During this course, I have learned a great deal about the Christian religion. One of my favorite lessons was on Bible Study. There are numerous resources online including E-Sword, Christianity.com. and edible.com. It is very interesting to note the information in the Bible in contrast to organized, dogmatic religion. people have put their own rules and preferences into worship practice and then want to call it another denomination. The Bible is the Word of God and should be used as the final authority in all cases.
There is also no evidence in the Bible banning women from priesthood or ministry. Women have contributed to the spread of Christianity over the centuries. The only really necessary qualifications for ministry are good people skills, wanting to serve God and spread the gospel, a desire to serve others and to bring the word of God and the importance of church and relationship with God to others.
Sacraments differ in the various Christian churches based upon interpretation. In the Protestant church, sacraments are those that Jesus specifically called out in the Bible - Baptism, Eucharist and Confession. Other churches, such as the Catholic and Orthodox churches add marriage, ordination (holy orders), confirmation and anointing of the sick. Again, I believe that the best practice is to consult the Bible and make a decision after reflecting on it sufficiently.
There are many worship practices depending upon which denomination one belongs to. It is important to go to church regularly, pray and participate in the worship--not just go to enjoy the music. The Eucharist is the center of all Christian worship services and it should be received regularly by Christians along with going to confess sin to a minister or priest. The Bible does say to confess sins to each other and to forgive others if you want to be forgiven.
As members of the church, we need to reach out to others that have problems such as drug abuse, alcohol and are involved in prostitution. Jesus sought out people who had problems such as these so that he could bring forgiveness to them and heal their illnesses. We are called to walk in his footsteps and do the same. There are many ways to help people with these types of issues and it is important not to shun them, but bring God's love to them.
One of the most important subjects in this course was the subject of divorce. It is interesting to note that the divorce itself is not so much a sin as what leads up to divorce. Infidelity is a big cause and can involve both partners. What I found interesting is the more insidious causes of divorce that are hard to even identify until it is firmly established. These would be: sarcasm, impatience, lack of respect, financial mismanagement, alcohol, overall failure to love. These things can creep in during times of stress and can really take a toll on a relationship over time. This was a very important learning that I took away from this course.
The lessons on church history were very valuable. In many current publications it is still being debated whether Constantine was really Christian or if he converted on his deathbed. There have been many influences on the church over the centuries and many atrocities that one would not expect to see from an institution proclaiming itself as divine.
Lastly, we in the US are very fortunate to be able to freely practice our religious beliefs (Christian or other). There are many countries in the world where people are actually killed for their faith. This is really being put to the test. We need to support our government even if we do not support all decisions made by it. After all, we live in the best and most free country in the world. We should pray for our country and be willing to pay taxes honestly to support it.
Overall, I really liked the course content and thought it was very objectively presented. It held my interest all the way through and helped me to better understand all denominations and perspectives on Christianity. Thank you, Amy, for making these courses possible. I plan on taking all of the courses offered through the seminary. They are quite valuable.
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