Re-formation
Did you know that our worship is designed around reading through significant parts of the Bible every three years? Yes! To guide us through the three years, we use what’s known as the Lectionary – assigned readings from Scripture for each week of the year. We, at Trinity, and throughout the ELCA and other mainline Christian denominations use the Revised Common Lectionary. It is made up of Years A (Year of Matthew), B (Year of Mark), and C (Year of Luke).
Now you might notice that one of the Gospels is missing – John. Why not have a four-year lectionary to include John? Well, John is used each Advent, Christmas, and, especially, Easter season to fill in the story a bit.
What most of us Lutherans don’t realize is that there is one special Sunday each year where we deviate from the Revised Common Lectionary. Most of the other denominations stay the course, while we veer off for one week at the end of October to remember and celebrate what began with Martin Luther way back before there even was a Lutheran Church. I’m talking about Reformation Sunday – the last Sunday in October each year.
Now, that got me thinking: Why would we Lutherans choose to “go off script” one Sunday each year? What is so important about acknowledging Reformation Sunday? Well, I’d say, some of it is obvious. It’s our heritage. It involves Martin Luther posting the 95 Theses on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, which started the historical / political event we call the Protestant Reformation. It wasn’t too much longer after that event that the Lutheran Church began.
What is less obvious is the “why” it all happened in the first place. The 95 Theses were posted to start discussion about theological and spiritual practices at the time that seemed to corrupt the Gospel. Instead, the “powers-that-be” tried to crush the questions and this eventually led to Luther’s excommunication from the Church and the beginnings of a “re-forming movement.” Many Lutherans, me among them, believe this “movement” is more significant to Christianity than anything else to arise out of the Reformation. It’s something, in fact, that continues even today.
You see, Martin Luther was bringing to the discussion something about our faith that had been clouded by “fake news.” The “fake news” was the idea that if we were good enough, we could, on our own, get to heaven. Instead, Martin Luther challenged that by claiming that God loves us, frees us from ourselves, and saves us for all eternity – not because of anything we do, but because of who God is for us. We know this God best as we read the stories of Jesus each week in worship.
So, each week in worship, we continue to “re-form” the story. Each week we are invited to embrace God’s desire for us to live lives not in fear, but in trust. Lutheranism, at its best, continues to metaphorically post those 95 Theses of church doors and proclaim this Good News throughout the world, because to not do so is to let the “fake news” get louder and louder. We continue to be a challenging, “re-forming” movement in our world today.
And you’re a part of it! So, where in your life do you post those 95 Theses for the world to see, to hear, to experience God’s Love? Where do you show up, trusting God’s presence even in the messiest situations? Where do you help to “re-form” the world, to remind the world of what really matters? Love. God’s Love.
As we journey through the rest of Year B (Year of Mark) this Autumn, may you share God’s Love in new ways with your world.
In God’s Love and Care,
Pastor Ned