Jesus' question continues to confront us: "Who do you say that I am?" Is he the gracious savior? A wise teacher? A miracle worker? A prophet? The Son of God? In this final Interfaith Exploration, we will explore these questions in a lively, interactive format. Good food and warm hospitality are also promised. We will meet in the Chapel on Monday, September 8 at 7 p.m.

Vulgate, Gutenberg, King James, New American, New International, New American Standard, Good News......... some of the many versions of the Bible. Join us on Monday, August the 4th as we explore what the Bible means to us as Christians and as members & friends of Trinity Presbyterian Church. We will meet at 7:30 PM in the Chapel to discuss, explore and grapple with the meaning and role of the Bible in our faith and lives. As always in our series of preparatory explorations for deepening interfaith partnerships, light and delicious victuals and libations will be served.  Please come and bring a friend

On Monday, August 4th at 7 pm we will have the 3rd in a series of events designed to prepare and inspire Trinity members for deeper interfaith partnerships. We have discussed the concept of "belief" and the idea of "truth" in the first two. Our last two topics will be: "What role does the Bible play in our faith?"and "Who is Jesus for Us?" The format will be interactive, participatory, and exploratory, and the evening will begin with food and drink. Childcare will be available. Please mark your calendars for the August 4^th event on the Bible, plan to attend, and bring a friend!

- Lisa Bernhard

Earlier this month, Trinity launched the first in its series of events designed to prepare and inspire its members for deeper interfaith partnerships. This first event in a series of four, focused on the concept of belief. What does it mean to believe? As a human being? As a Presbyterian? Despite the possibly daunting goal of getting a handle on what it means to believe in 90 minutes, this event was not a high-powered, didactic presentation on philosophy or Christian theology. Rather, it was an interactive, open-ended discussion and exploration of the concept of belief that was really just the beginning to further conversation.

Consonant with the belief that good food and drink are essential to meaningful and fruitful interaction, the evening began with taste treats provided by our resident sommelier and gourmet chefs, Dave Nelson and Damayanthi Niles (close your eyes, breathe deeply and imagine roasted red pepper bruschetta, avocado mousse, marinated shrimp, and light summer white and red wine). We were then treated to a slideshow presentation of quotations about belief, created by Jayne Howard and Elaine Pontious. Following the slideshow, we broke out into small groups to discuss the implications of some of the quotes and only regretted that we didn't have longer to talk. The second half of the evening was devoted to exploring Christian creeds throughout the ages via a family album metaphor. To assist us in grappling with this concept, we all brought photos of ourselves and created our own family album for the evening. I think all who attended agreed that this metaphor was very helpful in making sense of the fluid and evolving nature of our theology and creeds, as well as the central role that storytelling plays in all areas of our lives.

The next event in this series will occur on July 7^th at 7:00 p.m. The theme for this exploration will be "truth." Again the format will be interactive, participatory, and exploratory, and the evening will begin with victuals and libations. Please mark your calendars, plan to attend, and bring a friend!

This Interfaith Partnership/ Faith Beyond Walls free educational forum will be held on Thursday, June 26, 2008 from 7:00-9:00pm at Lane Tabernacle CME Church (910 N. Newstead Ave. St. Louis, MO 63108 - One Block North of Delmar. Secure Free Parking on Site).

The keynote speaker is Dr. Luther E. Smith, Jr., Candler School of Theology, Emory University, who will address the prophetic traditions in the black church. After the discussion, distinguished panelists answer questions. Refreshments offered and a freewill offering will be accepted.

On June 5th, Trinity held its first of a 4-part series of events designed to prepare and inspire its members for deeper interfaith partnerships. The conversation focused on the concept of belief. The next event in this series will occur on Monday, July 7th at 7:00 PM in the Chapel. The theme for this exploration begin with victuals and libations. Please mark your calendars, plan to attend, and bring a friend!

Are you interested in deepening your involvement in interfaith dialogue and relationships? One of the prerequisites for authentic and enriching interfaith dialogue is being well-grounded in our own faith tradition. To help Trinity members gain that grounding, this summer we will hold four exploration events to grow in our faith as we prepare ourselves for more meaningful interfaith relationships. These exploration events will be lively, interactive, multi-media gatherings where we discuss and grow in our understanding of these topics: What does it mean to believe? What do we mean by truth? What role does the Bible play in our faith? Who is Jesus for us?

The first exploration will be held on Thursday, June 5 at 7:00 p.m.  Dates for the other explorations will be announced soon.  These open-ended, interactive explorations are great opportunities to invite friends to learn more about how we approach and live the Christian faith at Trinity.  If you would like to participate in these events, sign up in the pew pads on Sunday mornings or contact the church office (725-3840).

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