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The Christian Experience

Christianity in America

Church: Space and Spirit

For Christians, the word “church” refers both to Christian communities (ranging from single congregations to all of the religion’s adherents across time and space) and to the buildings where they gather to worship, pray, and fellowship together. These structures also vary in size, from single-room sanctuaries to immense megachurches.

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Sharing the Bread of Life

The central Christian rite is the Eucharist, a shared meal of bread and wine. For some Christians, the bread and wine, consecrated by a priest, are the real body and blood of Jesus; for others, the sacraments are powerful symbolic reminders of the meal Jesus shared with his disciples before his crucifixion.

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Psalms and Songs of Praise

The biblical book of Psalms contains texts that serve as the basis for many Christian songs of praise. Musical traditions based on monastic chants often accompany these verses when they are sung during worship services.

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Gospel Music



Gospel music developed among Black Christians in the United States. Informed by the “ring-shouts” of enslaved people, the gospel genre moved into urban centers during the 20th century and became increasingly popular in both religious and secular contexts.

 

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The Power of Prayer



From Pentecostals speaking in tongues to silent monastic contemplation, prayer is central to Christian life. Prayer can be communal or individual; it might consist of well-established texts, like the Lord’s Prayer, or spontaneous thoughts. Through varied postures, actions, and settings of prayer, Christians engage with God.... Read more about The Power of Prayer

Service and Mission



Many Christians understand their faith to be a profound call to action for social justice. Some Christians choose to live this call by becoming members of a “mission” community, going into the world to create new church communities, address political and social issues, and meet immediate human needs such as food, housing, and healthcare.

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Advent and Christmas



Advent is a four-week season of preparation for Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Christ. The prominence of Christmas in American culture has led to the popularization of Christmas carols, the figure of Santa Claus, and the practice of exchanging gifts. Traditions particular to certain expressions of Christianity, such as the Mexican posada, preserve other distinctly religious forms of celebrating Christmas.

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Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday



Lent is a period of forty days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. It is a time of penitence and preparation, during which many Christians strengthen their faith through study, prayer, fasting or abstinence. The restriction and solemnity of Lent contrast with the joys of Easter, the Sunday celebration of Christ’s resurrection from the dead, and the most important holy day for Christians.

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