Places Of Worship-Baptist Church And Rc
Question: Choose two different Christian denominations. Select and explain the main features of their places of worship and compare and contrast the ways in which the features are used in worship.
A place of worship is often referred to as the house of God. It is a place to conduct ceremonies connected to a person's faith, such as weddings, baptisms and funerals. It is also a sanctuary, a place to reflect and pray. When visiting church's, some subtle differences become apparent. Church buildings are used in different ways depending on the beliefs of the denomination. A Catholic Church, for example, has an alter-centered building in which the majority of the service (mass, in RC churches) is conducted at the altar, or close to it. Pulpit-centered worship is the norm in the Baptist Church. The congregation celebrates the service through readings from the Old and New Testament and the gospels, in contrast to the alter-centered church, which focuses on the Eucharist. The altar and the pulpit are known as the focal point. It is the item/furniture, which the room is designed to draw attention to a singular point.
In a RC church, the most important item is the altar. It is the place used for the service of Eucharist. However, another item in a RC church is the lectern. It is the position of which the Bible is stored and is read from. The altar is usually made of wood or stone (marble) and is opposite the entrance. The lectern is mostly made of brass.
The Pulpit in a Baptist church is an area above the rest of the church. It is the most noticeable area of the church and is reached by the small flight of stairs leading to it. The preacher looks down on the congregation from the pulpit and is the focal point of the church. The communion table, in a Baptist church, is ordinary and non-symbolic. It holds no candles...
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