The Role of the Sacraments in Christian Worship (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)

The Role of the Sacraments

What are the Sacraments?

• Sacraments play a key role in worship and belief for many Christians

• Sacraments are rites and rituals through which the believer receives a special gift of grace

• For Catholics, Anglicans and many Protestants, sacraments are ‘outward signs’ of ‘inward grace’

• Sacraments are important as they show God’s grace as gifts offered at appropriate times in their lives

  • They are seen as something physical that is done to the body which has a permanent effect on the soul

• Sacraments must have form (words and/or actions), matter (physical objects/matter like water), and intention (of the person to perform the sacrament)

• Many Christians believe that sacraments bring them closer to God and help them develop spiritually

• The blessings that are given to a person during a ceremony can be conducted by clergy either privately or in public

  • They can take place as part of a wider community or have a dedicated service

• Most Christians will agree that sacraments  

  • Play an important role in Christian life  

  • Are a way in which human beings can receive the grace, favour and kindness of God

  • Strengthen their relationship with God  

  • Enable them to grow in goodness and faith and become more like Jesus

The Role of the Sacraments in Two Denominations

The Sacraments in the Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches

• Different Christian denominations believe in different sacraments

• Some Christians like the Salvation Army and Quakers do not recognise any of the sacraments and see them as unnecessary symbols for the inward acceptance of God’s grace

• Some even see the whole world as sacramental and believe God’s grace can be experienced through His creation

• The Roman Catholic Church teaches that there are seven sacraments, however, most Protestant Churches recognise just two: Baptism and Eucharist

  • This is because they believe that these are the only two caused by Jesus

 The Importance of Baptism and the Eucharist

Christian Baptism

• Baptism is a very important sacrament for many Christians

• In the Bible, it states that Jesus himself was baptised by John the Baptist 

• When Jesus was crucified and resurrected He told his disciples to go out and baptise people

• There are many other reasons why Baptism is an important sacrament for many Christians

  • It is seen as welcoming Christians to the Church and the family of God

  • Some Christians believe that it cleanses Christians of the original sin they were born with

  • As a sacrament, it is recognising a time of great change in the lives of Christians

  • Some Christians believe that a person is unable to enter heaven unless they have been baptised

• Christians see baptism as the point in their lives when they are resurrected

Infant Baptism

• Many Christians (Catholics, Anglicans and Methodists) baptise when the person is a baby

  • Although they will baptise an adult if they haven’t been baptised and want to join the church

  • Christians who baptise babies also usually have a confirmation service to declare their faith when they are old enough to understand

  • Other Christians (Baptism and Pentecostals) do not baptise until a person is older as they believe they should have a choice

    • This is called a believer’s baptism

• During an infant baptism / christening there are certain symbolic practices that take place

  • Blessed water is combined with the Trinitarian Formula (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit)

  • Sign of the Cross is made on the infant’s forehead to show that the child will remain faithful to Christ and fight against evil

  • The lighting of the candle symbolises that the child has received the Light of Christ

  • The Bible is read and prayers are recited

  • Parents and Godparents are reminded of their responsibility to bring up the child in the Christian faith

  • Promises are made by parents and Godparents to:

    • Reject evil, repent of sins and submit to Christ

    • Accept the Church’s faith as set out in the Apostle’s Creed

  • The newly baptised child will be dressed in a white robe

  • At two different points in the service the infant will be anointed with oils as a sign of receiving strength to fight evil and salvation

Believers Baptism

• A believer’s baptism has some similarities to an infant baptism but some distinct differences

  • White clothes are often worn as a sign of the new life about to begin

  • Testimony is read from the person due to be baptised explaining why they came to believe and why they were seeking baptism

  • There is a Declaration of Penitence for Sin, of faith in Christ as his or her personal Saviour and the dedication of lifelong service to Christ

  • The candidate walks down the steps into the water and is fully submerged in the water

  • The minister will then baptise the person in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

  • When the person leaves the pool it symbolises an end to their old life of sin and separation from God and the start of a new life serving God

The Eucharist

• The Eucharist is celebrated by almost all denominations

• It has many names such as The Lord's Supper, Holy Communion, The Breaking of Bread and Mass

• Roman Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christians see the service as a sacrament

  • Sacraments are important ceremonies in which a sacred or spiritual power (Grace) is believed to be transmitted from God to the worshipper

• It remembers the last meal Jesus shared with his disciples and remembers his death, the sacrifice and the miracle of his resurrection

• During Holy Communion, Christians give thanks to God for sending Jesus to save people from sin and enable them to experience God’s love for all eternity

• During the service Christians remember the biblical account of The Last Supper with bread and wine representing the body and blood of Christ

• Some Christians believe that during the service transubstantiation takes place

Divergent Christian Attitudes Towards the Sacraments in Orthodox, Catholic & Protestant Traditions

Different Christian Understandings of the Eucharist

• There are different understandings of the Eucharist depending on the Christian denominations

  • Many of the different beliefs centre around the bread and wine and transubstantiation