Place of worship
A Place Of Worship. (A) (i) Describe the main features of a synagogue A synagogue is a place of worship for the Jewish community. Synagogue comes from a Greek word meaning to gather together. There are two types Jews; Orthodox and Reformed. I will be discussing the Orthodox synagogue because it is a more common group of Jews. Many Jews call the Synagogue by its Hebrew name Shul. The main features of all synagogues, particularly the symbols are designed to help people to worship God. An Orthodox synagogue has many features, which Jews find important to have. One feature of the synagogue is the Aron Hakodesh, this is the Ark for Jews this is the most important feature because it contains the scrolls of the law. The ark is a cupboard set in the wall of the orthodox synagogue that faces Jerusalem it is placed in front of the Bimah. When the Aron Hakodesh is not in use an embroidered curtain called a Parochet stretches across to cover the Ark, as it is the most important feature of the synagogue Jews try not to turn their backs on the Aron Hakodesh. An additional feature of the synagogue is the Bimah, it is a raised platform in the synagogue and many Jews consider the Bimah to be the focal point because it is in the middle of the Synagogue. The Bimah is supported by railings and often has lights on each corner. The bimah is used for reading the Torah from. Jews believe the
The Sabbath
The Sabbath AO1 The Sabbath has been for many years practiced by the Jews on a Saturday and that's why you don't see them out at certain times of the day to Jesus and god the Sabbath is still a day of rest, but on the genesis chapter 1-2 god rests on the seventh day. Sabbath in Jewish means rest, so Jews followed god into resting from sunset on Friday and goes on till sunset on Saturday. The Jews believe that that the Sabbath is a day set aside for god and rest. It is celebrated at home with a special family meal on a Friday evening and to then go to the synagogue and pray. Unnecessary work is much avoided along with the other 39 rules the Jews set to make the Sabbath a day of rest and to enforce these rules there are also the 10 commandments to make the Sabbath a very strict practice known throughout the world. People these days think it is strict and personally I don't now how they do it. "The Sabbath was made for the human kind and not the other way around" that's what Jesus said and yet the stubborn Jews don't listen and do there own way. Mark, one of the gods disciples writes on his gospel how Sabbath is so meaningful to him ,and like all the others hi follows the laws of the Sabbath. Jesus instead to us states that in the Sabbath we should go out and do good not evil and to help peoples lives and not destroy them. In Marks chapter 3 lines 1 to 6 is "The man with
What can a study of Marks Gospel tell Christians of various denominations about the meaning and importance of the Sabbath?
Nicholas Carvalho GCSE Coursework Wednesday, September 17, 2003 What can a study of Marks Gospel tell Christians of various denominations about the meaning and importance of the Sabbath? The Sabbath comes from a Hebrew word meaning rest. It marks the day in which God rested after creating the world. It is the Jewish holy day of rest and worship. The Christian Sabbath is on a Sunday. It is a day we dedicate to worship. It is on a Sunday because it marks the day on which Jesus rose from the dead. This is a happy occasion because Jesus died to forgive our sins. If he hadn't done this, we would not go to the kingdom of heaven. Mark's gospel speaks mainly of conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees, therefore it does not go into much detail into explaining what the Sabbath really is. It does tell us however, what Jesus and the Pharisees thought of it, and what it meant to them. At the beginning of Mark Ch.1 v 21, Jesus and his disciples go to the synagogue, on the day of the Sabbath. From this simple verse, we can deduce that the Sabbath is considered a holy day, and a day of worship. In Mark Ch.1 v 22-31, the people are amazed at the way Jesus is teaching. They say 'he is like no ordinary teacher of the law, instead he teaches with authority.' At this point a man with an evil spirit is brought to him, and he commands the spirit to leave the mans body. The people start to
What can a study of St Mark's Gospel tell Christians about the nature of discipleship.
What can a study of St Mark's Gospel tell Christians about the nature of discipleship. A disciple is someone who believes in and helps to spread the teachings of one another. St Mark's Gospel helps us understand the nature of discipleship through various stories concerning the disciples. In Mark's Gospel, the disciples are called apostles whenever they are sent out by Jesus on a mission of teaching and healing. The disciples are told to travel light on their mission, Jesus said, "Take nothing for your journey except a staff- no bread, no bag, no money in your belts." Jesus does not want his disciples to be burdened down by material possessions. Real Christian discipleship requires total commitment. It is about sacrificing everything for the service of God. It is not important about the quantity you give but the quality, and leave yourself totally dependant on God for survival. In the calling of the first four disciples Jesus calls them individually, this shows how great his power and charisma drew them to him. Jesus said, "Come follow me". They immediately responded without doubt and followed him. They left all their belongings and families to follow him no matter what. Jesus told the disciples, "I will make you fishers of men". Jesus meant they would bring people into the family of God. They would follow Jesus' footsteps and spread the good news and convert people to
What Do Christians Believe About The Death Of Jesus?
What Do Christians Believe About The Death Of Jesus? Jesus was sent to earth by God. His mission was to bring the people of the world closer to God through preaching and teaching about God. In his short three year ministry opposition stedily grew against him. Mainly it was the Pharisees who opposed Jesus. They disliked his radical teachins, his criticism of their ways especially when he highlighted their hypocrisy. They believed that the best way to deal with this man who claimed to be God was to have him killed. Jesus had to die because it was his father's will and Jesus was aware that the Holy Scriptures had to be fulfilled as they had stated that the Son Of Man would be sent to Earth as a Suffering Servent. In Mark's Gospel we learn that Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with his disciples for the last time and then moves on to the Garden of Gethsemane, taking Peter, James and John with him. Naturally, Jesus wanted his friends close by his side in this time of mental and spiritual suffering. Jesus must have found the thought of physical pain and torture very hard to take in. Jesus sought consolation from his father in prayer but unfortunately neither his own father nor his closest friends were helpful to him. Jesus' disciples did not pray with him, they were "Spiritually Asleep". Not one of the disciples knew what was happening to Jesus at this time or what was going
'What can a study of St Mark's Gospel tell Christians about what it means to be a disciple'
RE Coursework 'What can a study of St Mark's Gospel tell Christians about what it means to be a disciple' Reading Mark's Gospel tells you a lot about discipleship. It contains several information to help Christians about being a disciple. The Gospel gets its message across about discipleship through stories, parables and examples of others in today's modern world and in the past. Everybody has their own idea of what a disciple is but many are not to sure about what is required from a disciple because discipleship is very complex. Straight away in Mark's Gospel, in the first section it talks about spreading the Good news. This is required from every disciple, where ever you go you should preach the word and not be ashamed of your God. For it is written (9:38) 'If a person is ashamed of me and my teaching in this godless and wicked day, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of him...'. Faith is absolutely essential for discipleship. Christians believe and trust in God completely, otherwise why would they follow him. Jesus said (9:23) 'Everything is possible for the person who has faith'. Many miracles in the Gospel required faith such as Jairus' daughter and the Epileptic boy. To be a disciple you must believe God has all the power and surely does love you. But there are times us Christians lack faith, such as The calming of the storm. The disciples thought they were
What can a study of St Mark's Gospel tell Christians about what it means to be a disciple?
Discipleship Coursework Question 1 A disciple is a follower of Jesus Christ and his teachings. There are many passages throughout Mark's Gospel that tell us how to be a god disciple, but they are not just listed, they are taught through accounts, stories and parables. When the disciples were called by Jesus they responded with immediate willingness, for example when Jesus calls the first two disciples who were fishermen, Simon and Andrew: "Jesus said to them come with me, and I will teach you to catch people. At once they left their nets and went with him". (Mark 1:17-18) In Mark 2:14 Jesus tells Levi to "Follow me"; "Levi got up and followed him". When Jesus chose the twelve disciples in 'Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles', all twelve were willing and went ahead to preach the word of Jesus Christ. All Jesus' disciples had to make sacrifices to become disciples, for example they had to leave their family behind in order to follow Jesus. So this means that Christians must be willing to follow Jesus and make substantial sacrifices. Disciples should aim to do as Jesus did. Jesus gave his disciples authority over evil spirits and ordered them to take as little as possible, to leave all behind and go ahead to preach and heal (Mark 6:7-11). The two quotes: "The apostles returned and met with Jesus, and told him all they had done and taught" (Mark 6:30) and "They went out and
What is Hajj?
What is Hajj? Hajj is a Arabic word which means "submission" and "obedience". Hajj is a special worship that lasts for several days. It was made obligatory in the 9th year of Hijra. Muslims journey to the holy city of Mecca to make the spiritual pilgrimage. Hajj is an act of worship just like Salat (five daily prayers) and Sawm (fasting in the month of Ramadan). All Muslims who are physically and financially able are expected to perform the Hajj at least once.. Describe and explain the meaning and significance of the events of Hajj for a Muslim Muslims go on Hajj to cleanse and purify themselves; not just physically but mentally. Another reason is because it's a test Allah has set to show their devotion to Him. Hajj helps bring Muslims closer to Allah and also each other. Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam; God 'ordered' it to be done in the Qur'an. The male pilgrim must wear upon the two unsown white clothes after entering the sacralized state of pilgrimage. It symbolizes the bare defect, faith, which strips away distinctions of class and culture, so that all stand equal before God. The Ka'ba symbolizes God's House and his nearness. The Black stone embedded in one of its four corners symbolizes God's right hand, the kissing of which symbolizes one's pledge of faith to one's King and to his Law on earth. The sevenfold anti-clockwise circumambulation of the Ka`ba represents
What is Hajj ?
A) What is Hajj ? Describe and Explain why Muslims might take part in Hajj and what this involves. B) Explain the meaning and significance of the events of Hajj for a Muslim. What difficulties might there be for a Muslim performing Hajj? How might participating in Hajj affect the life of a believer? C) 'True pilgrimage is really a journey within' Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Islam in your answer. Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. This is the pilgrimage to Mecca which Muslims must do at least once in their lifetime. This makes Muslims feel complete once they have completed the Hajj, but they are only allowed to do Hajj if they are physically and financially supported, they must also be able to provide for there families whilst on Hajj, they must also have the money to pay for Hajj without resorting to dishonest ways of raising the money. The pilgrimage is a journey with a spiritual meaning to a place special to them. If this is not possible this is when Niyya comes into it, which is when someone has the intention to go on Hajj but are not either physically or financially capable. This could make them a better Muslim so therefore they may become more spiritually involved in there Islamic religion. Hajj happens during Dhul-Hijjah the twelfth month of the Islamic
What is Hajj?
A i) What is Hajj? Hajj is the official Muslim pilgrimage made to Makkah. Hajj means 'visit to the revered place' or 'set out with a definite purpose' and is the most significant manifestation of Muslims. For those who are able to travel to Makkah, the Hajj is said to be the peak of their religious life. Hajj is an obligation. It is the duty of every Muslim who can afford it and who is physically fit to visit the Ka'bah and stand before God at Mount Arafat, at least once in their lifetime. Some people save money their entire lives in order to be able to go on the pilgrimage. Others save money in a group so that they can send one representative to go for them. This way they can experience Hajj without performing it. Hajj is the fifth pillar of faith, or Arkan. Without the pillars Islam would not exist. All of the other pillars, Shahadah, Salat, Zakah and Sawn, demand that normal life be broken off but Hajj involves the complete suspension of wordly activities so that Muslims can devote themselves to God. Hajj is one of the best forms of worship and is one of the most sublime deeds because it is one of the pillars of Islam that Allah sent Muhammad with. A servant's religion is incomplete without it. A form of worship is only acceptable when the following is true: - One devotes it to Allah alone, with a desire for the Hereafter. It cannot be done with the intention of being