Comparing a Methodist and a Catholic Church

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

R.E. Coursework

Methodist

The Pulpit is where the bible is read from. It is in the centre of the front of the church. This shows us Methodists believe in the word of god and it is the most important part of their services. The liturgy is usually 30-40 minutes long where as, for a Catholic the most important part of their mass is Communion and there is only a short liturgy. Methodist preachers choose their readings they do not have set readings as in the Catholic church. They may choose their readings to help people who come to church in their everyday lives. They may also reflect on issues that may involve everybody. The recent news stories for example. This shows use that a Methodist service is more free and open than a Catholic Mass. Baptism, the same in a Catholic church, is very important to Methodists they believe Baptism is used to bring people into the family of god. Unlike Catholics they believe this is the only sacrament needed to become a member of gods family. This shows Methodists believe you must be baptised to become a member of God’s family. This is because before Jesus began preaching he was baptised. It says this in the bible, which is the most important to Methodists because they see it as the word of God, as do Catholics.

The Organ was at the front of the church and very large. This shows that Methodists believe singing is a very important part of the service. They believe singing is the strongest and the best way to pray, as do Catholics. They believe God will listen more if you sing. The chapel was not highly decorated because they believe you do not need an elaborately decorated church to pray to God. They see it as a distraction which will stop them fully concentrating on what they are praying about. Unlike Catholics, they do not pray to statues of the saints because they believe you have a personal relationship with God so you do not need to pray to the saints because you can pray straight to God. They also believe that Catholics worship the Intermediaries, not ask them for help to pray. Methodists do not perform Communion every time they meet on a Sunday. They have Communion about once a month. They do not use unleavened bread they just use normal bread. This shows us more that they see the bible to be more important than Communion because they believe God is present during the Liturgy not during the Communion. They do not see Communion as a sacrament; they see it as reminder of what Jesus did. Wine is not used, just a grape juice. It is given out in small glasses not from one chalice as Catholics do. They see this as a sign of sharing.

Catholic

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Catholic

The layout of the Catholic Church is quite like a typical cruciform church with the exception of the North and South Transepts. From the outside you can see this building was made to be a church. Inside is highly decorated which shows us Catholics believe God is present in the church at all times, they see the church as holy ground especially behind the alter where the Tabernacle is. The church is open quite a lot so people can come in off the street and pray. In a Catholic Church Communion takes place every Sunday. They use unleavened bread and wine. They see this sacrament as reliving the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. When the bread and wine has been consecrated God is present in the church. They see the Bread as the body of Christ and the wine as his blood. The wine is drank from a chalice which is stored in the most holy place in the church, behind the alter in the tabernacle. This shows use Catholics believe that Jesus’ actions rather than his words are important. The lectern is where the bible is read from. It is not highly decorated because it is not highly centred. This is only centre of the mass when the liturgy is being read, for about 5-10 minutes while the sermon is being read. Unlike in a Methodist service, a Catholic Priest is unable to choose which readings they want to use. They have to use set readings from the missal following the liturgical year. This book is devised from stories and actions of Jesus during his three years of preaching.

A Catholic church is highly decorated because Catholics believe God is always present in the church so they think the church should be made beautiful to reflect God’s beauty. Around the outside of the church are the ‘stations of the cross’. These are a number of pictures of Jesus’ trail and crucifixion. Catholics use these pictures to help them pray because they show us what Jesus actually did for us so he must be worshiped and thanked. This shows us Catholics believe that Jesus’ actions rather than his words are most important, unlike Methodists who believe the complete opposite. Catholics would believe this because they believe God became man so that man mat become God and they also believe that Jesus came to earth to found a church not write a book. By this we should follow the actions of Jesus and follow in his shadow. They also believe Jesus came to earth to teach us how to act towards one another and how to treat each other with the decency we would from everyone else to perform towards us. Catholics use Intermediaries as aids to prayer. They ask the saints to help them pray to God. They use the statues around the church and the groves to ‘our lady Mary’ and to the ‘Sacred Heart’. Methodists would say that Catholics worship the Intermediaries not ask them for help, Mary for example. Catholics would argue that they see Mary as the greatest of saints but not on the level of Jesus of God.

Free Church worship is where the preacher can choose the readings he/she wants to use during that particular service. Methodists do not have a priest but they do have a minister. The minister can be male or female and they do not have to be assigned to that particular church they can be invited into other churches to preach that particular sermon. Liturgical worship is where the priest has to follow set readings taken from the lectionary, using the liturgical years, ABC. There are only male priests and the only time guests are asked into the church is when the priest is unable to cope with the work load, allot of people wanting their first holy communion at the same time, the priest would ask another priest to come in to help him perform the communions. The priest has to take special orders to become a priest. Everyone in the Catholic Church has a boss, the priest answers to the bishop, he answers to the archbishop and he answers to the pope. The pope answers to God. This higherarcher is special to the Catholic Church.

Christians go to church to pray to God as a group. They attend the mass and are able to celebrate the Eucharist together. They believe when two or more people are gathered God is present they believe this because it says this in the bible.

Some people think you can be a good Christian without going to church because you can be a good Christian by doing good deeds and helping others. They believe you do not have to pray as a group and receive Eucharist for God to listen to you. If you pray sincerely to God for forgiveness or to say sorry he will listen and act upon this request because he can see you faith is true even though you do not attend church.

Others think to be a good Christian you have to attend church to be a good Christian because they think the only way you can fully pray and be on level with God you have to receive Eucharist and for him to forgive you, you have to receive the sacrament of reconciliation or god will not listen.

I think you do not have to go to church to be a Christian. I think if you are a good person, consider others and be an all round good person without serous sin then you are a good Christian and you should be accepted into heaven even if you don’t go to church. A person who goes to church maybe the worst and most evil person ever but a person who cannot get to church every week may be 100 times more kind than every person who goes to church in the world.

Sarah Astin