Apostles Creed | Sunday | Advent | Lent and Holy Week | Easter | Baptism | Confirmation | Eucharist | Ascensiontide & Pentecost | Pilgrimage | Sermon on the Mount | Two greatest commandments | Taize | Marriage | Funerals | Christian Aid | Good Samaritan |
Write out the Apostles’ Creed.
=I believe in God
the Father Almighty
Creator of Heaven and Earth
I believe in Jesus Christ
His only Son our Lord
Who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
And born of the Virgin Mary
He suffered under Pontius Pilate
Was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come to judge the living and the dead
I believe in the Holy Spirit
the holy catholic church
the communion of saints
the forgiveness of sins
the resurrection of the body
and the life everlasting.
When was the Apostles’ Creed formulated? = 100 - 150 AD
which was when we began to see some of the central beliefs of the Christian religion
written down for the first time.
What does the Apostles Creed teach? =
List five ways in which Christians celebrate Sunday. =
Why did the Christian church decide to celebrate Sunday? Instead of the Sabbath? =
What are the aims of Sunday worship? =
Who was the founder of Sunday school? = Robert Raikes (1735 – 1811).
What is the significance of Advent Sunday? =
It marks the beginning of the Christian year. "Advent" comes from a Latin word "coming" or "arrival" and it is the arrival of Jesus Christ, the Messiah which is prepared for.
When does Advent take place in the Christian calendar? =
Advent begins on the 4th Sunday before Christmas and this is always the Sunday nearest to the Feast of St. Andrew, which falls on the of 30th November and there are 4 Sundays in Advent before Christmas Day.
What does penitential mean? = "
Regretful" or "sorrow"What is the colour of all the hangings in the church at this time of year? = Purple.
What is an Advent ring and what is its significance? =
An Advent ring consists of 4
What are Christingles and what is their significance? =
It is an old Moravian custom. The Moravian children went to the church with gifts for the poor shortly before Christmas. These were exchanges for a decorated orange with a candle.
What is the significance of a Christmas tree? =
The association of the tree with Christchild goes back to St. Boniface an 8-century saint of Germany. Christmas trees became popular in Britain during Victorian times.
What is the significance of anthems – Advent hymns sung by a choir? =
During Advent special hymns are used which concentrate on the theme of preparing for Christmas. Other hymns used in Advent stress the importance of the Christian hope that one-day Christ will return, possibly in judgment. Special Advent carols may also be sung.
How else is Advent celebrated? = Sermons and Readings.
What do the following words mean? =
Describe 4 aspects of the Christmas celebrations that a Christian might well feel he wants to include in the way in which he keeps Christmas. =
When does lent begin? = Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, 40 days before Easter, not counting Sundays.
Why 40 days? = It is the amount of time Jesus spent time in the wilderness being tempted by the devil.
What is the purpose of Lent? = It is a penitential season and a period of preparation for Easter, the most important Christian festival.
How do Christians celebrate Lent? = Many Christians today mark the season by giving up some pleasure such as eating chocolate or drinking alcohol.Others try to do something more positive like giving money to charity or to church projects.
What happens on Shove Tuesday? = It is the day before Lent officially begins. In Europe carnival processions Mardi Gras are accompanied by the eating of much rich food. In England fats are used up by making pancakes.
Where does the word "
Shrove" come from? = It comes from an old word "shrive" meaning to make clean. Confessions were usually made in church on this day.What happens on Ash Wednesday? = Palm crosses remaining from the previous year are burnt and the worshippers’ foreheads are marked with the ashes at a special service.
What happens on Mothering Sunday? = This is the 4th Sunday in Lent and is also know as "
Refreshment Sunday". In England the custom of visiting one’s mother this Sunday grew up.What are hot cross buns and when are they eaten? = They are spiced buns marked with a cross and strictly speaking they should be eaten on Good Friday.
What does Holy Week mean? = It is the name given to the last week of Lent and culminates in the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus. These events form the most important festival of all for Christians.
What happens on Palm Sunday? = It is the Sunday before Easter. This day marks the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem. Palm crosses are distributed in churches and there are often processions of palms to recall how the crowds land branches at the feet of the colt bearing Jesus into the city.
What is the colour of hangings in the church on Palm Sunday? =
Red.What happens on the Wednesday of Holy Week? = The oils of chrism, which remain, are burnt. These oils are used to anoint people for baptism, confirmation and ordination. They are also used for anointing objects in churches and for use with those who are chronically sick and not expected to recover.
Why is the Wednesday in holy week also called Spy Wednesday? = Because it is the day which recalls the betrayal of Jesus by Judas.
What happens on Maundy Thursday? = The bishop of the diocese consecrates new oils for the following year. The day also commemorates the occasion when Jesus ate a last supper with his disciples in Jerusalem. Sometimes the priest washes the feet of some members of the congregation, as Jesus washed his disciples’ feet.
Today what is the last super called? = The Eucharist, Mass, Holy Communion. Christians regard it as being the most holy act of worship in the Church.
What normally happens in Britain on Maundy Thursday? = The present monarch gives out money to a number of people according to her age.
What happens on Good Friday? = There are special services including processions retracing Jesus’ journey to the cross. Many churches have a formal procession via "
14 Stations of the Cross" which mark 14 events, which happened to Jesus on his way to the crucifixion. Also on the evening of this day the burial of Jesus is remembered.What happens on Easter Day? = The Sunday of the resurrection. The services are very joyful ones celebrating the rising form the dead of Jesus. The colours used in the church are white. Often Easter eggs are distributed at the services.
In what ways might a Christian observe the season of Lent? =
What do the following mean and symbolize? =
On a Paschal candle there are markings, what are they and what is their significance? = The first is a cross – a reminder of the crucifixion. Then there are the Greek letters alpha and omega (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet) which are a reminder of the words in Revelation 22:13 where Jesus says, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end".
In the Roman Catholic Church what happens to the baby? =
What does the water represent? = It represents death to a life of sin and a new life in Jesus.
What is the white garment a symbol of? = It is a symbol of purity; that the child is now without sin.
What does the candle symbolize? = It symbolizes Christ the light of the world. It is lit from the Paschal candle.
What is believer’s baptism? = It is when an adult or young believer is immersed in water and baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit the believer must be completely immersed as a sign of drowning to sin and being born again in Jesus.
What is meant by
renewal? = It means baptism makes the beginning of a new life with God.What are the effects of Baptism? =
Why do we have confirmation? =
In the churches that have Infant Baptism it was necessary to have a service later on in which the believer could "confirm" the promises made at their Baptism. This became known as the rite of Confirmation. The promises made on the Infant's behalf are made again publicly. The person being confirmed should be of such an age that he or she would be able to understand these promises.Who conducts the services? =
A confirmation service held in the Roman Catholic church or an Anglican church is always conducted by a bishop. During the service he asks each candidate three questions about their own spiritual behaviour. The questions reflect the questions, which their parents and godparents had to answer for them in their baptismWhat are these questions? =
The positive answer "I do" is expected of each question.
What happens next? = The bishop then tells them "You must now declare before God and his Church that you accept the Christian faith into which you have been baptised and in which you will continue to live and grow. Then they are asked the questions about their faith that their parents and godparents were asked at baptism.
What are these questions? =
To each of these they must reply, "I believe and trust in him". The bishop then lays his hand on the candidate and says
"Confirm O Lord you servant, N, with you Holy Spirit. Defend, O Lord, your servant with your heavenly grace until they come into your Heavenly Kingdom. Amen"
Order of the service in church (RC and Anglican)
What do candidates have to do in order to be confirmed? = In confirmation a Christian is confirming the commitment of faith, which was made on his or her behalf at baptism. The candidate is prepared by the faith community and should be capable of making a free and independent decision to be an adult follower of Christ, in order to achieve the he or she has to undergo confirmation classes.
List the different names, which are used for the Eucharist? =
There are differences in the way the Eucharist is celebrated among the churches but almost all forms of this act of worship have a similar structure.
What is the "
Ministry of the Word"? = It is the first part of the service where there is a collect, two or three bible readings and possibly a sermon.What is the "Ministry of the Sacrament"? = It is when the priest prepares the bread and the wine on the altar.
What is the "Thanksgiving"? = It is a long prayer, which speaks about the importance of the action for Christians and contains a reminder of what Jesus said and did on the night before he was crucified.
What is the "The Breaking of the Bread"? = It is when the bread and wine are consecrated by the minister or the priest and the Lord’s Prayer is said.
What practices can be associated with this reading? =
What is the "The Dismissal"? = After the sharing of the bread and wine there is a short act of dismissal which might include prayers, and a blessing.
When does the feast of Ascension fall?
= It falls on the 6th Thursday after Easter – the 40th day.What does it celebrate? = It celebrates the occasion when,
40 days after his resurrection Jesus finally left his disciples and returned to heaven. It marked the end of Christ’s personal ministry on earth.What is the Sunday before Ascension Day known as? =
Rogation Sunday.What are the following 3 days called? =
Rogation Days.Where does the name Rogation Sunday come from? = It comes from a Latin word
rogare, meaning, "to ask".What happens during these Rogation Days? = Special services at which prayers are offered for a good harvest; and processions can occur which involves the entire congregation walking round the boundaries of the parish. These "beating the bounds" ceremonies are very popular mainly because of the refreshment that is given to the walkers at various farms en route!
What happens 7 weeks after Easter? =
Pentecost or Whitsunday takes place.What happens on this day? = On this day, while Jesus’ disciples were gathered in an upstairs room the Holy Spirit descended upon them. They were able to speak in tongues (
Glossolalia) and it is from this event that the Christian Church is usually said to have started.Where does the name Pentecost come from? = It comes from the Greek pentecoste meaning
50th day. It marked the 50th day after the Hebrew Passover and for Jews is the Festival of Shavuoth.Why do baptisms usually take place on this day? = Because it is the time when the disciples received the gift of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost has become a special time for baptisms.
What do people normally wear if they are going to be baptized on this day? = People traditionally wear white and so the feast acquired another name of White Sunday of Whitsun.
What does "
Well Dressing" mean? = It is when all the churches join together for a mass procession of witness. Floats and tableaux showing either biblical scenes or events for the life of Jesus are paraded thought out the streets.
What is a pilgrimage? =
It is a religious journey and the people who go on pilgrimages are called pilgrims.What purpose does a pilgrimage serve? = As well as being a physical journey to a place, pilgrimage can also refer to our journey though life, from birth to death. It can also refer to an inner journey, whereby as we grow we being to understand more about ourselves.
In bullet points: -
Name an important destination of pilgrimage. = Walsingham = Site of Anglican and Roman Catholic shrines to the Virgin Mary.
What are the various places in which pilgrims visit at Walsingham? =
Whilst pilgrims stay at Walsingham. What else do they do? =
What is the Sermon on the Mount?
= The Sermon on the Mount is a collection of teachings of Jesus. In Matthew's Gospel, Chapters 5-7, we find some of the most important things, which Jesus said about what attitudes, which a Christian should try to have as they live each day.Translate the Sermon on the Mount into plain English: -
What are the two commandments? =
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind" and "Love your neighbour as yourself".What is meant by the first commandment (Torah – Shema – Deut 6: 4-6)? =
What is meant by the second commandment (Torah – Leviticus – 19:18)? =
Why is this teaching important for Christians? =
Where is Taize? =
It is a small village situated in Burgundy in eastern France.What sorts of people come to Taize? = Anyone, they come from different denominations and traditions all over the world.
What do you do at Taize? = Work, meet new and different people, pray, worship, listen, meditate and work together.
What do people hope to gain from Taize? = They hope to gain something of the international and ecumenical flavour of a unique experience and ordinations in which they share form time to time are a splendid example of a faith’s attempts to reach out to all the peoples of the world. Overall the key theme of Taize is reconciliation.
When was Taize established? = 1940.
Who founded it? = It has been the home a group of monks, led by their Prior, Brother Roger.
What are living conditions like at Taize? = They are simple and sparse; some people live in tents, others in wooden huts furnished with bunk beds.
How do the Christian churches view marriage? =
They view it as a serious, lifelong commitment. Christian couples make their marriage vows to one another before God, within the context of a religious ceremony. Roman Catholics can be married during the Eucharist. The ceremony may differ from one denomination to another but the basic details are common to all.What is the order of service? =
1. A statement of what the marriage is
2. Questions to make sure that the couple are free to marry and that they understand their responsibilities.
3. The making of a statement of intent will you have this man/woman to be your lawfully wedded wife/husband?
4. The exchange of vows with rings.
5. A declaration to the couple that they are now husband and wife.,
6. Prayers and blessings.
7. The signing of the state register, before witnesses.
Christians have always held marriage to be sacred. Their belief is based on several biblical texts: -
There was a time in Jewish history when men married several wives (cf Deut 21:15-17 and 1Samuel 1:1-8). But under the influence of the prophets this custom was dropped. The New Testament teaching on marriage takes monogamy for granted.
Jewish law made provision for the possibility of divorce through Jesus did not: -
"But in the beginning, at the time of creation, God made them Male and Female as the scripture says and for this reason a man will leave his mother and his father and unite with his wife, and the two of them will become one flesh so that they are no longer two but one. Man must not separate then, what God has joined together"
Mark 10:6-9 and Genesis 2:24
Christians hold firmly to the biblical teaching that sexual intercourse should be confined to marriage. This strict teaching is based on positive reasons. Casual sex involves treating a partner as a sex object and not as a person. Most people would probably that this degrades human relationships (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). Some couples today see nothing wrong in sleeping together when their relationship is special, and is likely to become permanent. Some Christians would agree with this as long as the firm intention is to marry. Others will disagree they claim that it goes against the whole purpose of sexual intercourse. Two people are trying to be totally at one with each other without accepting the commitment and stability of the marriage vows. Roman Catholics further believe that marriage is life giving, and involved responsible parenthood. Sexual intercourse has the potential to create new life. The raising of a family needs the security and commitment of marriage.
What preparation is there before the ceremony? =
What are the two general aims of a funeral service? =
What is the order of service? =
THE COMMITAL
In addition to this a Requiem Mass may be said.
What do Christians believe about death? =
What is the purpose of Christian aid? =
It works to improve the quality of life of the poor and powerless by giving them the power to help themselves. It tried to work in partnership with the poor.Why do Christians become involved in the struggle for justice and equality? =
Why would a Jew have been so shocked by this story? = Samaritan: - Traditional enemies of the Jews. Foreigner s form Northern Israel, who copied Israelite style religion. Hated by Jews.
What lessons is Jesus trying to teach? = Do well to all people irrespective whether they are friend or foe. (Re-Read the Parable)
| Home | | E-Mail | | Judaism Main Page | | Christianity Main Page | | Return to top | |