms the promises made for them when they were a baby by their parents and Godparents. It is like believer’s baptism in that it is a public declaration of faith. It is always done by a Bishop who passes on the power of the Holy Spirit. The person says that they turn away from sin and to Christ and that they want to live their life for him. The bishop places their hands on their head. After confirmation, they are a full member of the church and can take holy communion.

MarriageMarriage

Christians believe in 4 main purposes for marriage;

1. Companionship – friendship for life

2. Commitment – to the person you love

3. Children – bring children up in a loving, secure home.

4. Sex – to control and direct sexual instinct.

The wedding ceremony has 4 parts;

1. Declaration – Vicar asks if anyone has a reason for the couple not to get married.

2. Vows – exchange of promises and rings

3. Proclamation – couple are declared man and wife.

4. Blessing – “Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder”, meaning nobody should break the bond of marriage that had been made before God.

Rings are exchanges as a sign of love and commitment – they have no end, and so symbolises that love will last to the end. When the ring is given, the bride/groom says: “Take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

Funerals Funerals Funerals are services that mark the end of a life. There are 3

purposes of a funeral:

1. To give thanks for the person’s life

2. To commit them to the hands of God

3. To comfort the friends and family of the deceased

The focus of a Christian service is the belief in life after death. The empty cross is a sign that Jesus rose from the dead and Christians believe that his resurrection means that they also can have life after death.

Flowers are given as a sign of life

Prayers and hymns chosen

Body committed to burial in the ground or to the flames in cremation.

The Bible is divided into the Old and New Testaments. The Old has39 books, and the new has 27 books. ‘Testament’ means agreement; in the old testament, the agreement between God and man was made through men like Moses and Abraham. In the new testament, it was made through Jesus.

There are 4 ways that Christians interpret the Bible:

1. Literalists: believe that the bible is literally true. It came from God and is completely faultless.

2. Fundamentalists: believe that the Bible came from God and is completely true, but in parts may require some interpretation, like in the Genesis story of creation, a ‘day’ may mean a longer period of time.

3. Conservatives: believe that the Bible was inspired by God but written by people. Think that it is necessary to study the time it was written to understand its meaning, and it may contain human error.

4. Liberals: believe that the spiritual message of the Bible is what is important. The writers of the Bible were inspired by God, but it may contain human error.

Reading the bible in private worship

Christians read the Bible to:

• learn about the history of their religion

•Study life and teachings of Jesus

•Look for guidance when making a difficult decision

•Enjoy the poetry and praise of God

•For comfort in difficult times

•For courage to face up to a difficult event or problem Corporate/ Public WorshipCorporate/ Public Worship

Each denomination of the Christian faith uses the Bible differently.

Anglican C of E – 2 readings on a Sunday; one from the New Testament gospels and one from a letter in either of the two. Gospel reading must be read by a member of the clergy and congregation stand as a mark of respect for Jesus’ teachings. Readings taken from a list called the Lectionary – over 2 years, the main stories of the Bible would be covered.

Roman Catholic – Identical to C of E. When gospel is read, priest may kiss the Bible as a sign of respect. Choir boys may also carry candles to represent how Jesus is the light in Christians’ lives.

Free Churches – no lectionary – minister chooses suitable readings. Sermon links to the reading. In URC, Bible is carried in at the beginning of the service and congregation stand as a mark of respect.

Quakers – bible placed on the table in centre, so any member of the congregation may choose to read a passage privately or aloud.

Cognitive Truth – you can prove it empirically. A literalist would say that the Bible is cognitive truth.

Non Cognitive truth – cannot prove it with the 5 senses. A liberal would say that the Bible is non-cognitive truth.

Holy Communion is based on the Jewish festival of Passover. Jesus was celebrating the feast of the Passover with his disciples in Jerusalem on Maundy Thursday. Jesus took the bread and the wine, and changed the meaning of them at this meal.

Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and shared it amongst his disciples. He said; “This is my body, broken for you, eat this in remembrance of me”.

Jesus took the wine, blessed it, gave it to his disciples, and said, “This is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured for you. Do this is remembrance of me.”

Passover and Holy Communion are linked by the idea of salvation. God rescued his people from slavery in Egypt, and Jesus rescued all people from sin through his death and resurrection. The covenant is the special relationship between God and the human race. At the festival of Passover, lamb is eaten as a reminder of the final plague in Egypt, where blood of a lamb was painted on the door frame. Christians see this as symbolic of Jesus’ sacrifice of his own life and blood, which is why he can be referred to as the ‘Lamb of God’.

Communion can be referred to as;

1. Eucharist – Greek work meaning ‘thanksgiving’ – Christians give thanks for the sacrifice Jesus made

2. Holy Communion – links to word ‘community’ – sharing the ritual as part of a family

3. Mass – Latin ‘ite, missa est’ meaning ‘go on your mission’. Shows the idea of fellowship and that all of your actions are important,

4. Divine Liturgy – ‘service’, used by Orthodox church – they are giving their lives in service to God.

5. Breaking of the Bread – the original last supper, a simple meal that remembers Jesus’ death and resurrection

6. Lord’s Supper – sharing a meal like Jesus did with his own disciples.

Communion in the Church of EnglandCommunion in the Church of England

1.1. Introduction – Introduction – introductory hymn, prayer for forgiveness, Jesus’ command to love God and one another is read aloud.

2.2. Liturgy of the Word – Liturgy of the Word – 2 passages read, one from a Gospel, another chosen by minister. Sermon. Congregation recite the creed, prayers of intercession said.

3.3. Liturgy of Holy Communion – The Eucharist – Liturgy of Holy Communion – The Eucharist – congregation turn to each other and say, ‘Peace be with you’, called sharing the peace. Account of the last supper is read and then minister blesses bread and wine. Congregation go to altar, receive bread and wine in a chalice. Final prayer, minister blesses congregation.

Quakers and Salvation Army do not take communion. This is because they believe that sacraments cannot change the heart of a person, only faith in Jesus Christ can do that. They also believe that sacraments can become meaningless rituals, and that no service can bring you closer to God. They believe that Christ can be remembered at every meal, not just communion.