christianity - practices

prayer

“Bless us, O Lord, and these your gifts, which we are about to receive from your bounty. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.”

baptism

infant - catholics, orthodox, anglicans, methodists & united reform christians

believers - anabaptists, baptists, pentecostals & evangelicals

“You are my beloved son. I am pleased with you.”

“Therefore, go make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

holy communion

catholics - celebrate it in every service (re-enactment of Jesus' last supper), they pray and praise Jesus before sharing the bread and wine

non conformist churches - view it as a memorial, they pray and there is an open table

“This is my body broken for you. Eat in memory of me.”

“This is my blood shed for you. Drink in memory of me.”

pilgrimage

“As I raised my head to look at the grotto, I saw a Lady dressed in white…”

Lourdes - healing water

Iona - a ‘thin’ place between physical and spiritual presences

festivals

christmas - gold (properity), frankinsense (purification; Jesus will be priest), myrrh (Jesus will be anointed by God)

“Father you make this holy night radiant with the splendour of Jesus Christ our light. We welcome him as lord, the true light of the world.”

“Christ is risen from the dead trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.”

charity

“the poor you will always have with you”

“For there will never cease to be poor in the land.”

“charity never faileth”

“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother of sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”

evangelism

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

“All this from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”