We all recognize the question asked by Pontius Pilate in John 18:38, (my Latin students ought to recognize the question as Quid est veritas?) “What is truth?”. Observers of Western culture might note a shift in how the teachings of the Church are being attacked by the world. Where once the Church was challenged on whether our distinctive truth claims, such as the virgin birth of Christ, His atoning death, His resurrection, His return again in judgment, etc., are in fact true. Now, many attack the Church as arrogant, ignorant, or elitist for claiming that we have the truth, that we claim that other “truths” cannot also simultaneously be true, and even that we believe truth can be known at all.
This is a real threat to the faith of all Christians, particularly those of the younger generations whose peers have absorbed ideas about truth that run counter to Christian truth claims and the heritage of Western civilization in general.
The Wyoming District of the LCMS annually holds their “Tell the Good News about Jesus” convocation, a two-day event both for pastors and for laymen, to equip the saints to speak in an informed and loving manner about the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This year the convocation is being held January 31 – February 1 at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel in Casper, Wyoming, and the topic is “What is Truth?” Here’s a list of sessions:
- SESSION #1—Rev. Matt Richard
How does truth affect worldview, language,
and emotions? - SESSION #2—Rev. Kenneth Mars
What science can teach us about a good and
gracious God—and what it can’t - Banquet—Rev. Matt Richard
How do Christians evaluate truth claims that
compete with their own? - SESSION #3—Mr. Jim Pierce
What can the atheist know about God? - SESSION #4—Rev. Matt Richard
How does absorbing a new truth affect how a
person views reality, speaks, and feels? - SESSION #5—Mr. Jim Pierce
My personal journey from atheism to
Christianity - SESSION #6
Guided panel discussion
Regular readers of the BJS blog might note that two of the presenters are Rev. Dr. Matt Richard and Mr. Jim Pierce, both contributors to this blog, and the guided panel discussion will be moderated by Rev. Joshua Scheer, associate editor. Rev. Kenneth Mars, who is presenting about what Christians can learn about science, is a pastor within the Wyoming District and has a background that enables him to speak with some authority on his topic.
The convocation is open to anyone, and registration materials can be found at the Wyoming district website. Registration is $25 per person, and the banquet is $20 per adult.