Essay Sample on Central Practices for Passing on Christian Faith

The word corporate used as an adjective pertains to a large group while worship as a noun, on the other hand, is an expression of admiration and reverence for a deity. In the case of Christianity, the deity is God. Thus, corporate worship is whereby believers gather together and praise God together as a unit. Martin Luther himself admitted that in his own home, he is devoid of warmth and vigor, but fire is reignited in his heart in the presence of a multitude in church. It has widely been professed and accepted that something is galvanizing about communing with other individuals who share the same belief of one divine entity; sharing their experiences and professing their love and admiration for the deity. The reasons, as to why this is so, are subject to bias depending on the interpreting party. Psychologists or scientists, in general, might attribute the phenomena to some psychological aspects that they have pervasively observed across various individuals in all manner of religious and non-religious cults. Christians, on the other hand, may trace this back to Adam and Eve. They claim God created a company for Adam so that together they can worship Him. This can be viewed as a way in which God is making a preference for corporate worship in contrast with individual worship. Jesus is also seen implying corporate worship, in the new testament, when teaching his disciples, the Lord's prayer and instructs them to say the prayer together.

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There are various ways in which we get involved in corporate worship in today's world. Catholic Christians, for instance, come together to say the rosary in unison while following the beads to synchronize the prayers and keep track of their position in the prayer. This can be regarded as corporate worship as there are multiple Christians gathered together, and worship here is in the form of prayer. This can also be seen as a way in which the Christian faith is passed on. People without the knowledge of the rosary may join the others and understand how the rosary prayers are recited via observation. These individuals may further make inquiries later after the prayer for clarification and to sharpen their understanding. Rosary is not only limited to the multitude but also can be said in private. Thus, the individual can go home and recite the rosary on his own, having learned it in the multitude of other people. Saying the rosary as a multitude, however, gives one the strength to persevere through the prayer and not give up in between the prayer. It also minimizes the distractions that may be present when one is reciting it individually. Saying the rosary together also gives the individual a sense of belonging and makes one feel closer to God than when reciting it personally.

Confessing of one's sins during a mass is another core practice adopted in most Christian denominations. When we come together and confess sins during a mass procession, Christians can purge themselves of the burden that the sins weigh upon them. They seek reconciliation with not just other individuals, but also the divine God who is usually more than willing to forgive all their wrongdoings. This practice usually entails a belief in a benevolent God who does not judge and is ready to forgive all our wrongdoings irrespective of their magnitude. This can easily capture the attention of a new believer, learning of the new faith. This is true because what most people seek is someone to have confidence in them and believe in them no matter what. They need someone to hold their hand during the tough times and whisper words of comfort during times of trial and trepidation. They also need someone they can turn to for answers for the most daunting questions that nobody else has solutions for. This helps the individual form a stable relationship with not only God and but also others. This is because God requires that they be kind and merciful to others if they expect any good and mercy to be shown to them in return.

Christianity also gives people purpose and brings meaning to their lives. Some people are usually lost and usually find no purpose in life. For instance, if an individual lost their job or lost a loved one and seeking answers and are finding it hard to move on. Christian faith can help fill that void by giving the individual comfort and setting the individual in a path to find the answers they so badly seek. In effect, the individuals will have found closure and purpose in their lives. These individuals are also empowered to share their stories and help others like themselves move beyond their demise. Sharing of how the Lord uplifted you from a low place to the current status is a central culture in Christian faith. This builds on character and helps individuals express themselves and be able to move on from their suffering and find meaning beyond what they lost. Assisting other people to move on and seeing the results also makes the individuals feel closer to God, making them believe that indeed this was their purpose. This further strengthens their relationship with God and others. It empowers the individual to strive to become more of what God requires them to be; selfless, loving others and God, merciful, etc.

Christian faith also gives people a means to get through their suffering. Individuals going through sickness or tough times also find comfort in the teachings of Christianity. This is because they learn that God is loving and caring and will not desert them in their hour of need if they are loyal to Him. Thus, individuals know that for as long as they do good, God will always have their back and no matter what it may seem like, God will always have their backs. This gives individuals the strength to triumph in the presence of travesty and suffering. It also helps the individual model themselves about the requirements of God. This makes them good people, contributing positively to society. It offers a comfortable space where people can express themselves without feeling judged. Individuals also require a neutral space whereby they can express themselves without the feeling of judgment. According to Zephaniah 3:17, Jesus promises that where more than one is gathered in the worship of his name, He is there among those people. Thus, according to the bible, where there is more than one individual gathered for worship, God is among them. This is a clear indication that God is favoring corporate worship. A form of corporate worship is bible sharing. This involves individuals sharing verses of the bible and interpret them for others according to the way they feel it has impacted their lives. This is a powerful thing as a particular individual may benefit from how this other specific individual interpreted the scripture. They may also ask questions for clarification, and this being a safe zone, no one is pressured to contribute against their wish. No one is judged as they seek help for the tribulations they might be undergoing. It is also evident that participation in the church is vital to the spiritual health of individual Christians. The Christian life was never meant to be served in solitary as there is strength in numbers. This is evident in several passages from the bible that mention Christianity in plurality, most of which are aforementioned. The numbers help the Christians from backsliding and apostasy. Devoid regular partaking in corporate worship, one finds themselves drifting spiritually. Church attendance thus endorses fellowship and inspiration to keep on going and being active in the faith.

Corporate worship is also a public statement showing that Christians are not afraid to worship publicly. Corporate worship may also entail being able to stand in front of a congregation and professing one's faith in the Lord. The courage it takes to do this is profound. After some time, it becomes effortless, or the faith within one might be so potent that it becomes easy during the first instance, one is standing in front of a crowd. It can thus be said that corporate worship enriches the self with the strength to overcome fear and enriches us with the power to profess the word of God. It also improves one's capacity to communicate with others. One requirement of this is the capacity one has to express themselves in front of others, and for others to understand their message. This act also brings the individual closer to God as this is all in service of his name. The act also is to publicly demonstrate our obedience to the Lord's command to spread his name and to love Him.

Other core practices that are central to the Christian faith include consumption of the body and blood of Christ via communion for catholic Christians. Eucharist, as it is more commonly referred to, is a Christian service and ceremony celebrating the Last Supper. In this ceremony, unleavened bread and wine are blessed and consumed during church service by the Christians. This practice, however, requires, a prerequisite, that those who are to participate in the feast must have taken baptized in the faith and taken liturgical classes to understand the practices being undertaken. This is usually a highly respected and divine practice that is traditionally held in high regard, and to the believers make them feel closer to God. This ceremony involves reenactment of the events that took place during the last supper, quoting Christ's words that He uttered to bless the bread and wine equating them to his body and blood. The Christians are required to have gone through liturgical teaching dubbed catechism. This is to enable them to appreciate the gravity of the events being accentuated in the ceremony. Solemn teachings notwithstanding, the celebration is usually open to all Christians. This comes with with the requirement that they have confessed all their sins for them to be able to accept Christ into their bodies. This is usually taken care of in an earlier part of the mass procession that involves the Christians chant a confession prayer. All the technicalities are generally covered in the liturgical teachings that take place during an earlier phase in their lives. This is usually so so that all the technical proceedings do not overwhelm the Christians joining the faith. The sacrament of Baptism follows the successful accomplishment of the liturgical studies. Baptism is usually a very huge and prestige celebration that marks the beginning of the individual's Christian life. This also gives Christians a sense of identity and marks the beginning of his eternal relationship with God. All the time that is spent learning and practicing all these proceedings every Sunday usually makes the individual a lot closer to God than before. Also, the indoctrination into Christianity takes place at a very young age, thus ensuring that the Christians know God their entire life. Every Christian in the faith ought to have gone through the catechism before being baptized as Christians. Catechism gives these individuals a sense of belonging when worshipping together with the other Christians. It makes them appreciate Christianity and also enables them to relate with other Christians at a personal level. They feel that their contribution to the multitude is relevant, and since they are allowed to partake in the sacrament, they can proudly identify as Christians.

Bibliography

Coakley, Sarah. The New Asceticism: Sexuality, Gender and the Quest for God. Bloomsbury Publishing, (2015): 48-53, 132-143, 107-127

Mitchell, Nathan. Meeting Mystery: Liturgy, Worship, Sacraments. Orbis books (2006): 189-227