Reformation Sunday

October 28, 2007


Reformation – A Constant Present in the Church


Did you notice a piece of paper on the door as you came into the sanctuary?

In honor of today, Reformation Sunday, I have posted my own theses in honor of Dr. Martin Luther, an innocuous Augustinian monk who nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church on October 31, 1517.

Unlike Dr. Luther, I used scotch tape rather than using a hammer and nail on our newly painted beautiful red doors.

Incidentally, unlike Dr. Luther, I only posted three theses rather than 95, for which you should be grateful. Otherwise we might be here all afternoon.

Luther simply wanted to have a roundtable, academic debate the issue of the sale of indulgences.

In his day the church had become a powerful political institution, which was consumed with the desire for power and wealth.

Pope Leo Xth had the idea of selling indulgences in order to finance the lavish building of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Simply put, if you bought an indulgence, you could live it up, sin like crazy, and then present your indulgence at the door of heaven and avoid having to spend time in purgatory in order to pay for your sins.

The church had compromised the truth of the gospel freedom won for humanity by the death and resurrection, and was literally selling salvation.

Thus deeply affected Dr. Luther who had recently discovered a verse in St. Paul’s letter to the Romans: “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.

For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”

Luther simply wanted to point the church back to the wonderful truth of the gospel that gave forgiveness and salvation freely to anyone who would believe.

He certainly had no idea that his hammer and nail would cause the Protestant Reformation.

What followed, was a totally reshaping of the Church of Jesus Christ, in which all people were declared to be equally loved by God and that it is through faith that we obtain eternal life. Nothing more…nothing less.

Needless to say, that caused a deep division within the body of Christ, which lasted for centuries, and, in fact, even lasts in our own time.

Fortunately some healing began on October 31, 2000, when the Roman Catholic and Lutheran Churches signed a historic document in Augsburg, Germany, that declared, in fact, we are justified by faith and yes, Dr. Luther was right all along.

I hope and pray that our presiding bishop Mark Hanson’s challenge to the Church of Rome will be met and that we can celebrate the 500th year of the Reformation by all coming to Christ’s table on October 31, 2017.

But, aside from the celebration of Dr. Luther, where is Reformation today.

My brothers and sisters, I would suggest to you that Reformation is a constant present moment in the church.

The issues may change, but the church needs to constantly be called back to the fullness of the gospel.

In the preface to his 95 theses, Dr. Luther wrote: “Out of love and zeal for truth and the desires to bring it to light.”

How timeless are those words, and they define the constant task of the church, which is to be absolutely faithful to the Gospel, and to share the love of God for absolutely every human being, without exception.

So, if Reformation is the constant present moment of the church, and if we needed to post some current theses on the door, what would they be?

Now I am certainly not a Martin Luther wannabe, but here’s what I have posted on the door of the church.

First thesis: “Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable, and perfect.”

One of the greatest temptations of the church is to look at the way the world operates and adapt them to the ways of the church.

In Luther’s day it was the sale of indulgences.

In our own times the Church often succumbs to the temptation to market itself in terms of Madison Avenue business, and to compromise the truth of the Gospel.

For example, some of our church growth experts suggest that there be no cross anywhere in the church, because it might offend someone.

A church without a cross?

One of our friends, Marva Dawn has written about what she calls the “dumbing down of the church, and suggest that the gospel of Jesus does not need to be dumbed down or compromised in order for the church to grow.

Second thesis: “God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

Worship is the foremost task of the church.

We have an incredible heritage of liturgy and music that exalt the dignity and majesty of our heavenly Father.

The time we spend here is time literally spent in the threshold of the heavenly realm, and we are in the presence of the angels, archangels, cherubim, and seraphim, and we join them in singing “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord god of power and might.”

Yet, some would say that this is archaic and old hat: Worship should entertain, worship should please.

If ever there was an oxymoron it is “entertainment evangelism.”

We work very hard at worship in this place, and we are keenly aware that God is the focus of our time together, and he deserves the very best we have to offer.

Last thesis: “This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you.

Great love has no person that this, than to lay down their life for their friends.”

How frightening is our world today, as violence seems to be engulfing the world.

How impassable are the barriers that are built to separate people from one another because of race, religion, politics, and culture.

How deep is the mistrust that exists between people who differ from one another.

The church of Jesus Christ must constantly, in every moment, be the most inclusive place of welcome in the entire world.

How vital it is that we embrace all people in this household of faith, excluding no one for any reason whatsoever.

If the church of Jesus does not love, then it needs to reform its values and see all humanity through the eyes of the gospel of Jesus.

The church is called by Christ to give itself for the life of the world.

Today we give thanks for the life and courage of Dr. Martin Luther.

He has given us a priceless Reformation heritage which we celebrate today.

Yet, Reformation is far from over.

It is right here, right now.

If Dr. Luther were to walk through those red doors today, I would bet that he would hand us a hammer and a nail, and tell us to get on with our own task of Reformation.

His task of 1517 is now our task.

Does anyone have a hammer and a nail?