The Diverse Christian Community

Unit 3 Summative - The Diverse Christian Community

Research Notes:

Many, if not most, Baptist churches will have at least one cross mounted prominently on the outside of the church building and one in the front of the sanctuary. A lot of the time, there will be 3 crosses because Jesus was crucified at the same time as 2 other men.

Baptism by immersion is universal within Baptist tradition, and it symbolizes the connection between the Christian and the resurrection and death of Jesus. Baptist tradition is not scramental, there are no necessary and explicit connections between corporate worship and devotion to daily life. Members of Baptist chruches do not need either the Church or clergy to oversee or mediate their personal devotion to and with God. Being baptised only happens once in a person's life, making it the most important rite and ceremony in this religion.

One of the main symbols in a Baptist Chruch is an empty cross whichrepresents belief that after His death, Jesus rose from the dead and his work is finished. The empty cross doesn't represent emptiness, it represents the exact opposite. Such as,  victory over death, hope and assurance, Jesus has risen and is alive today. Other important symbols would include the Ordinance of the Lord's Dinner and the Bible.

Some of the sacraments involved in the Baptist Christian religion are baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, annointing of the sick, holy orders, matrimony.

The Baptist tradition emerged as a result over concerns with respect to the nature and character of the Church or churches. Baptism is the rite through which a person who has been spiritually born again testifies to this fact. Baptism of infants is seen as invalid because they believe that an infant is not able to make religion based decisions at such a young age, so it is done later in life. In early stages, did not baptize by immersion, which is submerging the entire body under water because it was seen as unneccessary. Baptism is an initiatory rite and to be experienced only once in a person's life and it is very sacred.

The Rite of Communion is the other rite that Baptist Christians practice. It has special meaning to it. One is to participate in the Lord's Supper throughout the rest of life, which focuses on Jesus' suffering and death. This is shown through the bread and wine that many other religions use as well. This rite is used for rembering the person and work of Christ, and prayerfully reflecting on his significance for one's own life.

In addition to the rites of baptism and the Lord's Supper, Baptist churches ceremonially celebrate such events as the dedication of infants, marriage, reception into church membership, ordination to vocational Christian ministry, and death.