The congregation sit and kneel on benches, as in Catholic worship they sit, stand and kneel. The statues which are present in the church for the benefit of the parishioners are there as an aid to worship, and the Stations of the Cross for reflections and meditation.
Near to the altar is the tabernacle, this is often made of precious metal and is where the reservation of the hosts consecrated in Mass takes place, next to this is the sanctuary lamp which shows the blessed sacrament is reserved.
Another piece of furniture in the church which is related to the sacraments is the baptismal font. This is not always so conspicuous in a Catholic Church.
One of the most noticeable features of a Roman Catholic church is the lectern. This is used for various readings and sermons given by the Priest.
An organ and choir are also present in the church to add colour to the worship.
The worship follows the same pattern from one church to another, and from one week to another.
A Roman Catholic church is elaborately decorated, as it is the ‘House of God’, in almost complete contrast tot his is the place of worship for the Quakers.
The Quakers place of worship is not called a church, but a ‘Meeting House’. These buildings are very plain, bare and unadorned. They do not have any statue as they are still missing as 16th century reformers actually destroyed statues as they encouraged some from of idolatry. Along with this there are no pictures or any kind of decoration. This meeting house even has no cross, and certainly no crucifix.
These people sit on seats, as they do not kneel down. The congregation are arranged into a circle or a square, so that each person is aware of everyone else, yet no person appears raised above another. Another representation of equality in their religion is that there is no ordained priest, just a person who presides over the people.
Their worship comes under the heading of ‘waiting on the spirit worship’. There is a framework for their worship but emphasis is in the spontaneity, which is inspired by the spirit.
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Skill Area 2: Explain why the worship you have described is important for Christians. In your answer, you should explain the reasons for the differences between the denominations you have highlighted? (350-525 words)
The name ‘Quakers’ was a term of mockery originally describe the way they shook when moved by the Spirit. They believed that Our Lord meant what he said when he said that the Spirit would tell people what to say. A contrast to this is the Catholic Liturgy, in which prayers are used as formula’s not giving much of room for invention. An example of this is the prayer ‘Hail Mary’. The Quakers will not accept the literal meaning of ‘..This is my body.” and other instances as they believe this is merely symbolic, not literally as the Catholics do.
Although statues were seen as idolatry many Quakers feel that a Roman Catholic mass is idolization even in their eyes. As there is no hierarchy in the Quakers belief is that everyone is equal, whereas the Catholic Church has levels of different authority, at the top of which is the Pope in Rome, eventually leading down to the local parish priest.
As the two of these religions are far from similar, there is one main connection between the Roman Catholic worship and Church and the Quakers with their Meeting Houses. They both have a core belief in God, but yet another difference between the two denominations is that the Roman Catholic mass is centred on the Eucharist, but the Quakers have centred their faith fully on the Bible.
Both of these denominations beliefs give a guideline for how a Christian should live. An example of this is the Ten Commandments. These were direct instruction from God to Moses. It is also significant to other Christians as it shows another way of thinking in another way about certain issues.
Christians can learn different opinions from other Christians about issues that appeal to all denominations or between their dominations.
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Skill Point 3: “It would be better for Christianity if the money spent on building and maintaining special places of worship was spent on alleviating poverty?” Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have considered more than one point of view. (250-375 words)
This issue has been recently highlighted by Bishop Patrick O’Donoghue of Lancaster his is selling his Bishop’s House and giving the money to the poor. He is taking the “…it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle, than a rich man to get into the kingdom heaven.” literally. But it is important to Christians as their church is the ‘House of God’ that it should be elaborately to celebrate God. The furnishings and representation of the style should show Christ to be present and active in this place of worship.
Also on this side of the matter might be that in real life we make things look attractive for those who we welcome. A local place of worship can also be the centre of a community. This issue can be taken as a biblical question or as a issue of preserving historical buildings.
Some churches may be preserved or protected by the government or an organisation such as the ‘National Trust’, as the place of worship may be of some historical importance.
Some Catholics may argue charities such as C.A.F.O.D (Catholic Aid for Overseas Development) is undertaking the task of alleviating poverty in less economically developed countries, and so developing or restoring an old venue of worship is using their resources, not ceasing the aid work overseas.
The other angle that people might be taking might be that we ought to be able to manage both alleviating poverty and restoring semi- derelict places of worship.
