G.C.S.E. Religious Studies Coursework 2001 John Rossiter 10E
Knowledge and Understanding 1
Worship is the act of paying divine honour to god, especially in religious services. It is an act or feeling of adoration and to show reverence with supreme respect and admiration. There are two main types of Worship: -
Liturgical, or formal worship, where activities are set out in a Liturgy (certain pattern), and often tends to be very formal. It is elaborate and colourful with many rituals. This type of worship is usually common in Roman Catholic and Orthodox, Christian Churches. The other form of worship is Non-Liturgical worship. In this type of worship, set rituals and symbolic actions are avoided. The emphasis is more on bible readings, prayers, hymns and sermons. This is usually common in protestant churches. In Anglican churches they have some sermons but however the Quakers have no sacraments and no communion. Both of these styles of worship can be observed in two patterns; public and private worship. Public worship may take place in a mass or in a group with others but private worship is when a person prays on their own.
I will investigate the styles of worship in two denominations. These will be the Roman Catholic and The Society of Friends. (Quakers.)
The specific Roman Catholic Church, which I have chosen to study, is The Liverpool Metropolitan Roman Catholic Cathedral. It is unusual because of the layout for a cathedral. Figure 1.1 shows the layout of the cathedral and figure 1.2 is a photograph from inside. Although the layout and format of this cathedral differs from others, the item used for worship and the style of worship are the same.
In the middle of the circular cathedral is the slightly raised sanctuary. This is the most important part in any Roman Catholic Cathedral. In the sanctuary are all of the most important items in Roman Catholic worship. On the bishop, his helpers and the priests are allowed on the sanctuary, which raises them close to god and in a position where the whole congregation can see them.
The main focus in the cathedral is the Altar in the centre of the sanctuary. The altar is raised from the rest of the church on the slightly raised sanctuary. The altar is the place where the mass takes place, in which the priest performs a re-enactment of the last supper when Jesus told his disciples, 'Do this in memory of me.' The main focus of the masses is on this part.
Behind the altar is the tabernacle. This is extremely important because it is the place where the blessed body of Christ is kept if any are left over
after a mass. The blessed hosts are very important and for this reason if any are inside the tabernacle the sanctuary light is on.
Nest to the altar is the lectern. The lectern is used for bible readings and is slightly lower than the altar. The lectern in this cathedral has wings on the side of it. These are to symbolise God's word.
A very important feature of the cathedral is the bishop's chair. This is very important and only the bishop is allowed to sit in the bishop's chair. The only time this rule is ever changed is for the Pope and they are the only two people who are allowed to sit in this chair.
Above the altar in the Roman Catholic Cathedral is a metal crown. It is a large protected canopy and covers the whole sanctuary and is also made from metal pipes. It symbolises the crown of thorns but in this cathedral it is ...
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A very important feature of the cathedral is the bishop's chair. This is very important and only the bishop is allowed to sit in the bishop's chair. The only time this rule is ever changed is for the Pope and they are the only two people who are allowed to sit in this chair.
Above the altar in the Roman Catholic Cathedral is a metal crown. It is a large protected canopy and covers the whole sanctuary and is also made from metal pipes. It symbolises the crown of thorns but in this cathedral it is believed to be the crown of love. The correct term for this crown is a Baldacchino.
Around the perimeter of the cathedral are many side chapels. These side chapels are often dedicated to saints and important religious features. The most important of these chapels are the Blessed Sacrament, where many small services take place, and the Baptistery, which is used for Baptism services. However, most of these chapels are used by people for private worship.
In many cathedrals, stained glass is usually a very prominent, important feature in worship whereas in this Roman Catholic Cathedral, the glass is simply plain and coloured. The main colour in this glass is blue. The reason for this colour is because it represents god in the sky and is a sign of infinity. Blue is also recognised for being a very calming colour, which aids worship of both types. (Public and Private.) In the blue glass there are red patches. These are a symbol of the blood Jesus shed for his people and are used as a symbol for the Holy Sprit in tongues of fire.
In all Roman Catholic churches there are fourteen Stations of the Cross. These are icons, which signify and remind us of when Jesus gave up his life for his people. Many people often follow these stations as they mark the various stages Jesus took along his journey with the cross to Calvary.
Hymns are sung throughout the services in the Roman Catholic Church. They are another form of worshipping and praising God. A large organ with over 4000 pipes is a key feature in the hymns. Candles are lit within the church to remind us that Jesus is the light of the world and for people to light and to pray for personal reverence. Statues are also placed throughout the cathedral. These statues are often of important religious icons like saints. These statues are significant in worship because they remind people of important people from the bible and within the church.
At the back of the cathedral is the confessional. The confessional is a small partitioned room where people go to confess their sins. Confession is an important part in Roman Catholic worship as they believe that God will forgive your sins. Jesus taught this to his people and he demonstrated it when he was being crucified as he asked his father, 'Forgive them father, they know not what they have done.' Jesus asks his father to forgive them for taking his own life, the worst sin of all. This demonstrates to Christians that is confession is undertook then God will forgive and allow them to continue living their Christian life free of sin.
As the form of worship observed by the roman catholic Church is Liturgical (formal), the Roman Catholic Cathedral and Roman Catholic buildings are very elaborate. These buildings are built elaborately because it is God's house where many people congregate and by having a decorative building it shows honour in worshipping God and Jesus. Jesus is said to be 'King of the Jews' and by having an elaborate building it is emphasising the importance of Jesus.
The other denomination that I studied was the Society of Friends or Quakers. They do not meet in churches but in buildings called the 'Friends Meeting House.' In contrast to the Roman Catholic Cathedral are these meeting houses. All of them are the same in the fact that inside they are very plain and bland. The Quakers believe that to pray to God they do not have to have elaborate decorative buildings. They are normal buildings with a room where people gather to worship, eat or just have fun. These rooms are very plain and do not contain any of the items used in Roman Catholic churches. The reason for this is they place the main emphasis of their services on readings from the bible. In a Quaker meeting room is often chairs in a square, usually around a table with some flowers and a Bible. The Quakers pattern of worship can be described by this quote, 'Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there also.' This quote is very important in relation to the style or Quaker worship, as they believe God is always present at their meetings.
The Quakers do not have an altar or sanctuary like the Roman Catholic as they believe each man and woman can follow their own 'inner light', by which god guides people into the truth. The Quaker meetings are largely based on waiting for the spirit, which is based around Pentecost when the disciples waited for the spirit to come to them. There is a large use of gifts of Holy Spirit, most notably tongues of fire and prophecy. In Quaker meetings, people make testimonies where they give examples of how God has touched them. Anybody can attend a local meeting for Worship. After a while, if they share the Friends' outlook, they can become a member and take a bigger part in the Society's life. They do not celebrate any sacraments in the Quakers religion because they believe that there is something of God in every person and every time and every place and thing so therefore there is no need for special feast says, ceremonies or sacraments. For Quakers there should be no split between religion and daily life.
In Quaker religion, they do not have priests or leaders because they believe that everybody is equal as individuals who have to find their own religious truth, being aware of god in their lives. However, they do have elders but these are no more important than other members, they simply arrange the meetings and ensure the upkeep of the meeting places. Sunday worship is mainly made up of silence, which is only broken down by the voices of those who believe that God's spirit has prompted them to speak. Therefore, there is a distinct absence of all the items that can be found in the Roman Catholic Church. The Quakers do not have a formal style or worship and consequently do not have icons to worship or people they worship in meetings. They do have a bible as in a Roman Catholic Church and they do believe that it is by far the greatest source of inspiration but unlike Roman Catholics they feel it is not the only one. They read it along with other books, old and new, which can help guide them in life. They find modern scholarship very useful in getting to grips with the bible and other great books.
Also unlike the Roman Catholic Church, the Quakers have always questioned anything they were told to believe. This is part of their 'seeking for truth', in the old phrase. It is based on the experience that there is a real and direct relationship between each person and God- though Quakers will use a variety of ways to try and describe God.
Evaluation
'You can be a Christian without Going to Church.'
There are two forms of worship. These are public and private worship. Private worship can be defined as a person on their own and can take place anywhere. Many people who often worship privately use various items that help them prey. People use bibles, rosary beads, a crucifix, candles or even shrines to aid in Private Worship. For many people that suffer a disability or invalidity it may be hard for them to get to a mass or to Church to prey. A lot of people who are disabled rely on the faith of God and Christianity to help them with their problems and they seek understanding from God. These people may want to go to church but can't because of the illness they may suffer. Some people may have attended a Church regularly and then been unlucky and been confined to the house. Does this mean that they are suddenly changed and are no longer a Christian? These people who want to attend church but have diseases may privately prey to God but not be able to get to Church. Does not mean they are not a Christian. It might be a social circumstance that means they cannot attend church but that does not mean they do not want to or that they do not want to be a Christian. In the bible and in modern preaching, it is often stated how God is always with us and all around us. If this statement is true it means that a person should not have to go to Church to be with God and to Worship him. In Quaker teachings they do not gather in churches but still like to be Christians. The Quaker religion often teach the bible quote that 'Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there also.' This quote is very important to helping us understand that God knows that no matter where people are they are with God; meaning that people should not have to attend church to be with God. In the bible is the story of the poor widow in Marks gospel. The widow contributed the equivalent of a penny which was everything she had whereas the rich people gave large amount which was simply spare change. In doing this the poor widow gave more than any rich man because she gave everything she had.
In contrast to the agreement that you can be a Christian without going to church is the argument that if you don't go to church you can't be a Christian. The roots of this argument stem back to baptism. When a person was baptised as a Christian, it was the responsibility of the Parents and Godparents to bring you to church. This should be done to set up a basis for a life as a Christian. At conformation, the vows made for a person by its godparents should be reconfirmed. This shows a commitment to God by a person in which a promise is made to go to church. If a person makes these promises but then fails to fulfil them through their own fault, this would mean the person is undoing the vows made at confirmation and thus undoing their promise of Christianity.
Confession is a large part of going to church. God will forgive people who confess their sins and are sorry for what they have done. If a person does not attend church than they cannot go to confession which means they will be living in sin which is not Christian. So therefore a person cannot be a Christian in sin so cannot be a Christian. The focus of mass in most Christian Churches is on the receiving of the Eucharist. It is the words of Jesus Christ who said 'do this in memory of me.' Jesus wants people to celebrate the Eucharist in memory of him and if you do not go to church you cannot do this. If you cannot partake in the most important Christian celebrations then consequently the person cannot be a Christian. If people do not go to church then they cannot go to confession which means they are also unfit to receive the Eucharist.
Both sides of this argument could be true and depending on personal opinion and the views of others everybody will think differently about the statement. I personally agree with the statement in certain situations such as disability but I think that once a person chooses not to go to church because they do not feel like, I think they are giving up being a Christian.
