Worship and Ritual in Christianity - Essay Example

Worship and Ritual in Christianity Christianity is among the ancient religions that still exist in the world. The diverse Christian groups that exist have various ways of worship. It is seen as a means to praise and glorify the Supreme Being. There is the belief that human beings were created in the image and likeness of the Supreme Being. The Bible is the Holy Book Christians use to worship and has been used as the guide to everyday life. There are rituals and festivals that mark the manner in which Christians praise God (Pecklers 65). These rituals trade back to the festivities that are seen in the Bible, and to this day, many individuals still uphold the practices. However, not many people view these rituals as a way of worship. They see it is primitive and empty. Some go as far as suggesting that there is no Supreme Being to worship. This paper, however, will examine worship and rituals that mark the Christian faith, and why it is vital to live believing in something. Empty ritualism is the process of undergoing, or performing a ritual while there is the absence of sincerity or genuine meaning. A lot of this happens in many areas as individuals believe that they are doing this to fall in God’s favour. This, to a large number of people, is what is called ritualism (White 61). It is usually done to recover some sense of religious feeling that was once lost. This is not condoned in modern Christian settings as it gives off a feeling of worship being violated. Whenever the pattern of worship is violated, people know that the design meant for ritual is not being followed. This gives the religion a terrible reputation among other religions that exist. Christians pride themselves with the thought of their religion being superior to other existent religions. They, therefore, follow most of the rituals in the Bible strictly so as to abide by the ways of truth. In the Holy Book, the New Testament ways are chosen over the Old Testament ways. This shows that some of the rituals that were once carried out; need no longer be carried out after the coming of Christ. He came to shed light on how Christians could live without some of the old traditions that ruled their lives (White 64). As such, modern day Christians follow the New Testament to guide them in everyday life. That is why; sacrifices and burnt offerings are not part of the rituals Christians carry out in modern time. They, however, still observe some of the rituals in the Bible. As with any religion, there are bound to be groups that choose to do things differently. This is according to how they view and comprehend the Bible. This is probably why there are diverse groups of the Christian religion, which choose to be different from others. This is through the way and manner of worship, and conducting of their rituals. All these groups view the other as a pervasion of the real Christian religion. What they do not seem to realise is that all these groups serve the same purpose, and the same God (White 76). Christians worship throughout the week, and the year. Even though, the styles of worship differ in all the denominations present, the services, worship ceremonies, and rituals, hold extraordinary meaning to Christians. Christians believe that the church is the dwelling place of God. This is where they conduct their services. Many of the believers worship on Sunday as they believe it is the Sabbath, the day that Jesus rested. Others, for example, the Seventh Day Adventist, believe that Saturday is the blessed day. This does not make them any less Christian than the Catholics, who are considered the foundation on which Christianity is built. There is the use of art and decoration in these diverse denominations (White 76). The use of arts and decorations vary as they stand for different meaning and symbolism in these places of worship. They, however, serve the purpose of praising and worshiping God wherever they are used. Some of the ancient customs and traditions that are connected to Jesus are still practiced in Christianity. These include baptism and the Eucharist. These are common in almost of Christian denomination as they are linked directly to Jesus. In other customs and practices, the difference stands out as every denomination chooses to practice differently. These sacred practices include the taking of sacraments and ordinances as a form of worship. Some of these practices are carried out so as to seek and cultivate a closer relationship with God. The worship and dedication to prayer can closely be associated with the relationship individuals want to develop with Christ. They sanctify themselves with prayer because; this is the way to communicate with the Heavenly Father (Pecklers 79). Often, Christians come together to carry out these practices and activities. Sometimes, they choose to do them in the comfort of their immediate surroundings. In Christian homes, it is easy to come across symbols of the faith that symbolises a close relationship with God. This can come in the form of Christ hanging on the cross. As one of the most distinctive of all of the symbolic images, this image is almost present in every home. Another common one is the painting of Christ with the Holy Spirit in his presence. All these work toward building the faith of the Christians who use them as a constant reminder of their devotion to Christ (Pecklers 80). They are certain of the fact which explains why man was created, and the purpose is to serve God. This is the ultimate lesson of the Christian faith whenever they go for worship. Christians believe that whenever the patterns of worship are followed, they get the sense they are abiding by the rules. Rules, which existed from the beginning of time, and will exist till the end of time, have to be followed to avoid the repercussions. There is also the belief that worship is a dialogue that exists between the human form and the spiritual form (Pecklers 83). It is an embodiment that combines the flexible human side with that which is much more stable. This then brings about a believer who lives in a righteous way that pleases God. It is vital that Christian churches have a designated person to lead the congregation in worship and rituals. Leaders in the church often come from the seminary where they are ordained as ministers in the Lord’s service. In some cases, for example, they are not allowed to marry nor have children. This is something the Catholic Church does, which means their service is to the Lord and His followers. There are schools that have been dedicated to preparing young people for such tasks. It is treated as any other field that require patience and tolerance to finish. Afterwards, they are given the go-ahead to start the service of the Lord. If one chooses to go against the Church, in this case, one might be excommunicated and banished from performing any rituals in the name of the Church (Anderson and Saliers 54). This was seen even in old days, where; leaders were rejected by the Church for going against its wishes and commands. One of the rituals that Christians go through in their lives is penance. This involves the confession of sins. In the Catholic Church, there is the presence of a confession room where a believer confesses their sins and is granted forgiveness. This is through the leader of the Church who gets his power from the Church. After this ritual is conducted, Christians are asked never to repeat the mistakes they made before coming to the confession chamber. There are differences that exist between liturgical and non-liturgical church bodies. These two have their views on how the rituals and church worship should be conducted. The liturgical bodies believe in the traditional ways of worship. On the other hand, non-liturgical bodies believe in unstructured and unplanned worship (Anderson and Saliers 59). There is the commemoration of the life of Jesus. There is the beginning where the birth of the Saviour is announced. This is known as the celebration of the annunciation of the birth of Jesus. In most cases, it is nine months before the birth of Christ. In the Eastern Church, there is the celebration of the baptism of Christ. In the Western Church, there is the celebration of the revelation of Jesus as the Saviour of the masses. Almost all denominations believe in the birth of the Saviour and is a celebration known as Christmas (Anderson and Saliers 68). During this day, many Christians and believers offer their lives to Christ, and decide to live their ways according to His rules. All these celebrations and rituals are done in commemoration of the life of Jesus, and the light He shone into the world. There are celebrations that commemorate the death and resurrection of Christ. Christians believe there is life after death as the Bible says. This is seen through Jesus’ crucifixion and triumph over death. There is lent, which focuses on the sacrifice Jesus made while fasting for forty days and nights. Christians learn to trust in God’s plan during this period. The Great Week which observes the passion, death, and rise of Christ is also part of the rituals Christians undertake. Christians take this as a sign that true believers will rise after death, and live for eternity (Anderson and Saliers 71). They use this time to pray for forgiveness of sin, and the protection of life. This is the direct link Christians have with Jesus; because, this was the time He gave His life for the forgiveness of their sins. The Christian community is united in bringing the mission of Christ to pass. This means that, they will observe the rituals that fall under the calendar to ensure that God is pleased with their ways. It is only fair that they treat everyone in society equally. This is regardless of their religious, social, or cultural standing. This is what Jesus came into the world to make sure of, and died trying to bring mankind closer to God. This was His mission, and as His followers, Christians strive to make this mission a reality (Anderson and Saliers 79). Through the message, the Bible sends, Christians realise that it is their prerogative to ensure other people are close to God. In conclusion, understanding and comprehending the rituals in the Bible and Christianity, people are brought closer to God, as well as their fellow human beings. A distinctive message in the Bible stands out about loving one’s neighbour as one would love their heavenly Father. This should be every Christian’s motto in life (Anderson and Saliers 87). This ensures the life of Christ is seen through every Christian. If Christians can respect God whom they have never seen, they cannot fail to respect their neighbour whom they see. It is not a challenging task to live in the righteous way that Christianity demands. Through worship, it is possible to understand why true Christians live a fulfilled life. Works Cited Anderson, Byron E., and Saliers E. Don. Worship and Christian Identity: Practicing Ourselves. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. Print. Pecklers, Keith. Worship. London: Macmillan Publishers, 2003. Print. White, Susan J. Foundations of Christian Worship. New York: Prentice Hall, 2006. Print. Read More