Communion

Communion is a practice that is meant to be observed over and over throughout the life of a Christian. It is a holy time of worship when we come together as one body to remember and celebrate whta Christ did for us. The bread and the wine become the actual body and blood of Christ in remembrance of his enduring sacrifice.

Scriptures Associated with Communion:
-And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." Luke 22:19-20
-While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Matthew 26:26-28

For more information:
http://christianity.about.com/od/faqhelpdesk/f/whatiscommunion.htm

Salvation

Some Protestants hold to a similar Catholic "faith plus works" salvation theology. Others believe that the Bible proclaims strictly Sola Fide("faith in Jesus Christ alone")-based salvation without works. There is a complementary Protestant doctrine that the Bible proclaims salvation by "grace alone" or Sola Gratia. Especially in some interpretations of Calvinism this is extended to mean that God saves people (or condemns them) by freely granting or withholding his grace.

the five solas are listed below:

• 1 Sola scriptura ("by Scripture alone")
• 2 Sola fide ("by faith alone")
• 3 Sola gratia ("by grace alone")
• 4 Solus Christus ("Christ alone")
• 5 Soli Deo gloria ("glory to God alone")

Information obtained from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvation#Protestants, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_solas

Trinity

The Trinity can be considered a fundamental doctrine in Christianity, by which God is considered as existing in three persons. While the doctrine is not explicitly taught in the New Testament, early Christian communities testified to a perception that Jesus was God in the flesh; the idea of the Trinity has been inferred from the Gospel of St. John. The developed doctrine of the Trinity describes that God exists in ultimately three forms: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Information obtained from: http://www.holytrinitydc.org/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity

Protestant Work Ethic

The Protestant work ethic, or sometimes called the Puritan work ethic, is a Calvinist value emphasizing the necessity of constant labor in a person's calling as a sign of personal salvation. Protestant, beginning with Martin Luther, had reconceptualised work as a duty in the world for the benefit of the individual and society as a whole. The Catholic idea of good works was transformed into an obligation to work diligently as a sign of grace.

Information obtained from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_work_ethic

John Wesley

John Wesley

(1703 – 1791) In 1738, inspired by the theology of Martin Luther both men had a religious experience that convinced them that salvation was possible through faith alone. Zealous evangelists, they had great success in preaching to the masses in the succeeding decades. In 1784 John began ordaining ministers himself when the bishop of London refused to do so (despite Charles's disapproval) and declared his independence from the Church of England. The two wrote several thousand hymns, including "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" and "Christ the Lord Is Ris'n Today."

"We are determined not to yield to the Papacy. but to maintain the Protestant Religion and the Reformed Faith. It is our purpose to make crystal clear, what the Protestantism is which we are dedicated to maintain. We are not, let it be said at the outset, contending for a political Protestantism, although we are grateful for every political liberty which the Reformation has bequeathed us."

"John Wesley
"City Road, Jan. 21st, 1780."

Information Obtained from: http://www.ianpaisley.org/article.asp?ArtKey=sword_010198, www.wikipedia.com/johnwesley

Saint

Saint

In short: Holy person. In the New Testament, St. Paul used the term to mean a member of the Christian community, but the term more commonly refers to those noted for their holiness and venerated during their lifetimes or after death. In Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, saints are publicly recognized by the church and are considered intercessors with God for the living. They are honored on special feast days, and their remains and personal effects are venerated as relics. Often Christian saints perform miracles in their lifetime, or miracles occur in their names after their death.



Information obtained from: www.answers.com/saintchristianity, http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=91

Sacrament

Sacrament
In Christian belief and practice, a sacrament rite instituted by Christ, that mediates grace, constituting a sacred mystery. The root meaning of the Latin word sacramentum is to "make sacred". Views concerning both what rites are sacramental, and what it means for an act to be sacramental vary among Christian denominations and traditions.

1. Christianity. A rite believed to be a means of or visible form of grace, especially:
1. In the Eastern, Roman Catholic, and some other Western Christian churches, any of the traditional seven rites that were instituted by Jesus and recorded in the New Testament and that confer sanctifying grace.
2. In most other Western Christian churches, the two rites, Baptism and the Eucharist, that were instituted by Jesus to confer sanctifying grace.

Information obtained from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacrament, www.answers.com/sacrament

Presbyterian Church

The Presbyterian Church is a main Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. It is part of the reformed family of Protestantism, descending from the branch of the Protestant Reformation by John Calvin. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S. and was established by the 1983 merger of the former Presbyterian Church in the US whose churches were located in the southern and border states, and the United Presbyterian Church, whose congregations could be found in every state in the US. The unified body currently has approximately 2.3 million members, 11,100 congregations, and 14,000 ordained ministers.

information obtained from: www.answers.com/presbyterianchurch

Predestination

Predestination is a religous concept, which describes the concepts of fate and destiny in relation to religion. Although similar, predestination is different from other ideas concerning determinism, free will, and related concepts. In particular, predestination concerns God's decision to determine ahead of time what the destiny of groups, individuals, and ultimately all of creation will be.

information obtained from: http://www.answers.com/predestination

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday occurs on the Sunday before Easter Sunday in the Western Christian liturgical calendar. It signals the upcoming end of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week. The day commemorates the spreading of palms and clothing in Jesus' path as He entered Jerusalem prior to His crucifixion. Many churches re-enact Jesus' return to Jerusalem with a processional in which participants wave palm branches. In areas where palm trees are unavailable, branches of the pussy willow, yew, and spruce trees are often used.

This information was obtained from
http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/ethnic_relig/palm_wc.html

Original Sin

Luther and Calvin agreed that humans inherit Adamic guilt and are in a state of sin from the moment of conception. This sinful nature results in a complete alienation from God and the total inability of humans to achieve reconciliation with God. Not only do individuals inherit a sinful nature due to Adam's fall, all whom he represented inherit the guilt of his sin by imputation. Protestants believe that God the Father sent Jesus into the world. The personhood, life, ministry, suffering, and death of Jesus, as God incarnate in human flesh, is meant to be the atonement for original sin as well as actual sins; this atonement is according to some rendered fully effective by the Resurrection of Jesus.


Information obtained from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_sin#Original_sin_in_mainstream_Protestantism

Mennonites

The Mennonites, a Protestant religious group descended from the 16th century Anabaptists (deny infant baptism), take their name from Menno Simons, a Dutch Roman Catholic priest converted to the Anabaptist faith. The Mennonites rejected infant baptism, the swearing of oaths, military service, and worldliness. They practiced strong church discipline in their congregations and lived simple, honest, loving lives in emulation of the earliest Christians.

This information was obtained from
http://mb-soft.com/believe/text/mennonit.htm

Born-again Christians

The Bible says that Christians must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. Being born-again means entering a new spiritual life. Born-again Christians believe that when they are saved they will not go to hell but go to heaven. The Bible also says that those who believe in Jesus Christ will not perish, but become everlasting.

For more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_again

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is a Christian holiday or holy day. This holiday, because it is not mentioned in Scripture, is not a holiday that all Christians recognize. Ash Wednesday is the first day of forty-day Lent which ends with Easter. Today in society, more Protestants have been celebrating Ash Wednesday and applying ashes on their foreheads. The ash comes from burned palm fronds from the previous year's Palm Sunday. The main significance of ash is that it symbolizes death and reminds us of mortality.


Information From:
http://www.ash-wednesday.org/
http://www.slate.com/id/2137092

Baptism and Baptists

Baptism is a Christian rite where one is cleansed of their sin and "re-born." The word baptism itself means to immerse a person into water for religious reasons. The rite of Baptism was practiced frequently in the Old Testament. The main significance of being baptized is the cleansing of ones self, the devotion to God, and forgiveness. Baptists are usually considered Protestants. Baptists believe that those only are members of the Church of Christ who have been baptized. Many disagree with infant baptism because the Church believes all children that die before the age of responsibilty will be saved.


For More Information:
http://www.baptist.org/index.php
http://www.newadvent.org/

Amish

This video below called Amish Paradise is a parody of Amish people written by Weird Al'. There is about 100,000 amish in America today. These people live an 18th century lifestyle without any type of electricity. The amish originated from a group of Protestant Christians referred to as Anabaptists. The Amish settled into farming because the rural lifestyle made it easier for them to keep their distance from other non-Amish people.

Amish Paradise Video
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FvC5pZnPb0Q

For More Information:

http://www.800padutch.com/amish.shtml

Lent

For protestants, Lent starts on February 6 and ends on March 22 excluding Sundays, which celebrate the Resurrection. Sundays are considered "feast days" and are not observed as "fast" days, or counted in the forty day total Lent is a period of fasting, self-examination and repentance. The 40-day length of the fast was established in the 4th century. Protestants see Lent as a time to draw closer to God in preparation of this annual celebration. It is a form of emulation of our Lord's example in His 40-day Fast in the wilderness, in preparation for his public ministry. One way to observe Lent is to "deny yourself" in some way regarding food and drink, temporarily "giving up" desserts, meat, a meal, or whatever you may choose, and to replace this with extra time devoted to prayer and Bible reading or study, or the reading of a Christian book. Information was obtained from http://prayerfoundation.org/lent_40_days_of_prayer_&_fasting.htm

Martin Luther

Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 - February 18, 1546) was a Christian theologian and Augustinian monk whose teachings inspired the Protestant Reformation and deeply influenced the doctrines of Protestant and other Christian traditions. Martin fully dedicated himself to monastic life, the effort to do good works to please God and to serve others through prayer for their souls. He devoted himself to fasts and constant confession. The controversy that broke loose with the publication of his 95 Theses placed even more pressure on the reformer to study the Bible. On Halloween of 1517, Luther changed the course of human history when he nailed his 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenberg, accusing the Roman Catholic church of heresy upon heresy. Many people cite this act as the primary starting point of the Protestant Reformation. Information was obtained from http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/martin-luther.html

Christians and the Protestant Bible

The Bible is a collection of writings that the Church has recognized inspiring by the words of God. It's believed that in the time of Christ, Jews were in possession of the sacred books. The Bible contains two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. Christians are people who are members of a Church that enter through Baptism. These members range from Protestants, Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox.

Information Obtained from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian

Branches and sects of Protestantism

Two distinct branches of Protestantism grew out of the Reformation. The evangelical churches in Germany and Scandinavia were followers of Martin Luther. The Reformed churches in other countries were followers of John Calvin and Huldreich Zwingli. A third major branch, episcopacy, developed in England.

Advent

The word advent comes from the Latin terminology adventus which means arrival. The christian church begins each year with advent. It starts November 30Th and lasts until Christmas Eve. This is a celebration of the second coming of the Christ. Many churches have an advent wreath that is lit progressively through four days. It contains three purple candles and one rose candle that represents "joy." Sometimes a final white candle is lit that represents Christ's birth. This is usually lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

Information obtained from: http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/ethnic_relig/advent.html

John Calvin (July 10, 1509- June 27, 1564) was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and was a central developer of the system of Christian theology called Calvinism or Reformed theology. He is renowned for his teachings and writings, in particular for his Institutes of the Christian Religion.

For more information:

http://www.calvin.edu/about/about_jc.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Calvin