A very helpful interview was conducted with two Christians from Uzbekistan and Worthing (found on the podcast page).
This is a photo from the DVD version. I am the one at the back with the traditional Uzbek headgear...
Everyone is laughing at me.
If you listen carefully to what they say they explain much about living out their beliefs in some very unusual situations and ways.
Here are a handful of helpful bits and pieces that might be useful:
Conversion: changing your worldview
The starting point for worship is becoming
a Christian.
Christians believe that:
1. All people were made by God (and therefore owe God respect)
2. We have stubborn hearts and don't live up to God's standards
3. We go even further than this: we worship 'stuff', ideas and other people before we put God first
4. God is angry with us and will judge us
... pretty dark stuff, but here is where the Christian message about Jesus Christ kicks in:
5. God also cares for us deeply
6. He came in person (Jesus) and lived perfectly and with great empathy among us
7. He died a painful death on the cross: God (the Father) punished his own son as a substitute for us.
8. He rose from the dead to prove he had done it successfully and then ascended (went up) to heaven to be the new King.
Which leaves the human race with an open choice:
9. We can now have a chance to be forgiven by God (in Jesus)
10. Christians are people who have come to God and said sorry and have changed to a life where Jesus is the King.
11. Someone who becomes a Christian is given the gift of the Holy Spirit, who lives in them and helps them to live as a Christian.
This is what conversion to Christianity is all about. It means 'repentance' (or change of direction) and 'faith' (or trust in the Bible's promises about forgiveness, heaven etc). Many Christians are pretty firm that they aren't in a religion, but a relationship.
Christians believe that:
1. All people were made by God (and therefore owe God respect)
2. We have stubborn hearts and don't live up to God's standards
3. We go even further than this: we worship 'stuff', ideas and other people before we put God first
4. God is angry with us and will judge us
... pretty dark stuff, but here is where the Christian message about Jesus Christ kicks in:
5. God also cares for us deeply
6. He came in person (Jesus) and lived perfectly and with great empathy among us
7. He died a painful death on the cross: God (the Father) punished his own son as a substitute for us.
8. He rose from the dead to prove he had done it successfully and then ascended (went up) to heaven to be the new King.
Which leaves the human race with an open choice:
9. We can now have a chance to be forgiven by God (in Jesus)
10. Christians are people who have come to God and said sorry and have changed to a life where Jesus is the King.
11. Someone who becomes a Christian is given the gift of the Holy Spirit, who lives in them and helps them to live as a Christian.
This is what conversion to Christianity is all about. It means 'repentance' (or change of direction) and 'faith' (or trust in the Bible's promises about forgiveness, heaven etc). Many Christians are pretty firm that they aren't in a religion, but a relationship.
Worship: public and private
Public worship is also referred to
as 'corporate' worship. Different
christian groups/churches have a wide variety of
styles. Often there are common elements which could
include:
singing/hymns/choruses
Bible reading
sermon/preaching/message
prayer
silence for reflection
sacraments (baptism/bread and wine etc)
Private (or personal) worship comes from the idea that a christian is a christian 24/7 and that you can be as spiritual brushing your teeth as singing a hymn with 200 people in a cathedral. Jesus spoke in John 5 with a samaritan woman at a well about how future believers would 'worship in spirit and in truth'. What he meant was that a relationship with God wouldn't entirely depend on a geographical location.
It follows that Christians believe in God living in them through the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity - see this page for more info). This means that they can pray at any time of the day or night in any place because they have a direct link.
Which is better: public or private worship?
Actually that is a very naughty question because in the Bible there is lots of advice about Christians doing both. The New Testament is pretty strong in it's view of Christians being committed to a local fellowship of believers while also growing in personal (private) trust with God.
A really good thing to do:
1. Go to a local church (or churches) and see what they do in one of their meetings.
2. Ask someone who you know is a christian how they worship in a non-church situation.
Another thing worth considering:
3. How does the media represent christian worship? Does The Simpsons or East Enders give an accurate view? Do you think that christians are happy with how worship is being presented in tv programs?
singing/hymns/choruses
Bible reading
sermon/preaching/message
prayer
silence for reflection
sacraments (baptism/bread and wine etc)
Private (or personal) worship comes from the idea that a christian is a christian 24/7 and that you can be as spiritual brushing your teeth as singing a hymn with 200 people in a cathedral. Jesus spoke in John 5 with a samaritan woman at a well about how future believers would 'worship in spirit and in truth'. What he meant was that a relationship with God wouldn't entirely depend on a geographical location.
It follows that Christians believe in God living in them through the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity - see this page for more info). This means that they can pray at any time of the day or night in any place because they have a direct link.
Which is better: public or private worship?
Actually that is a very naughty question because in the Bible there is lots of advice about Christians doing both. The New Testament is pretty strong in it's view of Christians being committed to a local fellowship of believers while also growing in personal (private) trust with God.
A really good thing to do:
1. Go to a local church (or churches) and see what they do in one of their meetings.
2. Ask someone who you know is a christian how they worship in a non-church situation.
Another thing worth considering:
3. How does the media represent christian worship? Does The Simpsons or East Enders give an accurate view? Do you think that christians are happy with how worship is being presented in tv programs?
Places of Worship
Unexpected places...?
There are some surprises on the uzbek/worthing christian podcast!
Tom worships in a box-like warehouse with up to 800 people. M------ worships in a secret home with about 10 or 12 others so the police don't arrest anyone. Tom's worship meeting is a lot like a rock concert (his church is referred to as 'charismatic') and M------'s is much more calm and reflective.
Both of these believers hold to the view that the church is not the building, but the people who meet. This is why they can happily meet in some unusual places. The early church in the New Testament (just when things were starting out in christianity) saw similar things unfolding: people wanted to worship God and Jesus together, so they met in homes or public halls that had no religious significance.
Jesus says the 'where two or three are gathered, there I am among them'. This means that a place of worship needs only two Christians and can be in the most unusual of places.
More traditional views...
It is also worth saying that for many people, the church building is still a very important place of worship. The architecture of any building is well worth thinking about because it says a lot about the view point of the builder. Being in a huge building can be a dramatic experience and can help someone reflect on how big God is, say. Here are a few aspects worth considering when it comes to church buildings:
- when was the building built?
- what shape is the building? a cross? why?
- are there images inside? why or why not?
- is there a steeple? how big is the building? what would this have looked like at the time it was made?
- what kind of stuff is inside the church? a baptismal pool, a font, a stoup, altar, pulpit, lectern? what are these things used for and why?
You know what's coming, don't you?
1. Go to a church and either do a diagram of the floorplan, look it up on google earth or simply take some photos (you may have to ask permission first...).
2. Ask yourself - what do modern church buildings say about our society and it's view points compared to ancient buildings?
3. 'The modern equivalent of the cathedral is the shopping centre' Do you agree? Why?
There are some surprises on the uzbek/worthing christian podcast!
Tom worships in a box-like warehouse with up to 800 people. M------ worships in a secret home with about 10 or 12 others so the police don't arrest anyone. Tom's worship meeting is a lot like a rock concert (his church is referred to as 'charismatic') and M------'s is much more calm and reflective.
Both of these believers hold to the view that the church is not the building, but the people who meet. This is why they can happily meet in some unusual places. The early church in the New Testament (just when things were starting out in christianity) saw similar things unfolding: people wanted to worship God and Jesus together, so they met in homes or public halls that had no religious significance.
Jesus says the 'where two or three are gathered, there I am among them'. This means that a place of worship needs only two Christians and can be in the most unusual of places.
More traditional views...
It is also worth saying that for many people, the church building is still a very important place of worship. The architecture of any building is well worth thinking about because it says a lot about the view point of the builder. Being in a huge building can be a dramatic experience and can help someone reflect on how big God is, say. Here are a few aspects worth considering when it comes to church buildings:
- when was the building built?
- what shape is the building? a cross? why?
- are there images inside? why or why not?
- is there a steeple? how big is the building? what would this have looked like at the time it was made?
- what kind of stuff is inside the church? a baptismal pool, a font, a stoup, altar, pulpit, lectern? what are these things used for and why?
You know what's coming, don't you?
1. Go to a church and either do a diagram of the floorplan, look it up on google earth or simply take some photos (you may have to ask permission first...).
2. Ask yourself - what do modern church buildings say about our society and it's view points compared to ancient buildings?
3. 'The modern equivalent of the cathedral is the shopping centre' Do you agree? Why?
Symbols, Art, Music, Food and Fasting.
There are very different views on the use of these
things in Christian worship. You would do well to
gather different views on what different christians
think about this sort of thing.
Symbols
The cross
Chi-ro
Alpha and Omega
Icthus fish
Art and Music
Are these a distraction or a help for people to worship? Images of Bible stories, stained-glass windows, murals, sculptures, vocal-only hymns, psalms, rock-band style celebrations, mood music playing while someone speaks, silence and echoes. All of these are uses of music/art. It is worth asking a few christians and going to places to see actual uses and views.
Food and Fasting
Fasting is going without food, usually for some spiritual reason. There is not a clear command to fast in the Bible (unlike the Islamic faith where Ramadan is one of the essential basics), but there are a few places where fasting is mentioned (Jesus fasting in the wilderness, people showing seriousness before God when they had done things wrong, people spending time praying) and from time to time Christians do take part for different reasons (e.g lent - the time before Easter, praying, repentance, showing sympathy with others who are poor, vegetarianism protests). None of these are obligatory.
Food laws were very strong in the Old Testament, but after Peter's dream revelation in Acts (about how all food was now clean and nothing was forbidden because God has made it all) the main food concern a christian has is the communion meal.
Communion is known as lots of different things: The Lords Supper and Eucharist are just a couple of examples. There are a few different ideas about what happens when Christians eat the bread and wine, but mainly this event is a powerful reminder to believers about Jesus dying on the cross for them to save them. The bread is Jesus' body being torn and the wine is blood being poured out for our benefit. The way in which different churches perform this sacrament varies hugely.
Ask some Christians what they do and why.
Look up further information using something like wikipedia and find a few bits that you can print (ie not pages and pages people! be selective!)
Symbols
The cross
Chi-ro
Alpha and Omega
Icthus fish
Art and Music
Are these a distraction or a help for people to worship? Images of Bible stories, stained-glass windows, murals, sculptures, vocal-only hymns, psalms, rock-band style celebrations, mood music playing while someone speaks, silence and echoes. All of these are uses of music/art. It is worth asking a few christians and going to places to see actual uses and views.
Food and Fasting
Fasting is going without food, usually for some spiritual reason. There is not a clear command to fast in the Bible (unlike the Islamic faith where Ramadan is one of the essential basics), but there are a few places where fasting is mentioned (Jesus fasting in the wilderness, people showing seriousness before God when they had done things wrong, people spending time praying) and from time to time Christians do take part for different reasons (e.g lent - the time before Easter, praying, repentance, showing sympathy with others who are poor, vegetarianism protests). None of these are obligatory.
Food laws were very strong in the Old Testament, but after Peter's dream revelation in Acts (about how all food was now clean and nothing was forbidden because God has made it all) the main food concern a christian has is the communion meal.
Communion is known as lots of different things: The Lords Supper and Eucharist are just a couple of examples. There are a few different ideas about what happens when Christians eat the bread and wine, but mainly this event is a powerful reminder to believers about Jesus dying on the cross for them to save them. The bread is Jesus' body being torn and the wine is blood being poured out for our benefit. The way in which different churches perform this sacrament varies hugely.
Ask some Christians what they do and why.
Look up further information using something like wikipedia and find a few bits that you can print (ie not pages and pages people! be selective!)
Nature of God/Nature of Belief Interview...
Here is the interview I conducted a couple of years
ago with Ross Ciano - a youth worker from a church
in Hove - about issues related directly to the
'Nature of God' and 'Nature of Belief' units for
the GCSE.
Nature of God/Nature of Belief Interview from whatisyourworldview.com on Vimeo.
As with several of the videos on the site, you will need the password to get in. Just get in touch for further info.
Nature of God/Nature of Belief Interview from whatisyourworldview.com on Vimeo.
As with several of the videos on the site, you will need the password to get in. Just get in touch for further info.