Grade 4 Lesson 1
Grade 4 Lesson 1: True Worship
Learning Outcomes
- G4.LO33 - Recognize that Orthodoxy is the continuation of the Ancient Church.
Textbook Lesson
Expanding Thoughts on Lesson
- There are five essential parts of Orthodox worship: praise, thanksgiving, repentance, supplication, and dedication. We see each of these parts in the Holy Qurbana.
- During our worship, we sing praises to the one Lord our God, we thank God for what He has given us, we say we are sorry for our sins and mistakes, we ask God to take care of us, and we recite our beliefs together. In Deuteronomy 6:4-5, we learn that there is only one Lord our God and that we shall “love Him with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength” (“and mind” - St. Luke 10:27; St. Mark 12:30).
- By participating in the five parts of Orthodox worship and attending the Divine Liturgy every Sunday, we show God our love and live our faith. We also participate in Holy Sacraments, all of which are closely related to the Eucharist. Sadly, not everyone believes that we need to participate in the Holy Sacraments, but we believe that Christ commanded us to do so and that God is present in the Sacraments in an incredible way. By receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion, we increase in God’s grace (His life in us) and He becomes physically a part of us, too. By participating in the Sacraments, we grow closer to God and receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Unlike some other Christian groups, we worship in our church every Sunday just like the Apostles did to remember the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- We follow an Orthodox tradition of worship. This means that we accept and closely follow the traditional beliefs and customs that were established by Jesus Christ (St Matthew 16:16) and built upon the faith of the Apostles (Romans 6:10-12) and passed down through generations to us (Jude 3). Our worship reminds us that Christ was both fully human and fully divine. Our worship allows us to live our faith in unity with the early Christians, our faithful departed, saints, and the angels in heaven.
Lesson Resources
Connecting Materials
