Christianity: Major practices

Today is a very special day for Maria. She is getting baptised. Maria is a Christian, and this ritual marks her acceptance of the faith. Baptism is practised in almost all branches of Christianity, but it looks different in different churches. Maria’s church is part of the Protestant tradition.

The other main traditions are Catholic and Orthodox. In all of these traditions, Christians gather regularly for a service. Let’s visit some churches and see how the services look. For Catholics, the regular service, called Mass, is a celebration and commemoration of the sacrifice of Jesus. During Mass, the priest blesses some bread and wine.

Then the priest offers the bread, and in some cases the wine, to the congregants. The bread becomes the body of Jesus, and the wine his blood. This ceremony is called the Eucharist. There is also singing during mass, readings from the Bible, and a sermon from the priest. The different parts of Mass follow a particular order, meaning the service is the same all over the world!

What is the priest doing here? He is swinging a special instrument, and smoke is rising from it. This takes place in Orthodox churches, too! Let’s find out more… The instrument is a thurible. It contains burning incense.

The smoke that rises from it reminds worshippers that their prayers rise up to heaven. In this Orthodox church, smell is one of the senses that helps lead worshippers to a calm and uplifted state of mind. Hearing is another. Listen to the rhythmic singing. Taste plays a role, too.

Orthodox Christians, like Catholics, receive the Eucharist. And look at the walls. They show people and stories from the Bible. These images are called icons. Seeing icons during a service helps people keep their mind focussed on God.

In most Protestant churches there are no icons and there is no priest. The leader of the service is sometimes called a minister. There are prayers, readings from the Bible, and a sermon. In some churches there is also music and singing. The Eucharist is sometimes referred to in Protestant churches as Communion.

Many Protestant Christians do not believe the bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus; instead, they are simply a way to remember Jesus’ sacrifice. Outside of their regular services, Christians practise individual prayer. Some Christians also go without certain foods for a time, as a way to take their focus away from their physical needs and draw closer to God. This is called fasting. There are certain important stages, or rites of passage, in a Christian’s life.

These are marked with a special service. Marriage is seen by Christians as a foundation for family life, and is most often celebrated with a wedding in church, surrounded by family and friends. Funerals are also held in churches. Christians believe that followers of Jesus join God in heaven when they die and so Christian funerals, although sad, are often seen as a ‘celebration of life’. Another rite of passage, as we saw earlier, is baptism.

Catholic, Orthodox, and some Protestant churches practise infant baptism. The baby is usually sprinkled with oil and water at the ceremony. Specially chosen adults in the child’s life, called godparents, agree to help raise them in the faith. Other Christians wait until a person is old enough to state their beliefs — like in Maria’s church. Here, the person being baptised is immersed fully under water.

Maria’s submersion symbolises the death of her old way of life, without Jesus. Then she is raised up, into new life!