Trinity Lutheran Church lunch and learn classes announced

Ann Marie Wagstaff, an English professor at Porterville College, will present a series of lunch and learn classes titled “Reading the Bible with Luther, Calvin and Other Reformers,” at Trinity Lutheran Church from Sunday Sept. 24 through Sunday, Oct. 22.

The one-hour classes are scheduled at 12:15 p.m. following the church’s 11 a.m. worship service. The classes precede the church’s celebration of Reformation Sunday on Oct. 29.

“That will be a special time since it recognizes the 500th anniversary of when Martin Luther issued a challenge to the Roman Catholic Church,” Wagstaff said. “He did this on Oct. 31, 1517 in a document he posted at Wittenberg University in Germany. It requested the Catholic Church to debate 95 issues about its practices, teachings and structure. This began the Protestant Reformation.”

According to Wagstaff, the classes will focus on the role the Bible played in the Reformation and how its interpretations contributed to the formation of the different branches of the Protestant Church.

In the first session on Sunday, Sept. 24, Wagstaff will examine the Bible as it existed prior to Luther and how his translation of the Bible into German changed everything. In other classes, Wagstaff will cover how Luther’s interpretations of the Bible led to his understanding of authority, faith, grace, conscience and love. Wagstaff will also discuss the different beliefs of other church leaders such as Calvin and Swedish Theologian Zwingli.

Wagstaff will conclude with a discussion of how Puritans viewed the Bible.

“We hope these sessions will show how Luther’s understanding of the Scriptures transformed lay Christians into a new understanding of the Word of God becoming the catalyst for the Reformation,” Wagstaff said.

She said the public is invited to attend the lecture and lunch series. She said there is no charge.

Wagstaff said information about all of Trinity’s ministries is available by calling 784-4202 or by visiting www.tlcporterville.org.

Trinity Lutheran Church is located at 764 W. Henderson Ave. in Porterville.