PERSONAL DEVOTION AND RITUAL
CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGION: PERSONAL DEVOTION AND RITUAL
• Liturgy: refers to the rituals and formulas for the annual cycle of public worship in the Christian Church.
• Public worship is central to Christian life, creating a feeling of community and celebration
• Christian worship usually takes place in a church, but ‘going to church’ is not the only form of worship in the Christian worship
• Christians have used prayer to develop a closer personal relationship with God. The word prayer means to entreat or request. Prayer connects the heart, mind and will to God in words, song, thought or contemplation (wordless silence)
Prayer is:
➢ an act of faith which consists in asking for proper gifts or graces from God
➢ it can be internal, mental, external or vocal
➢ acts of praise and thanksgiving, but petition (appeal/request) is the principal act of prayer
➢ the expression of one’s desires to God for oneself or others
➢ Raising the mind and heart to God
➢ Conversation and discussion with God
• The acts of praying acknowledges God’s power and goodness and one’s dependence on God
• The primary prayer in Christianity is the “Lord’s Prayer” or “Our Father”
• Prayer is usually accompanied by certain postures – standing, kneeling, bowed heads, arms raised, beating the chest (these vary depending on culture)
Vocal
➢ verbal expression to accompany the internal act of prayer
➢ Helps keep us attentive and adds to the intensity
➢ May consist of set prayers, hymns, personal praise, thanks and petition
Mental Prayer
➢ The Christian asks for God’s help to help calm the mind and move the heart
Meditation
➢ application of the soul, intellect, imagination, memory and will to enhance spirituality in order to reach closer unity with the divine
Contemplative
➢ simple prayer of quiet, where the heart is still in recollection of God and the mind and imagination are free to wander. Christians consider this a pure gift from God and beyond the power of human effort
• Rituals or rites of passage that bring God and spiritual blessing more into heart, mind and daily life
Sacraments common to all Christian Denominations:
➢ Baptism – becoming Christian through accepting God’s forgiveness and entering new life through the washing away of sin
➢ Eucharist – ritual sharing of consecrated bread and wine to commemorate the Last Supper of Jesus. The Eucharist reminds Christians that Jesus is to remain easily accessible to his followers, and to be present whenever they meet to remember his death and celebrate his resurrection
Sacraments affirmed in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches:
Along with Baptism and Eucharist, Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches also celebrate the following sacraments
➢ Confirmation – the special gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to the baptized person by the laying on of hands. It often done to reaffirm their faith
➢ Reconciliation – the acknowledgment of sins and wrongdoings to a priest who is authorized to grant forgiveness or absolution in the name of Christ
➢ Anointing of the Sick – recalls the healing ministry of the Apostles. It offers spiritual comfort to the severely ill or dying and gives forgiveness of all sins (except the most grave sins)
Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican Churches (Apostolic Churches):
➢ Marriage is considered a Sacrament
➢ Sacrament of the Holy Orders – empowers the recipient to participate in the priestly ministry of Jesus Christ by teaching, governing and officiating at public worship as a bishop, priest or deacon
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Public Prayer: Sacraments
Personal Prayer
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