The Templeton Committee met for the first time on October 21, 2015. Pastor Michael Tavella had received a $5000 grant from the John Templeton Foundation through the auspices of Earl Whipple, a staff member of the organization and a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. The grant will be used to develop a manual for churches and individual Christians on how we should conduct ourselves when in conversation with atheists and others who do not attend Church (the “nones”), either one on one or in a public forum. The biblical basis for the project is I Peter 3: 15b-16. The proposal includes field testing the manual in church adult classes and then holding at least one public forum in which Christians and non-Christians dialogue with one another. These conversations will constitute a Christian defense of the faith (ἀπολογία, apologia, English-apology) and a witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In the first centuries after the death and resurrection of Christ, several Christian writers produced apologies for the Christian faith. Among their intended audiences were the Jewish community, the Roman government, the philosophers, and the pagans. In several articles over the next year we will closely examine some of these works. An early apology outside…
In the last chapters of the Gospel of John Saint Thomas plays the pre-eminent part as the doubter. At an appearance of the resurrected Jesus, Thomas was not present. When the apostles told him that they had seen the Lord, he did not believe. He said, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of…
Christian practice is grounded in Christian faith. Faith leads to faithfulness; belief leads to action. Among essential elements of this practice are gratitude, humility, and wonder. The Christian disciple must be ever grateful for all that God has done in his life. Contained in the First Article of the Creed and an essential part of…
Peter is a central figure in all four Gospels. While the Gospel of Matthew sets Peter at the very center of apostolic authority, John places his authority beside the beloved disciple who may be John himself, the writer of the Gospel. In both Gospels the account of Peter’s betrayal is given with some differing details. …
In the American political arena insults are daily exchanged between antagonists. At times, even the word evil is dropped to describe opponents. Who is evil? What are the criteria for calling another evil? It is not necessarily one’s political ideology that makes one of evil opinion. Many political ideologies and positions fall within ethical parameters….
Pilate’s first response to the leaders who brought Jesus to him was that they should deal with Jesus themselves. The Jewish leaders reminded Pilate that they did not have the authority to execute Him. Pilate then interviewed Jesus to find out the facts of the matter. In this part of the conversation our Lord asserts…
I am not thinking of the modern Olympians that participate in either the winter or summer world games every four years. Olympia, Greece, in the Peloponnesus was the early location of the pan-Hellenic Olympic games (776 B.C. to 393 A.D.). Rather, I am referring in this article to those Americans that see themselves as gods…
For the Day of Pentecost the Second Lesson appointed comes from the Book of Acts where Saint Peter addresses the crowd of Diaspora Jews gathered in Jerusalem for the celebration of the pilgrim Feast of Weeks. From different lands the visitors to the city spoke different languages. As a result of the descent of the…
Many people are familiar with the story of the Tower of Babel. At the Tower the people attempted to build a structure that would reach heaven. God frustrated their plans by confusing their languages, making it impossible for them to complete their task. The inspired writer of this story in the primeval history of Genesis…
The fires in the cities do not purify or cleanse. They destroy. The Holy Spirit, the fire of God makes clean those who believe. What renews the world is not the mob that destroys but the assembly of all those who hear the Word and receive the Sacraments, the holy catholic and apostolic church (The…
