RE - Christianity

Key Question - In what ways is life like a journey and where is the destination?

Discuss

How do Christians mark the ‘turning points’ on the journey of life?

Discuss

Monday 14th December

LC: To show an understanding of religious traditions 

To be able to answer the above questions, it may be easier to start with our own experiences. In your lives, and those of your own family, what are the important occasions in your lives?

What occasions do we celebrate? How do we prepare? 

Write the following question in the middle of your page and all around it, write as many celebrations as you can. These might be important things for all people or just something that your own family celebrates. If we are in school, we will then see if there are any similarities.

What is worth celebrating?

Which of these are religious celebrations and which are part of traditions.

For example, Eid is a religious celebration as it is part of Muslim beliefs. A birthday is traditional and is celebrated by people of different faiths.

 Go through your own list and highlight (or put a circle around) those that are part of a religious belief.

 Now answer the following question.

   If we had an important visitor coming to school, how would we prepare?

Think about how you would let others know, whether food is needed or decorations put up for example. Imagine if one of your heroes was coming or even the queen!

Write a short paragraph to explain how you would prepare. 

For Christians, there are many times to celebrate, for example birthdays or new year. However, the religious celebrations include, the baptism of a baby, Christmas and Easter.

 We are now coming up to Christmas which is very important to many Christian (and non-Christian) people.

You have learned about this throughout your time in school.

Remind yourself by watching the following videos.

Now read the following extracts from the Bible.

Matthew 1:18-25 NIV

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: “A boy will be born, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 

Luke Chapter 1 verse 26 - Chapter 2 verse 20

 God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a woman pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. Her name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will  give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be?” Mary asked the angel. 

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marvelled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.