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| Home > Salvation Scheme > Belief and Worship |
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Prayer
Prayer is the means by which Christians communicate with their God.
The New Testament records that Jesus taught his disciples how to pray .Christians believe
that they continue this tradition. But do Christians pray the way in which
Jesus prayed his god? NO. Jesus prayed his god , exactly the way which Moses
prayed his God.
Sometimes the prayers are
formal and part of a ritual laid down for hundreds of years. The praying
methods were introduced by the clerics than the God and Jesus. Moreover it did
not differ from the pagan way of prayer.
Whilst prayer is often directed to God, as taught by Jesus, some
traditions encourage prayer to God through intermediaries such as saints and
martyrs. So without a Church father or other saints or martyrs , Christians
cannot contact his God.
Prayers through Mary, as the mother of God are central to some churches and
form a traditional part of their worship. When they upgrade their master to
God, then they are forced to upgrade his mother as god, next step they have to
upgrade his supposed father Joseph the carpenter as god. if son (Jesus) is god
and mother (Mary) also god, then why should not the supposed father (Joseph the carpenter) a
god?
The Church
The Christian Church is fundamental to Christian believers. Although it has
many faults, still Church leaders teach the Christians to recognise church as God’s body on earth.
The church leaders mesmerized the Christian believers that church is the place where the Christian faith is nurtured and where the
Holy Spirit is manifest on earth.
It is where Christians are received into the faith and where they are brought
together into one body through the Eucharist.
Baptism
The Christian church believes in one baptism into the Christian church,
whether this be as an infant or as an adult, as an outward sign of an inward
commitment to the teachings of Jesus. Even though it is not necessary , but to
the
Christians follow it.
Eucharist
Eucharist is a Greek word for thanksgiving and its celebration is to
commemorate the final meal that Jesus took with his disciples before his death
(the Last Supper). It is very sad that , the Christians are celebrating
their God's last supper.
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Communion Wafers - The "Body of Jesus Christ" |
This rite is said to be the actions of Jesus who, at that meal, took bread and wine and asked his disciples to consume them and continue to do so in memory of him. Even we Muslims never believe that Jesus drank wine. He came to teach the morals and not to encourage immorals. |
The Eucharist (also known as a Communion meal in some churches) is central
to the Church and they boast that it is recognised as a sign of unity amongst Christians.
Even in this practise the different Churches understand and practice the Eucharist in different ways. As
a result the central ideas of the Eucharist can cause disharmony rather than
unity.
Christianity Worship
Christian worship involves praising God in music and speech, readings from
scripture, prayers of various sorts, a "sermon", and various holy
ceremonies such as the Eucharist. But this is not what Jesus had taught his
disciples. He never dance while praying , he never prayed in front of a candle.
So why do Christians dance while praying and they need a candle during the day
light to worship the God.
Even it is said that the Christians can worship God on
their own, and in any place, but still they are encouraged to seek the assistant
of a divine broker called church father.
Origins
Christian worship grew out of Jewish worship.
Jesus Christ was a religious Jew who attended the synagogue, and celebrated
Jewish festivals, and his disciples were familiar with Jewish ritual and
tradition.
The first obvious divergence from Judaism was making Sunday the holy day instead
of Saturday.
God is Present
So Christians regard worship as something that they don't only do for God,
but that God, through Jesus's example and the presence of the Holy Spirit is
also at work in. This is the Christianity's head spinning theory. It is better
not to ask the reason. because it will make you crazy.
The Eucharist and the Word
Church services on a Sunday divide into two general types: Eucharistic services
and services of the Word.
Both types of service will include hymns, readings and prayers.
The Eucharistic service will be focussed on the act of Holy Communion.
The the service of the Word will not have this rite, but will include a much
longer sermon, in which the preacher will speak at length to expound a biblical
text, and bring out its relevance to those present.
Style
Different churches, even within the same denomination, will use very different
styles of worship. Some will be elaborate, with a choir singing difficult music,
others will hand the music over to the congregation, who sing simpler hymns or
worship songs.
Some churches leave much of the action to the minister, while others encourage
great congregational participation.
(Of course all churches encourage the full participation of the congregation in
praising God with heart, mind, and soul, but some churches give the congregation
more physical participation.)
The unitarian way of worship
Theophilus Lindsey was born in 1723. He was the organizer of the first Unitarian congregation in England. Using a reformed order to service based on Samuel Clarke's revision of sixty years earlier, and robed without the traditional white surplice, Lindsey conducted the first service in an auction room on Essex Street in London. It was April the seventeenth, 1774. The service was attended by a large congregation including Benjamin Franklin and Joseph Priestly.
So in Christianity anyone can change his way of prayer since it does not have a clear method of praying. Do you still consider Christianity is God's religion ? if so , then we feel very sorry for you.
(ICRA)