Religious & Spiritual ExperienceOCR Specification
Practice Questions'A' Questions
For the sake of this book these instructions will be reduced to, "Discuss this statement".
Key Quotes
- Public and Private Worship
- Concept of worship
- Worship in a Christian place of worship and at home
- The use and significance of symbolism in worship
- The use of art and music to express beliefs about God
- Prayer and Meditation
- The concept of prayer
- The purpose and use of prayer to deepen faith
- The power of prayer and answered prayer
- Food and Fasting
- The concept of fasting
- Responses to God
- Food for festivals
- APOSTLES - 12 key disciples of Jesus
- ART - the expression of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture
- BISHOP - senior member and religious leader of Christian Churches
- CATHEDRAL - an important large church which a bishop is linked to
- CHURCH - a building used for Christian worship
- DENOMINATION - a self-ruling and separate Church within Christianity
- FAITH - strong belief in the teachings of a religion
- FASTING - to abstain from some or all food and drink
- FESTIVALS - a day or period of celebration for religious reasons
- GENTILES - non-Jewish people
- PRAYER - a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God
- PRIEST - an ordained minister of a Church, authorised to perform certain rituals
- SYMBOLISM - the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities, to show a deeper meaning about something
- WORSHIP - the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for God. Religious rituals and ceremonies, showing reverence for a God
Practice Questions'A' Questions
- What is fasting?
- What is worship?
- What is prayer?
- What is meditation?
- Give two examples of public worship.
- Explain the symbolism of the cross.
- What is a rosary and how is it used?
- Give two examples of how food is used in Christian worship.
- Give two examples of how food is used in Christian festivals.
- What is a religious experience?
- Describe how private worship might be used by a Christian.
- Describe how private prayer might be used by a Christian.
- Describe how fasting might be used by a Christian.
- Describe how a symbols may be used in Christian worship.
- Describe how art could be used in private worship.
- Explain the role of prayer in a Christian’s life.
- Explain how worship might deepen a Christian’s faith.
- Explain how fasting might be used to deepen faith.
- Explain the use of music in public worship.
- Explain why Christians use symbols.
- "For worship, prayer is more important than beautiful buildings." Discuss this statement.
- "Fasting is not as important as prayer." Discuss this statement.
- "You do not need to go to church to worship God."Discuss this statement.
- "Religious art is a distraction from God." Discuss this statement.
- "Religious symbols are confusing." Discuss this statement.
- "Religious experience is not a good enough basis for faith in God." Discuss this statement.
For the sake of this book these instructions will be reduced to, "Discuss this statement".
Key Quotes
- WORSHIP
"Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. Rather, worship the LORD your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies."2 Kings 17:38-39
"All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvellous deeds; you alone are God."Psalm 86:9-10 - ART
"Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled craftsmen, whom my father David provided."2 Chronicles 2:7 - MUSIC
"Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel."Judges 5:3
"They sing to the music of tambourine and harp; they make merry to the sound of the flute."Job 21:12 - PRAYER
"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."Mark 11:24
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."James 5:16
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."Lord’s Prayer - FASTING
"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."Matthew 6:16-18
"I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks."Daniel 10:3 - FEAST
"The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts."Leviticus 23:1-2
"When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, 'Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!'"Luke 14:15
-
|
|
|
Religious and spiritual experience
History of Christian Places of Worship
- Jesus’ first disciples were Jews and would have been familiar with both Temple and synagogue worship
- The first Christians worshipped in each other houses
- In the first three centuries Christians were often persecuted and were forced to meet in secret
- Sometimes Christians met underground in burial chambers called ‘Catacombs’
- After the Edict of Milan (313 CE) Christians started meeting in public
- Christians adopted the style and architecture of Roman public buildings e.g. magistrate courts called ‘Basilicas’
- Basilicas evolved into the traditional church that exists today i.e. nave, apse, aisle
Main Features of an Anglican Church
- Nave – main part of the church
- Pews – benches which the congregation sit on
- Chancel – front of the church containing the choir and the high altar
- Choir – place where the choir sits
- Table/Altar – table on which the minister celebrates the Eucharist
- Transept – part of the building forming a cross shape in the floor plan
- Aisle – walk way between the pews
- Rood Screen – a screen which separates the nave from the chancel
- Font – a raised bowl which is used for Christenings
- Lectern – stand from which the Bible is read during the service can be in the form of an eagle
- Pulpit – place where sermons are given
- Entrance - Minister enters and takes his/her place.
- Greeting and Preparation - Priest welcomes the congregation, and leads a general confession.
- Ministry of the Word - Members of the congregation read from the Bible on a lectern at the front of the church.
- The sermon follows the gospel reading, usually explaining one or more of the readings.
- The Nicene Creed - The congregation stand and recite it together.
- The Prayers – Intercession Prayers led by the priest or another minister.
- The Ministry of the Sacrament - The priest invites the congregation to exchange a sign of peace. The bread and wine are then brought to the table by the members of the congregation during which the collection is taken and presented. The priest then takes the bread and wine in his/her hands and recites a Eucharistic Prayer. The prayer is not recited in order to effect any change in the bread and wine. Anglicans believe that Communion is a ‘remembrance’ of the Last Supper and “we celebrate…his (i.e. Jesus’) one perfect sacrifice”.
- The congregation recite the Lord’s Prayer and then receive the bread and wine.
- The Dismissal - A short time of prayer is followed by the words of blessing
- The priest and other ministers walk to the church door to meet the congregation as they leave
Prayer and Meditation
- Prayer is a form of communication with God.
- Communication is important in any relationship.
- Prayers can be said publically or privately.
- They can be spoken out loud or said in silence.
- In mediation the worshipper seeks to concentrate their mind on God in silence
- Christian meditation might take the form of concentrating on a word or saying.
- Some Christians might find a candle, cross or crucifix helpful when meditating
The Lord’s Prayer/Our Father
Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. The Lord’s prayer is a model for Christian prayer. It contains several themes:It is used in both public and private worship.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever,
Amen
top
Christian Symbols
- Symbols are images or pictures that have a deeper meaning.
- They can help believers focus their minds on their faith and help them in their worship
A crucifix is a reminder of Jesus’ suffering on the cross
The ICHTHUS is an old Christian symbol. The first letters of the Greek – Jesus Christ God’s Son and Saviour form the acrostic ‘icthus’ which is Greek for fish.
‘Alpha’ and ‘Omega’ are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Christians believe Jesus was present at creation and will be present at judgement.
The two Greek letters ‘Chi’ and Rho’ are the first letters of ‘Christ’
Christian Art
- Roman Catholic churches often have statues of saints.
- Orthodox churches are often highly decorated with religious icons.
- Anglican churches often have stained glass windows.
- Some evangelical churches might be decorated with simple banners with passages taken from the Bible on them.
- Some Christian churches do not have any religious decoration. They think it detracts from their worship.
- Quaker meeting rooms are plain and simple with little or no decoration.
Christian Music
- Music features prominently in Christian worship.
- It unites believers and provides a form of expression.
- It may be compared to the sense of union gained from joining together to sing at a football match.
- There is a wide diversity of Christian music:
- Some churches don’t use music in their meetings e.g. Quakers
Fasting
- Fasting is when you go without food or drink for a set amount of time.
- The most common time for Christians to fast is during the season of Lent.
- Jesus taught that if people want to fast, they should do it for the right reasons.
- At the time of Jesus many Jews made a big show of fasting.
- Some put on sack cloth and ashes so that everyone knew they were fasting and would be impressed.
- Reasons for fasting:
The Sacraments
A sacrament is defined as an outward visiable sign of an inward invisiable grace ordained by Jesus Christ for the benefit of the soul. The Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches claim seven:
- Baptism – the rite of initiation into the Church.
- Confirmation – the rite of confirming one’s faith involving evoking the Holy Spirit.
- Eucharist – service of thanksgiving, a re-enactment of the Last Super with bread and wine.
- Reconciliation – sometimes called Confession, an act of seeking God’s forgiveness.
- Marriage – the commitment a couple makes before the eyes of God and the Church.
- Ordination – the rite of becoming a priest.
- Unction – the blessing of the sick with holy oils.
Non-Eucharistic Worship
The main feature of these services tends to be prayer, bible readings, hymns and a sermon. Some Evangelical services tend to be very informal and interactive with singing, music and even drama and dance.In the Pentecostal and Evangelical traditions there may sometimes be people speaking and singing in tongues. This is known as ‘glossolalia’. This recalls the first day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down on Jesus’ disciples enabling them to preach and spread the Gospel (see Acts 2).
The Society of Friends (Quakers) have a completely different form of worship. Their meeting rooms are sparsely decorated and furnished with only a table in the centre of the room surrounded by chairs. There is no service as such. The meeting sit around the table, often with a Bible on it, in silence waiting for someone to be moved by the Spirit to speak. The meeting ends with the shaking of hands.
worship.pptx | |
File Size: | 785 kb |
File Type: | pptx |