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Liturgical Laws
TERMINOLOGY, LAWS, AND REGULATIONS

Religious Program Specialist 3 - Pastoral training manuals for Navy Chaplains
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In  your  duties  and  responsibilities,  you  may  come across  several  different  liturgical  laws. Ask  your chaplain what governs his or her faith group, and which, if any, of the guidelines you should be most familiar with. Read those portions of the laws carefully and ask your  chaplain  to  clarify  the  sections  you  do  not understand. Requirements Within  the  scope  of  this  TRAMAN,  it  is  not practical  for  us  to  tell  you  about  every  requirement  of every Christian faith group you may encounter. Within your  personal  assignments  and  capabilities,  however, you should pay particular attention to any changes in the faith  groups  of  the  chaplains  with  whom  you  are currently   working. At  times,  you  may  not  fully understand the practices of a particular Christian faith group. You should use these times as an opening to begin a. dialogue with your chaplain. Through your observations and questions, you will convey a message that says, “I am interested, and I want to know how I can serve you and our sea service persons.” ESSENTIAL GEAR, GARMENTS, AND OBJECTS In the acts of worship, the Christian churches use many  symbols  including  words,  rites,  gestures,  prayers, service books, sacred vessels, vestments, music, art, and much more. Major themes of these rituals consist of joy, penance,  peace,  thanksgiving,  and  the  various  virtues. Symbols of Worship Symbolism is the pervading speech of any living religion.  Because  of  persecutions,  early  Christians made  use  of  art  and  external  acts  to  reflect  inner meanings and hid their beliefs from outsiders under emblems  and  figures. Most church art, architecture, sacred  rites,  and  private  devotions  have  specific religious  meanings. In most Christian faith groups, signs and symbols are material things that stand for spiritual things. Christian worship makes use of signs, symbols, vestments, and art to express the things of God. In the Christian religion, the worship of God can be expressed  in  the  following  four  significant  kinds  of symbols: 1. Fact-filled symbols, such as the sacraments. 2. Natural symbols, such as washing, anointing, or laying on of hands, to express a parallel event of 3. 4. a   spiritual   nature,   such   as   cleansing, strengthening,  or  giving  grace. Illustration   symbols,   in   which   a   certain connotation is secured by a certain action or thing. Monograms or emblems, as a substitute for signs that  in  some  way  depict  a  sacred  truth. Not all Christian churches accept the four types of symbolism,   and   some   churches   accept   none. Nevertheless,  symbolism  is  purposeful  and  necessary  to most Christian churches. You should, therefore, regard symbolism as a serious element in the Christian faith. Liturgical  Gear  and  Objects So  numerous  are  the  liturgical  gear,  garments,  and objects of the Christian faith that it would be impractical for us to describe them all within the scope of this chapter. For detailed information on Christian liturgical gear  and  objects,  please  see  appendix  III. Now that you have read about the Christian faith, let’s  look  at  another  major  religion,  Islam.  Just  as Christianity  began  with  the  teachings  of  Jesus,  Islam began  with  the  teachings  of  the  prophet  Mohammed.  In the following paragraphs, let’s examine the world of Islam and its believers, the followers of Mohammed. ISLAM Literally, Islam means submission to the will of God.  Islam  also  refers  to  the  religion  and  to  its followers. The  people  who  believe  in  Islam  are followers  of  Mohammed,  a  great  religious  teacher known as the Holy Prophet of Islam. This is why Islam is often called Mohammedanism and the people who follow  it  are  called  Mohammedans.  Another  word  you may encounter for the followers of Islam is Moslems or Muslims, which means “believers in Islam.” HISTORY Of the great religions of the world, Islam is the youngest. Islam began in Arabia about 600 years after the birth of Jesus. Its founder, the prophet Mohammed, was born in A.D. 570 and grew up in Mecca At the age of  25,  Mohammed  wandered  into  the  desert  to contemplate and pray. On Mount Hira, Mohammed received  the  following  revelations: . There is only one God God  has  revealed  himself  in  the  Bible 1-20







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