The Sacraments or Ordinances
In Christianity, the practices known as sacraments (predominantly within Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and certain Anglican traditions) or ordinances (mainly within Protestant denominations) hold a vital place in the life of the believer and the community of faith. These rites—most universally, Baptism and the Eucharist (Communion or the Lord’s Supper)—serve as means of grace, signs of the…