Religious Social Education Coursework Christianity Essay Example

Religious Social Education Coursework Christianity Essay I visited Socketts Heath Baptist Church in Grays; it was originally Clarence Road Baptist Church in 1893. Then in 1933, the church was moved to its present location on Premier Avenue.The main parts of the interior of a church are:Pews: the pews in the church are used to seat the Christians who attend Church. Near the back of main assembly hall are some chairs just in case extra seating space is required. Before the 15th Century the sick and the old were the only people allowed to sit down on the Pews, whilst all the other people would have had to stand. In the 17th century pews were boxed in, and furnished with padded seats and hat pegs. The church I am studying has pews.The Cross-: Directly above the Communion Table is a cross. The symbol of a cross is symbolic of the cross that Jesus was nailed to.The Communion Table: The communion table is a major article within the church. Bread, wine and the Bible are the main objects, which are placed on the communion table. The communion table is placed at the front of the church so the entire congress can see it. The vicar also performs services there. However, at certain times of the year such as Christmas, the people walk down the aisle to the Alter where they receive the bread and wine from the Vicar. A table is used because in Luke chapter 22 verse 14 it states, when the time came, Jesus took His place at the table.Communion is often called The Breaking Of The Bread or The Lords Supper. The reason it is known as either these two because Jesus performed these actions before he died.In Luke chapter 22 verses 17-20 describe how Jesus first gave communion with his disciples, Then Jesus took some bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to the apostles saying This is my body, which I am giving for you do this to remember me. In the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup and said, This cup is the new agreement that God makes with his people. This new agreement begins with my blood, which is poured out for youPulpit: B eginning in about the 9th century two desks called ambos were provided in Christian churches one for reading from the Gospels and the other for reading from the letters. The former, which became increasingly ornate, was the forerunner of the Pulpit. By the 13th century what could be called modern pulpits were being installed in Italian churches. The alter is traditionally at the east end of the Church. Often it is erected against a pillar and sometimes upon a short, freestanding base or slender column. Usually hexagonal or octagonal in form, it is serving as a decorative sounding board. English pulpits often gave two or three stories, with the lowest for a clerk, the middle one for a reading desk, and the third for the preaching of the sermon. There are also external, outdoor pulpits that are entered from within the church.Baptistery Pool: A Baptistery pool is only found inside Baptist churches only. It is believed that baptism was the door to the church. People are only baptised w hen they feel that they are ready to commit themselves to Christ. This is can be at any age, but sometimes the parents of a child will have their children baptised when they are young, the problem with this is that the child does not understand what is happening to them. At Grays Baptist Tabernacle there is a large baptistery pool, which is hidden. The Baptist pool is at the front of congregation so everyone can see the person being baptised. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew chapter 28 verse 19 So go and make followers of all the people in the world. Baptise them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.Lectern: The Lectern is a reading desk to hold the Bible open. It is normally made out of wood or brass. Occasionally the Lectern is shaped like an eagle because this is a reminder to the people of Isaiah chapter 40 verse 31 in the Old Testament who said that those who hope in the Lord will soar like an eagle. In high-church services the priest gives the gospel re ading in each service from the middle of the congregation but the other readings are given from the Lectern. At Grays Baptist Tabernacle the Lectern is found at the front of the congregation in front of the Communion table.The Bible: The Bible is a collection of Holy Scriptures, which members of that faith accept as authoritative. The Bible is often referred to as the Canon of scriptures. At Grays Baptist Tabernacle the Bible is always left open on the lectern.Stain Glass Windows: Stain glass windows are often found in historical and modern churches. Stained glass windows originally told Biblical stories; nowadays they are mainly pictures of Jesus, May, Saints and any other important Christian figures.Section BAll these features in the church help with worship in one form or another. I need to find out how they assist belief to do that I will write about every item listed in section A, plus I will ask 3 people to answer a questionnaire that I have created.The Cross-: The cross is th e main symbol for Christianity. A cross, in some shape or form, is likely to be found in a vast majority of church. The crucifix is a cross, which carries the figure of a dying Jesus. This symbolises the sufferings of Jesus by which Christians believe they are forgiven. Towards the end of Holy Week, the crucifixes is empty to indicate the Christian belief that Jesus is no longer on the cross but risen from the dead. In the church, the cross is used for people to concentrate on the death of Jesus. At Grays Baptist Tabernacle the cross is empty all year round to show that Jesus is alive.Communion Table: The communion table is where the bread and wine are placed for Communion. The table is laid to remind the church of the Last Supper as Jesus commanded his disciples. In some Christian churches, Holy Communion, or the Eucharist is the most important act of worship in which they take part. Holy Communion means Holy Sharing and refers to the service in which Christians share bread and win e with each other, and with God. As they do so they also share spiritually in the death of Jesus on the cross. Matthew chapter 26 verses 26-28 these words form the basis of Holy Communion today.Chalice: The Chalice is used during communion. After the priest blesses it, he hands them the chalice containing the wine. He says, The blood of Christ. The person replies each time Amen. The bread and wine are no more than just symbols and they remain so throughout the service unlike the High Church or the Catholic point of view.Baptistery Pool: The baptistery pool is used for adult and infant baptism. Parents who bring their child for a baptism believe that this ceremony marks the spiritual rebirth of their child as others renounce evil and repent on its behalf. Adult baptisms are mainly the same as child baptisms except the person chooses that he/she agree to the ways and the beliefs of Christ.Lectern: the lectern gives a special and respectful place for the Bible in the church, which eve ry member is familiar with. The lectern is used during the readings of passages from the Bible. It is shaped so that the Bible will not drop when reading; it is likely to cause a distraction during the service if the Bible is dropped. The Bible can be opened at the appropriate page and left on the lectern before the meeting so there is no time loss in finding the verses.The Bible: The Bible is the Holy Scripture, which is written to help the congregation understand the word of God. The Bible is very valuable to Christians, since it carries instructions given by the Lord. The Bible contains Gods authority on all aspects of belief and behaviour. In 2 Timothy chapter 3 verses 16-17 say All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teachings the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instructions for right living so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.Most church denominations believe that it is important to use quotes from the Bible when speaking to the people. Passages from the Bible are read in almost all Christian services as well as being used in sermons. Lay-people as well as the clergy can give these. During some services and sermons the priest takes one of the Bible passages which has been read earlier in the service and explains both its meaning and its teaching for Christian life today.Members of the congregation usually read the readings from the Old Testament. The reading from the Gospels, however, is usually read by the vicar to show its importance. The reason why the Gospels are treated differently is that they contain the only record of the birth, life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus. They are the foundation of the Christian faith. It is thought the other readings do not carry the authority or the importance, which is, attached to readings from the Gospel.Conclusion: In section B, I have tried to show how all the furnishings and fittings are used in Church lif e and how they relate to different Church festivals e.g. Christmas and Easter.Section 3In this part of my project I am going to be discussing whether I think that for a Christian, worship at home more important than worship at church?In todays world, when someone is speaking about church, most people think of it as a building. However church is not just a building but it is the congregation as well.In the New Testament, Acts 2 verse 41-47 it talks about the group of believers that became the new church. This shows that the most important part of the church is the people. In Greek Church means a gathering of people. Therefore, it does not really matter there you are or when you worship God. Some people believe that it is possible to worship God within your own home, in just the same way as you would in a Church, but the Bible says it is important to meet together. In the Old testament God told his people to remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy. In the New Testament, the church was t old not to give up the habit of meeting together. However, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11 verse 17 that the meetings for worship actually do more harm than good. This is because some were being greedy and getting drunk.For a Christian, worship includes singing, prayer, preaching and Holy Communion. When you are taking communion, the priest or vicar blesses the bread and the wine and then gives it for you to consume. If you are worshiping at home you cannot do this but this does not stop you thinking about the Lord and Jesus. In spite of this some Christians do not believe you have to have a special person to bless the bread and the wine and therefore, they will take it at home with others.Additionally in a church you have more furnishings and features to help assist you worshipping God. For example, you might have an organ or other instruments to aid you whilst you are singing. I believe that it helps and encourages the congregation when there are a lot of people singing. It is also a good place for new songs to be easily introduced and so it keeps people interestedWhen people are worshipping in churches they are sometimes filled with the Holy Spirit or this is also known as the baptism of the Spirit. One of the gifts is to speak in a language known as tongues. Another is the power to heal the sick.Some people may prefer to worship in the comfort of their own home. This might be because they feel more comfortable. Today, most people have a television and so they can watch religious programmes designed to help them worship. If they were at Church they might also be embarrassed about singing and worshipping in front of everyone, but if they were at home alone they probably would not get so embarrassed. But in Psalm 149 it says sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. Which says that you should praise God with other people and in Psalm 150 it says Praise God in his sanctuary which also means praise God in church.In a church, you usual ly get someone who preaches and tries to teach you about Christian life. At home, there is not a preacher and so you do not learn about as much about God and Christian way of loge as you do when you go to church. However, you could get books and tapes from the local Christian bookshop or over the Internet that would help you study the Bible.In conclusion, I think that you can worship in your own home but worshipping in a Church is more effective because you are around other Christians and you can talk to them about subjects, which help you worship God. I believe it is better to worship in church because you can talk about how you feel; an example of this is when someone feels upset and unhappy. They might have suffered a death in the family, enjoyed and perhaps receive prayer or help.