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CHRISTIANITY
| The
Origins of Christianity |
| Christians
follow Jesus Christ who, we believe, shows us
what God is like in human form. Jesus was a preacher
and healer who lived 2,000 years ago in the land
of Palestine in the Middle East. After his death,
his disciples spread his teachings far and wide.
Christianity is the world's largest religion. |
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Christians
believe in one God who created the world and watches
over it. God is everywhere and sees and knows
everything. Christians believe that God is kind
and loving. God is always ready to forgive wrong-doing
if the person is truly sorry and promises to follow
God's way. They believe that from early times,
God has spoken to humankind, trying to guide them
and show them the right way to live. They believe
that Jesus was the son of God who came to earth
to save people from their sins. Christians say
that people can learn what God is like from Jesus's
life and example. |
Most
Christians believe that God can be seen in three
ways: as God the Father, who made and cares for
the world; as God the Son, who came to earth as
Jesus; and as God, the Holy Spirit, meaning the
power of God which is always at work in the world.
We call these three persons in one God, the Holy
Trinity. |
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The
Church
A church is a building where Christians worship.
Churches can be big or small, new or old, ornate
or plain. The floor plan of many churches is in
the shape of a cross.
The Cathedral
A cathedral is the main church in an area, called
a diocese, that is looked after by a bishop. It
contains the bishop's throne or cathedra. |
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The Holy Bible is the name of the Christian Scriptures.
It consists of the Old Testament, which comes
from the ancient Jewish Scriptures, and the New
Testament, which contains accounts of the life
of Jesus and the experiences of the early Christians.
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celebrate the following festivals and fasts: Advent,
Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost;
and twelve Festival Days: Christmas, the Name
of Jesus, Epiphany, The Baptism of Our Lord, The
Transfiguration of Our Lord, Easter, The Ascension
of Our Lord, The Feast of Pentecost, The Holy
Trinity, Reformation Day, All Saints' Day, and
Christ the King.
The celebrations follow the life of Jesus, beginning
with the preparation for his birth in Advent,
the birth of the Christ child at Christmas, the
journey of discipleship in Epiphany as the Wise
Men follow the star to Bethlehem, the preparation
for Jesus's passion and death during Lent and
Holy Week, the resurrection of Jesus from the
dead at Easter, and his ascension into Heaven.
After his ascension, we receive the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and build our
relationship with the risen Christ during this
season. |
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Cross is the main symbol of the Christian
faith, reminding us that Jesus died for us.
In the Catholic and Orthodox traditions in particular,
the cross usually includes a figure of Christ
on the cross, and is called a crucifix.
A palm cross is given to the congregation on Palm
Sunday to commemorate Christ's entry into Jerusalem
at the beginning of Holy Week. |
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Candles
are used in worship.
The Advent candle counts the days until Christmas.
The Advent ring of four candles counts the Sundays
before Christmas.
The Baptismal candle symbolises the passing from
darkness into light.
The Paschal candle symbolises the light of the
Resurrection.
The Votive candle symbolises a prayer 'going'
to God. |
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Fish is a symbol of faith. The letters
of the Greek word for fish 'icthus' stand for
'Jesous Christos Theou Uios Soter', which means
'Jesus Christ, God's Son, Saviour'. |
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Communion
Wafers are used at the service called Mass,
Eucharist or Lord's Supper, and can be plain or
decorated with Christian symbols such as the cross.
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of Jesus, Mary and the saints can be in
the form of pictures or statues, called icons.
In the Orthodox traditions, the icon has special
significance and is given particular reverence
as an aid to devotion. |
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Certificates
are usually given by a priest or minister to commemorate
special ceremonies and occasions in the life of
a Christian, such as baptism, first communion
or confirmation.
Greetings cards are sent to mark special Christian
festivals, like Christmas and Easter and also
to offer congratulations on a baptism, ordination,
wedding, etc. |
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Rosary
Beads are used to count prayers and as
an aid to devotion, mainly in the Catholic tradition.
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Christians is called the Christian Church. Within
it there are over 20,000 different groups or denominations
which interpret or practise their faith in different
ways. The Christian Church is made up of several
main groups.
The
Church of England
The Church of England today witnesses the continuation
of Christianity in this country since the Romans
and the Celts brought the faith to Britain. It
has undergone many changes and reforms, but still
seeks to proclaim God's love in every part of
England. The Church of England enjoys good ecumenical
relations with many other parts of the Christian
family.
Roman
Catholic
About half of all Christians are Roman Catholic.
Their Spiritual leader is the Pope. The Roman
Catholic Church developed when the Christian Church
split into Eastern and Western parts in the 11th
century AD. The Western part became the Roman
Catholic Church, which has spread throughout the
world.
Orthodox
Church
The Orthodox Church developed after the Christian
Church split into Eastern and Western parts in
the 11th century AD. The Orthodox Church is the
Eastern part and is divided into Eastern Orthodox
and Oriental Orthodox.
Protestant
'Protest' can mean 'witness to the truth' and
Protestants witness to the truth of the Bible.
In the 16th century some Roman Catholics thought
their church had drifted away from the truths
in the Bible. They wanted to change the Roman
Catholic Church but as they couldn't, they formed
the Protestant Church. It includes several denominations
such as Baptists and Methodists.
Pentecostal
and Black-led Churches
Pentecostal Christians believe that what happened
to the disciples at Pentecost still happens: that
is, the Holy Spirit can make people speak words
that come from God. |
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- Hampton Hill | Site
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