Sacraments Variously Considered
Introduction
The term sacrament means different things to members of different denominations. A definition of this term must therefore be a generalization of the various ways that these faiths approach the matter. It is a term that applies to Judaism and Christianity with all denominations contained. This can be said to be an outward sign of inward piety or holiness. It is therefore a religious ritual which is administered physically. The significance of the sacrament in whatever form it is administered often greatly surpasses the physical process in which it is carried out. The tangible items that are used to carry out sacraments are often representative of spiritual things and processes. This study takes a look at the meaning of sacraments in accordance to the beliefs of eight religious groups. The groups whose understanding of sacraments will be analysed are Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Non-Denominational, Church of God in Christ, Presbyterian, Jewish and Jehovah’s witness. The commonalities and differences in their beliefs will then come out clearly.
The Catholic view on Sacraments
In Catholicism, sacraments are believed to be rites of passage conferred upon the believers by Jesus Christ and their purpose is to grant them a divine spiritual experience while here on earth. Catechism which can be said to be theology specified to the teachings of the Catholic church, teaches that these sacraments are seven in number. They begin with Baptism. This is then followed by Confirmation which is followed by the Eucharist. After this, one participates in Penance, Anointing of the sick, Holy Orders and finally Matrimony (Roebben, 1999).
Baptism, which is the first of these sacraments, is tantamount to Christian initiation and it involves one coming into contact with water that has been blessed (holy water). In some eastern Catholic churches this requires complete immersion while in others all it takes is water being sprinkled to pass over one’s skin. This baptism is done in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and after this process one is said to be a member of the church.
Confirmation is the second stage of Christian initiation according to the Catholic faith and it is carried out to strengthen the baptismal grace that one gained at baptism. What happens is that a consecrated Bishop anoints one with a mixture of anointing oil and balsam.
The Eucharist comes in third and is considered to be the holiest of these sacraments. It is the last of the stages in Christian initiation and it takes place every Sunday making it the core purpose of one attending mass without fail. The Eucharist is a process of partaking in unleavened bread and wine o represent Christ’s body and blood shed on the cross.
Penance is the first of two sacraments of healing and it is primarily concerned with a catholic getting reconciled with God as a result of sin which caused a rift between them. This sacrament has to take place in the presence of an anointed priest. There are four stages to Penance and these are Contrition- One being sorrowful for their sin, Confession- talking to the priest about the sin, Absolution- The priest forgiving the sin on behalf of God and finally Satisfaction of penance which marks the end of this process.
Absolution of the Sick is the second Sacrament of Healing and it is mainly administered to those whose life is endangered by a physical ailment as well as old age. This involves anointing that is done by the priest. In some instances, this is carried out on any catholic who is at imminent danger of dying.
Holy Orders are a sacrament that is exclusively reserved for men who have dedicated their lives to being the image of Christ as priests, bishops or deacons. These positions are gained through the administration of this sacrament and it is often accompanied by a course that one takes in a seminary to learn the necessary skills.
Matrimony basically refers to marriage and it is the administration of marriage vows between a groom and his bride in accordance to Catholic customs. This is again considered as one of the missions of the church and it is reserved for lay people as the members of the clergy take a vow of celibacy.
Sacrament in the Methodist Church
Unlike the Catholic version, the Methodist Church has two main sacraments and it is believed that these are the only ways that one can gain strength and power to carry out spiritual feats. These sacraments facilitate the gaining of power directly from God to the believers and thus enabling them to live righteous lives that are spiritual. According to John Wesley the founder of this church, these two sacraments are outward signs of the believer’s inward faith. According to the Methodist Church, these sacraments are important because Jesus instituted them, took part in them and instructed his followers to do the same. Christ himself was baptised prior to starting his ministry. At the last supper he instructed his followers to take the Holy Communion in remembrance of him and the sufferings he went through at the cross. He also commanded his disciples to make disciples and baptise them in the name of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit (Campbell, 2011).
Baptism in the United Methodist Church is a process in which the believer publicly confesses that Jesus is his or her saviour. This takes place for infants since the parents act as intercessors to God. When one is of age, he or she undergoes confirmation classes in which lessons about Christianity are taught and this is followed by the professing of one’s faith before the congregation. The purpose of this baptism is for the forgiveness of one’s sins and a celebration of salvation.
Holy Communion in the United Methodist Church is a commemorative affair centred around three themes. These themes are emphasized by the members of the clergy and are the Open Table- Christ’s extension of grace, Prevenient Grace- God’s availability to all who seek him and thirdly there is the sacrament of Baptism.
Sacraments in the Baptist Church
The Baptist church does not exclusively use the word sacrament to refer to its core religious rituals. The term ordinance is preferred by faithful and there are two main activities that fall into this category. They are baptism and the holy communion. This baptism is called the ‘believer’s baptism’ and it is more of a symbol of God’s grace conferred to believers. The same applies to the Lord’s supper which is also considered to be more symbolic than as an actual prerequisite for forgiveness of sin. Some Baptists who subscribe to older forms of the faith consider the washing of feet as another ordinance but those with such a belief are few in comparison to the more conventional or contemporary Baptists. According to Baptist theology, this has nothing to do with the forgiveness of the original sin (Leith, 1982).
Sacraments for Non-Denominational Christians
For non-denominational churches, Sacraments are often narrowed down to baptism, the Holy Communion and in some instances teachings given to believers before or after their baptism. The manner in which baptism takes place also greatly varies depending on the church in questions. While some go for full immersion into the water, others prefer the sprinkling of water or oil. Others however do not believe in the necessity of baptism and therefore have special prayers that are mentioned before one is considered to be saved. The idea of salvation and belief on the Kingdom of God also greatly varies from church to church (Conroy, 2003).
Sacraments of the Church of God in Christ
This church believes that the only true way to salvation is through repentance for the forgiveness of sin. This repentance is sealed by Baptism in Water. In this process, the water is representative of Christ’s blood which symbolically washes away the sins of believers. When this happens, the members of this church are said to experience the regeneration of their bodies through the working of the Holy Spirit (All Nations Church of God in Christ, 2010).
Sacraments in the Presbyterian Church
Like majority of the other groups, Presbyterians take only baptism and the Holy Communion as the two sacraments. Calvin, one of the founding fathers of this denomination was a reformer in the 16th century and in his view, these two are the only ones that took centre stage in the ministry of Christ Jesus. The belief about these is that they are visible words that help to strengthen discipleship (Smylie, 1996).
Sacraments according to Jehovah’s Witness
The Watchtower society as they call themselves believe in the existence of two sacraments namely baptism and the communion. According to Jehovah Witness beliefs, baptism involves the complete immersion in water for the forgiveness on one’s sins. According to the members of this church, communion also knows as the Lord’s evening meal is done to commemorate God’s grace and forgiveness of sin through Christ (Stark & Iannaccone, 1977).
Sacraments in Jewish places of worship
Unlike the other faiths mentioned above, the Jewish faith of Judaism borrows its sacraments heavily from the cultural beliefs of Jews. The two sacraments are more of initiation ceremonies or events that take place. The first is Circumcisions and it is administered to boys. The second one is the Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah done for boys and girls respectively at 12-13 years of age. At this ceremony, the children are taught to recite the Ten Commandments and other teachings from the Torah. The significance of this ceremony is to mark the stage at which one is old enough to understand God’s commandments (Gavin, 1998).
Conclusion
As stated above, the significance of sacraments is to physically participate in spiritual matters through a series of rituals gotten from the Bible or passed down the generations. The two that stand out are Jewish and Catholic. The Catholic sacraments are different from other Christian groups since the other groups broke away thus shedding much of the Catholic beliefs. Jews on the other hand have a different set of sacraments because they primarily stick to the old testament teachings. All beliefs however have a sacrament to mark one’s entry into the community of believers.
References
All Nations Church of God in Christ (2010) Retrieved from http://www.ancogic.org/Beliefs.htm on July 26, 2013
Campbell, T. A. (2011). Methodist doctrine: The essentials. Abingdon Press.
Conroy, J. C. (2003). Religious and Moral Education. Scottish Education: Post-devolution, 411.
Gavin, F. (1998). Jewish Antecedents of the Christian Sacraments, 1928. Kessinger Publishing, LLC.
Leith, J. H. (Ed.). (1982). Creeds of the Churches: A Reader in Christian Doctrine, from the Bible to the Present. Cokesbury. com.
Roebben, B. (1999). Youth Ministry in and beyond the Church? The sacrament of confirmation in the Roman Catholic Church as a testcase [1]. Journal of Beliefs and Values, 20(1), 51-59.
Smylie, J. H. (1996). A brief history of the Presbyterians. Cokesbury. com.
Stark, R., & Iannaccone, L. R. (1997). Why the Jehovah’s Witnesses grow so rapidly: A theoretical application. Journal of Contemporary Religion, 12(2), 133-157.
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