LSC: RITUALS AND CELEBRATIONS

Introduction 

Have you heard about rituals and celebrations? Do you know what is meant by a  ritual?  

You learnt about the different forms of worship. You also discovered the importance  of worship. In this chapter, you will be equipped with an understanding of religious  rituals and celebrations as a means of promoting unity, love and commitment to God.  This will enable you to value the different rituals and celebrations that take place in  the church today. 

Read the following poem, discuss and decide whether it describes a ritual or a  clebration. 

Activity 2.1: Reading, discussing and answering questions  about the poem 

Joy and happiness 

 For a child is born 

Be blessed, brave and obedient  

Are words of hope mother whispers in baby 

Prayers of thanksgiving we offer in joy 

The cord is off and is jealously guarded 

A name we give to give baby identity 

What joy to have a baby! 

With a cord in place this child we confirm in the clan 

There is cause for joy 

No longer a child but soon an adult 

Yet you aren’t till initiation is done 

But there is already cause for joy 

For you will certainly sit among elders! 

By Annette Nanfuka

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Questions  

1. What is the cause of the joy and happiness in the poem? 
2. Identify the rituals mentioned in the poem. 
3. Why does mother whisper in the baby’s ears? 
4. What is the importance of the rituals mentioned in the poem? 5. Share ideas about the meaning of the term “ritual”. 
5. Suggest a suitable title for the poem and say why. 

The poem suggests that rituals are part of human life. They mark different stages  in life. In Christianity, rituals are part of Christian worship. Work through the activity  and discover more about rituals. You have been to church. Have you witnessed some  rituals being performed? Study the pictures in Figures 1 – 3, discuss and answer the  questions that follow. 

Activity 2.2: Studying, discussing and answering 

Figure 2.1 Figure 2.2 Figure 2.3 

Study the Figures 1, 2 and 3 

1. What do you think is happening in Figures 1 – 3? 
2. Which one of them reflects what is done in your church? 
3. How is it done in your church? 
4. How does this ritual bring Christians together? 
5. How do Christian rituals promote love and unity among Christians? 6. Identify the Christian symbols and objects used in each of the pictures. 7. In groups, share ideas about the meaning of these symbols and objects. 8. Why do Christians participate in such rituals?

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What is a Christian ritual? 

From the previous activities and information, you can describe a religious ritual. A  ritual is a sacred or holy religious practice that is full of spiritual and social meaning  based on societal beliefs. Christians, too, are a community of believers and they have  rituals. These are holy rites which express God’s holy power or grace. 

The most important Christian rituals are baptism and the Eucharist. Rituals are also  called sacraments in some Christian denominations. 

Baptism 

You have learnt the meaning of a ritual. You will soon learn about the different rituals  performed by the church. Baptism is one of them. Before you read more about it,  work through the activity given. 

Activity 2.3: Reading, discussing and responding  

When you call  

I know it’s me you need 

To that call I respond 

I don’t see anyone  

I still look around to see who is calling 

All because I have a name 

But what is a name 

My identity, my person, my individuality 

My name the melody to my ears 

My name a link to my origin 

My name, my sense of belonging  

My name, my love!  

By Annette Nanfuka 

Questions  

1. What makes people different from one another? 
2. How does a person get a name? 
3. What is the importance of a name?  
4. How does the name link you to your origin? 
5. Write any two messages that the poem communicates. 
6. Suggest a suitable title for the poem and say why. 

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Baptism is a ritual that initiates an individual into a Christian family. In most cases,  the person baptised is given a name. This name identifies the baptised person with  the Christian family. Originally, this was done through immersion or dipping of a  person into water. Immersion or dipping is still practised in some churches. With  the changing world and unavoidable circumstances, baptism by immersion has  undergone transformation. Baptism, also known as ritual bathing, is the ritual related  to the Jewish practice found in Leviticus 14:8.  

In the Gospels, John the Baptist baptised his followers as a sign of repentance. He  also baptised Jesus. Jesus later told his followers to baptise others. This is found in  Mark 16:15 and Matthew 3:13 – 17. 

Activity 2.4: Look at the picture and read the Bible passage  ready to answer the questions that follow. 

Figure 2.6 

Questions  

1. Describe what you think is happening in the picture. 
2. Why did Jesus let John the Baptist perform that ritual on Him yet He is the Son  of God? 
3. How different was Jesus’ baptism from that of John the Baptist? 4. What does the event teach you about Jesus? 
4. If you were John the Baptist, would you have accepted to perform that act? Give  reasons.

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6. Read Matthew 3:13 – 17 and summarise the event. 
7. With your classmates, organise a skit reflecting the actual event. 

Baptism in the early church 

Have you heard about the early church? Do you know the activities of the early  church? Read the Book of Acts and find out more about it.  

Baptism was a valued practice in the early church. This is because people wanted to  be members of the Christian church. The first Christians conducted baptisms by total  immersion in water. Do you know anyone who was baptised in your community in the  same way? 

Many Christian groups still practise this immersive type of baptism. This is common  among the “Born Again” churches. Others have adopted a more symbolic pouring of  water on the forehead. This is mainly practised in the Catholic and Anglican churches.  In the early years of Christianity, only adults were baptised. Christians would  sometimes delay baptism until death, so that the sins of a lifetime could be washed  away just prior to the soul’s judgment before God. 

Philip baptised an Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26 – 40; and Lydia was converted by  Paul’s preaching. She was baptised with her household. This is in Acts 16:15. The  Philippian jailer whom Paul and Silas had converted to the faith was baptised that  night along with his household. This is found in Acts 16:33. In 1 Corinthians 1:16, Paul  recalled that he baptised the household of Stephanas. 

Do you know infant bapstims? Have you witnessed it being performed? This practice  has its origins in apostolic times. It existed from the very beginning as is implied in  the 1 Cor1:16, Acts 16:15 and 16:33 in which Stephanas, Lydia and the prison warden  were baptised along with all their family members, including children. Later on,  infant baptism became officially recognised under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  The parent churches still practise infant baptism. However, some Christian groups  teach that baptism should be voluntary and that only adults should be baptised. 

The parent churches believe that a baptised child receive a permanent grace of God  through the faith and commitment of the parents. 

Baptism initiates people into a Christian family and, therefore, gives a sense of  belonging. It is a step into salvation, and Christians believe that it washes away the  original sin. 

Activity 2.5: Completing the table appropriately. The table indicates  the activities that take place during the baptism ritual

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Table 2.1 

Activity Significance  1 Presence of a priest or pastor 

2 Presence of a godparent 

3 Immersion into water or pouring of water on the person being  

baptised 

4 Presence of a burning candle 

5 Presence of a white garment 

6 Presence of the cross 

7 Using the anointing oil of chrism 

8 Singing and jubilation 

Activity of Integration 

Melanie was baptised as an infant. She has been a Christian all her life. She went  through all the major rituals of Christianity. At 26 years of age, she met Joel and they  planned to get married. He is a member of a Born Again church. They have agreed  that they will wed in the church where Joel is a member. 

The issue at hand is that the church requires Melanie to be baptised again by  immersion, which she is not agreeable to. Melanie’s and Joel’s families want to help  the young couple. 

Support 

Figure 2.5

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Instructions 

Using your knowledge of rituals, explain what you understand by the two types of  baptism. 

1. i) Propose five ways in which Melanie needs to be supported to remain faithful to  God, but at the same time get married to Joel. 
2. ii) With a specific reference from the Bible, write down what you can do to help  Melanie.  

iii) Write the role both families can play to help Melanie and Joel achieve their  dream of marriage. 

Assessment 

Write a short poem expressing the importance of baptism. 

The Holy Communion  

You discussed the Christian ritual of baptism and its importance. The Holy Communion  is another ritual observed by Christians. Do you partake of it? What steps did you go  through before you started participating in it? 

Activity 2.6: Studying, reading, discussing and responding

Figure 2.16 

1. Look at the picture and read Matthew 26:26 – 30. 
2. Describe the event in the picture. 
3. Using the Bible passage, explain what took place during the event. 4. What happened immediately after the event? 
4. Make a summary of the whole event.

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The event described in the picture marked the beginning of the institution of the  Holy Communion. The disciples were encouraged to continue sharing the Holy  Eucharist in memory of Jesus Christ. 

Activity 2.7: Studying and answering 

Fig 2.17 

1. Describe what is taking place in the picture. 
2. Share ideas about the occasion and place where the picture was taken. 3. As a class, role-play the giving and taking of the Holy Eucharist. 

The Holy Communion is the sharing of bread and wine by Christians to remember the  death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Christians believe that Jesus instituted the practice during the Passover meal he  shared with his followers just before his arrest and death. In memory of the death  and resurrection of Jesus, early Christians met weekly to share meals of bread and  wine, accompanied by prayer.  

Different Christian denominations have different beliefs about the Eucharist. 

Some churches, especially the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox churches, believe  that upon blessing the bread and wine in the ritual of the Eucharist, these food  items become the body and blood of Jesus. Other denominations interpret the rite  symbolically, believing that eating the bread and drinking the wine commemorates  the sacrificial action of Christ. In both cases, sharing the bread and wine is held to  remember Christ’s first coming and anticipate his second coming. The frequency  of the Eucharistic observance varies from church to church. The liturgical churches  include the Lord’s Supper in all of their weekly services and on holy days throughout  the year. Some liturgical churches share the Lord’s Supper daily, with the exception  of Holy Saturday. Non-liturgical churches prefer to highlight preaching and Bible  study at their Sunday services, and usually share the Lord’s Supper monthly. Most  churches use bread and wine or juice.

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Activity 2.8: Reflecting  

1. Think and reflect about the Holy Communion. 
2. Define the Holy Communion. 
3. Give any other name for the Holy Communion. 
4. Who should participate in the Holy Communion? 
5. In which places should the Holy Communion be served? 
6. As Christians, comment on the circumstances that may prevent someone from  partaking of the Holy Eucharist. 

There are many benefits of the Holy Communion to Christians who participate in it.  Can you think of any five benefits. Write and share them with the class and the teacher. 

In his first letter to the Corinthians, St Paul had a message to his readers with regard  to the Holy Communion. 

Activity 2.9: Reading, discussing and responding using 1Corin thians 11:20 – 34 

1. How did the people of Corinth abuse the celebration of the Holy Communion? 2. What message did St Paul give them? 
2. Summarise the guidelines which Paul gave the Corinthians in connection with  celebrating the Holy Communion. 
3. How do Christians abuse the Holy Communion today? 
4. In your opinion, how best can the Holy Communion be celebrated while  maintaining its true purpose? 
5. Brainstorm the benefits of the Holy Communion and summarise them in your  notebooks.

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Activity 2.10: Visiting a local church and asking Christians  about the benefits of the Holy Eucharist 

Steps 

1. Design a questionnaire of not more than five statements. 
2. Give it to five people. 
3. Use their responses to write a report. 
4. Share the report with the teacher and the class. 

Confirmation 

In addition to baptism and the Holy Communion, some Christians consider other  rituals as sacraments as well. Some churches confirm the believers in faith through a  sacrament known as confirmation. It is believed that it provides the recipient the gifts  of the Holy Spirit, thereby strengthening them in their Christians faith. 

Activity2.11: In groups, discuss and share opinions 

1. Have you ever heard about confirmation? 
2. Is it carried out in your church? 
3. If not, what are the requirements of becoming a fully-fledged Christian in your  church? 
4. Brainstorm the benefits of confirmation. 
5. Share your findings with the class and the teacher. 

The sacraments of the Christian churches are believed to be the visible or physical  instruments of the delivery of God’s grace, which is divine favour and divine love.  Whether a tradition believes in many sacraments or only a few, the goal of connecting  the individual or community with God’s grace is central to Christian worship and  practice.

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How Christian rituals bring people together 

Christian rituals bring people together in different ways. Before you can explore the  information any further, work through Activity 2.12. 

Activity 2.12: Reflecting and answering  

Mr Kangave asked the Senior One class to give the importance of the Christian rituals  of baptism, the Holy Communion and confirmation. These are some of the responses  they gave. 

Figure 2.8 

In pairs: 

1. Share ideas on each of the above responses.  
2. Identify and record five other benefits of Christian rituals.  
3. Apart from baptism, the Holy Communion and confirmation, write down  any other rituals practised in your church. 

Activity 2.13: Reading and answering 

The Atutur Community Church is small but active. Sundays are joyous days at the  church. People come from far and wide to pray together. 

Children are gathered and instructed on Christianity by the older members of the  church under a mango tree. In some cases, they pray with adults in the main church.

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Various musical instruments are played and they include drums, shakers and the  African harp, to mention but a few. This is all done to worship and praise God in a  joyous way. The choir is trained by a member of the church on a voluntary basis. 

Religious rituals are observed by the Atutur Community Church. Children are  presented for baptism and the church is fully involved. The godparents must be active  church members and have the task of raising the children with the help of the parents  in the Christian practice. 

Baptising children is a big occasion at the church. People come together, pray and,  afterwards, families get together and share a meal. 

The Holy Communion is another ritual that is celebrated at the Atutur Community  Church. The choir makes special arrangements for the occasion.  

The Holy matrimony is a ritual observed at the church. This brings together a wider  community. Three announcements are made on a weekly basis before the couple is  wed. The occasion brings the Atutur Community Church together. 

This church has not had a priest ordained but the Christians travel to the diocese  whenever priests are being ordained. The Atutur Community Church always sends  representatives to attend the ceremony. 

Atutur is a caring church. If a member falls sick, the church makes arrangements to  pay a visit. Sometimes the priest also visits, prays for the sick and anoints them with  oil.  

1. What rituals take place in the Atutur Community Church? 
2. Are they similar or different from the ones practised in your church? 
3. Identify other Christian rituals which are not observed by the Atutur Community  Church. 
4. How do the Christian rituals bring the people in that church together? 5. Describe the good practices at Atutur Community Church. 
5. Using a skit, choose one Christian ritual and act it out for the whole class. 

Christian celebrations 

Right from the beginning, apostles and early Christians introduced themselves in a  number of celebrations, such as the ‘love feast’ or ‘agape feast’. This was in line with  Jesus’ lifestyle which included attending a wedding at Cana (John 2:1 – 12). 

Today there are a number of celebrations and ceremonies in Christian communities.  As Christians grow up, they participate in these celebrations and acquire a number  of values, morals and teachings. At times Christians may be invited to attend other  social celebrations outside the church ceremonies.

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We have already looked at three major Christian rituals namely baptism, confirmation  and the Holy Communion. These rituals are usually accompanied by parties which  are characterised by merrymaking, eating and drinking. 

Activity 2.14 

2.8 2.10 2.12 

2.9 2.11 2.13

In groups, study the above pictures and answer the questions that follow. 1. List the different celebrations identified in the pictures. 

2. Which of these celebrations have you ever participated in? Share the  experience with the rest of the class. 
3. What are the advantages of Christian celebrations? 

Activity 2.15 

The table below shows some of the familiar community celebrations. Study it carefully  and complete it. Tick whether the celebration is Christian or unchristian. 

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Table 2.2 

Activity 2.16: Studying and answering  

Figure 2.14 

1. Identify the celebration taking place in the picture. 
2. What is the importance of such a celebration in the spiritual life of a Christian? 3. Write down any other benefits of participating in such a celebration.

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Situation of Integration  

Uganda celebrates Martyrs’ Day on 3 June each year. It is a public holiday as well.  Many pilgrims from all parts of the world join Ugandans to celebrate the same day.  People travel from different parts of Uganda to reach Namugongo where the main  celebrations are held. 

Business people come to the place with different types of merchandise to make some  money. Others sell food and drinks to the pilgrims. Whereas some people come to  pray and honour the martyrs, others turn this day into a fun day, overeating and  getting drunk. 

The young Christian community around the venue wants to change this and introduce  a culture of true worship and celebration of the Uganda martyrs who died for their  faith in God. 

Support 

Figure 2.15 

Instructions 

1. i) Using your knowledge of Christian celebrations, explain the meaning of a  Christian pilgrimage in relation to true worship of God. 

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1. ii) Propose four ways in which the Christian community needs to be supported  to achieve the real Christian celebration of Martyrs’ Day. 

iii) With specific reference from the Christian teachings, write down what you can  do to help the Christian community.  

1. iv) Write guidelines that pilgrims and the entire community can use to achieve  the objectives of Martyrs’ Day celebrations. 

Assessment 

Write a story about any Christian celebration you have participated in, indicating the  spiritual and social benefits. 

Chapter Summary  

In this chapter, you have learnt about rituals and celebrations. You have also learnt  the impotance of Christian ruals and how they bring people together.  

After reading this chapter and practicing its activities you  

will be able to: 

• Know the characteristics of other religions other  

than their own 

• Appreciate values of other religions. 
• Understand the diversity of religion 
• Respect beliefs of other religions 
• Form opinions about other religions to promote  

tolerance 

• Live in harmony with people of other religion