Christianity

Overview

Christians are people who believe that Jesus Christ, who lived in the Holy Land 2,000 years ago, is the Son of God, and who follow his teachings and those of the Christian churches that grew up after his death.

There are many forms of Christianity including Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant churches (sometimes called Western). The Protestant churches have many denominations such as Anglican (Church of England), Baptist, Methodist, United Reformed, and Pentecostal (including Black-led churches from Afro-Caribbean origins).

Basic Concepts and Beliefs of Christianity

2,000 years old (in many places in the world dates are derived from the birth of Jesus)

Began in the Middle East

Founded by the followers of Jesus Christ

Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that:-

God sent his Son to earth to save humanity from the consequences of sin (i.e. disobedience to God)
Jesus was both truly divine and fully human, and experienced this world in the same way as other human beings of his time
Jesus suffered and gave his life on the Cross (the Crucifixion, see Good Friday)
Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day after his Crucifixion (the Resurrection, see Easter)
Jesus will return again in glory.
Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah (= Christ = anointed) promised in the Old Testament

Christians believe that there is only one God, but that this one God consists of 3 "persons" :

God the Father
God the Son
God the Holy Spirit



Christians generally worship in Churches Their spiritual leaders are called "priests", "ministers" or "pastors"


The Christian Holy Book is the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The Old Testament is the Hebrew (Jewish) scriptures, containing writings, poems and songs that tell of God as Creator and Lord of all. The New Testament begins with the four gospels, the story of Jesus, followed by the Acts of the Apostles, a collection of letters and the Book of Revelation, which describe how Christianity developed, and its major doctrines.

Christian Festivals such as Easter and Christmas, are major milestones in the Western secular calendar


Who Are Christians?

Christians live according to the loving nature of God revealed by the life and death of Jesus. Mainstream Christians believe in God as a Trinity of persons, the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and The Holy Spirit. All have equal, divine status. Jesus is believed to be the Son of God, born to the Virgin Mary. Mary is particularly important to Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Churches.

Christianity is the most commonly practised religion in the world with about 1/3rd of all people claiming to be Christians, well over 2 Billion (2,000 million) followers.

It is also the largest religion in Britain, with 37 million people regarding themselves as nominally Christian; about 6 million of these are actively committed to the faith attending a church at least monthly.

Sacraments

Baptism
(Sometimes called Christening which means being made "Christ-like")
Generally practised as the first rite of Christian Initiation. Infant baptism takes place as soon as is convenient to the parents. In a service of church worship the parents and God-parents (friends and supporters of the family) gather round the font and declare their own faith. The minister sprinkles water onto the baby's head and says "I baptise you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit". The parents promise to bring the child up in the practice of the Christian faith and the God-parents or sponsors promise to support them. It is an opportunity for the whole church to renew their own baptismal vows.
Adult baptism is practised in some churches, such as the Baptist denomination, who think that baptism should be consequent upon a full understanding and belief in the Christian faith. In "believer's baptism" the person is immersed in water, symbolising them dying to sin and being born again into Christ. This will happen in a baptismal pool at the front of the church or in a suitable location such as a river.




Confirmation
Later in life those who have been baptised as infants are invited to make a personal profession of faith, and are confirmed (strengthened by the Holy Spirit) by the laying on of hands, and become members of the Church. This is to enable them to live more fully their lives as Christians.


Eucharist
(Also known as the Mass, Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper or the Breaking of Bread).
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). This rite recalls how Jesus 'took bread, gave thanks to God, and broke it, he gave it to his disciples saying "take, eat, this is my body", and the same with the cup of wine saying "Drink of this, this is my blood". The Eucharist is central to Christian worship and is recognised as a sign of unity among Christians. Different church denominations understand and practice the Eucharist in different ways.



Customs and Daily Living

Dress
Christians have no particular dress, wearing the clothes of their own culture. They may wear a cross or crucifix (cross with Jesus crucified), perhaps on a neck chain, to show their faith. Church leaders will wear a variety of clothing to identify themselves, the most common being a white clerical collar (or dog collar) to denote both status and function. Another symbol Christians display is a fish, the Greek for fish, ikthous, standing for the initial letters in Greek of Jesus Christ Son of God and Saviour.


Food
There are no rules about food or drink. Some Christians observe a few dietary restrictions for example: Friday is associated with eating fish. During Lent, the six week-long season of preparation before Easter, some Christians will fast or abstain from certain foods. Some Christians abstain from alcohol because of its detriment to family life.


Names
People's first or fore names have commonly been called Christian names, although they are not necessarily chosen from the Bible or any other source such as a list of saints.


Family
Christian family structure tends to take the form of family units, with a strong emphasis on commitment in marriage and supportive family life. Men and women are equal before God, and can equally have a relationship with God.


Marriage
Christians will usually marry in church, in a service of worship during which God is asked to bless their relationship. Christians believe that marriage enhances life and gives children the support and security they need.


Death
Prayers may be said at the bedside of a dying person to commend them to God's eternal care. Christians believe the soul of a person leaves the body at death and goes to God, is judged and lives for eternity. A funeral is held often about a week after the death, and the body may be buried or cremated. In the service thanks is given for the loved one's life and the person is commended to God.


Holy Days and Festivals

Christmas
Christmas Day, December 25th, is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, in Bethlehem. This is preceded by a period of preparation called Advent, which covers the previous four Sundays.
Special services begin on Christmas Eve, often with Eucharist at midnight. Family meals, gifts and cards will follow Christmas worship. The season of Christmas lasts twelve days to January 6th.


Holy Week and Easter

Palm Sunday
Begins Holy Week and recalls the journey of Jesus into Jerusalem, when he was greeted as the Saviour by crowds waving palm branches.
Maundy Thursday
Is celebrated with a Eucharist service (see sacrament above) as it commemorates the Last Supper that Jesus ate with his disciples before his death on the cross.
Good Friday
Is the day when Christians remember Jesus' crucifixion. Although it commemorates his death it is called "good" because his death was a self-sacrifice when Jesus took on himself the sins of the world. Christians believe that by repenting (confessing their sins and turning back to God) they are forgiven and saved by Jesus and are brought back into a right relationship with God.

Easter

The feast of Easter begins on Easter Day which occurs on a Sunday between late March and late April *. The festival celebrates Jesus' resurrection from the dead. As well as worship to give thanks to God, usually including communion, people give (chocolate) eggs to symbolise new life.
[* the date of Easter varies because it is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the Spring Equinox. The dates of both Christmas and Easter can vary between the Western and Eastern Church because each uses a different calendar.]
Ascension Day
This is always a Thursday as it occurs 40 days after Easter Day, and marks Jesus' return, or ascension, to God.
Pentecost
The Sunday 50 days after Easter Day concludes the Easter feast and celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit to the first disciples. Christians today look to the Holy Spirit to empower them in their daily lives.

NB Christians celebrate other special days such as Harvest Festival and saints days depending on local custom and culture.