This is a great day in the life of
our church. This is the day that we celebrate the birth of the Lutheran Church.
So it is a great day! Amen?!
I think it is important to hear the
story that we usually save for confirmation because let’s face it, many of us
have either not been through confirmation or it has been quite a while ago. Our
church came about by a man walking along a road in a thunderstorm. His father
worked hard, spent years in the mines so that his children could have a good
life; a life filled with education because education, back then was for the
elite. This father wanted the best for his son named Martin. So Martin was
going to go to university and become a lawyer. Martin was a good Catholic who
went to mass and did all that was expected.
It wasn’t until that day in the
storm walking home that he began to fear God, lightning striking the tree next
to him and that is when it happened; Martin fell to his knees and promised that
if God would stop this wrath and fear that he would become a monk. He would
give his life over to God. And so it was that he became a monk. He used all his
learning as a child to follow “the way” and often felt convicted by God. He
spent his early years in the monastery feeling the wrath of God. He felt
convicted in his humanity and felt that God was punishing him for every little
thing. He would spend so much time in confession that the priests were getting
annoyed with him.
His mentor set out to work with
Luther and began to show him a different side of God. His mentor began changing
Luther’s thinking that God was not a God of vengeance and fear, but a God of
love. Slowly, Martin’s did see God as a God of salvation and forgiveness. This
carried and sustained Luther. Martin Luther began challenging what he was
taught and what the church held as sacred: relics, confessions, the saints, and
yes even the power of the pope. Luther went on to make his famous stand in
defense of his writings. This stand and his writings became known as the
“reformation” in the church. The people who followed Luther became known as
Evangelicals and split from the Catholic church.
This story is important for a number
of reasons. This is the day that we Lutherans hold to be the day that our
church was born. It is the day when Luther published his 95 theses and nailed
them to the door of the church…by the way, some might say (and one author has)
that this was the beginning of social media. So here we have the blessing and
the curse; blessing of church and curse of social media. There is more to this
day then just the posting of a document on the door of a church.
This Reformation Day is the day we
recognize that when the Word of God became available to everyone. You see, in
Luther’s time, the bible was only reserved for the priests. The services were
in Latin (even in Germany). People could not just go to Borders book store and
get a bible. You had to go to the priests for the bible to be “properly”
interpreted. Most people could not even read and as I said earlier, only the
educated were able to attend schools and learn to read. Most everyone else was
left to fend for themselves, disease was running rampant and mortality rates
were extremely high. Many were lead to believe that if they got sick that God
was punishing them for something they did or even did not do.
This reformation is important
because it opened this door to the Word of God. No longer did the people have
to go to the priest, because Luther translated scripture into German so that
people could read the bible in their own language.
That is why this reading from the
Gospel of John is so important on this day. Jesus says that if we “continue in
my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth and the truth
will set you free.” Those important words because who was able to know Jesus
words in Luther’s time? If the bible was only for those who could interpret the
Latin scripture, then how could anyone know Jesus’ words? Luther took this
verse seriously in that the Word of God needed to be made available so that
everyone could follow in Jesus’ Word. I mean, it makes sense that in order to
know Jesus’ word we need to know what that Word is, don’t we?
Knowing Jesus’ words are important
but also carry a responsibility. We know that Jesus’ Words teach us and tell us
to do many things. He teaches us about loving our neighbor, praying for one
another, help out those who are in need, in prison, give our coats to someone
in need, and feed the poor, help to find shelter, to live our lives knowing
that God’s judgement is the only thing that matters…that it is not for us to
judge others; that is left to God. That is the responsibility that we all have
is to care for one another as best we can because each and every one of us is
precious in God’s eyes. Every one of us is God’s creation and God’s creation is
Good.
But there is also this word truth
that is in our Gospel reading today. Philosiphers have written about truth, the
word “truth” is the most talked about word when it comes to relationships and
responsibilities; this word is argued over in court hearings, philosophical
arguments, who did what to whom, when did it happen, we search for truth when reporting the news.
This word “truth” can start arguments, wars, end relationships, and destroy
lives. All because of this small word.
In today’s Gospel we hear that the
“truth will set us free.” So here is some truth. We live in a broken world. It
is a world where we are told to live by fear. Fear that this will end, there
will not be enough, and you better get for yourself or someone might take what
you want. It is a society that basis its concerns on fear and scarcity. Jesus
tells us that anyone who has sinned is a slave to sin. That is a relief! I
mean, at least Jesus acknowledges that sin is appealing and it is somewhat easy
to do what you want over what is right and just.
However, Jesus tells us that truth
is more important. It is the truth in knowing that even though we are a slave
to sin, because let’s face it, we all have sinned at one time or another, The
Son of God makes us free. Jesus sets us free so that we don’t have to be a
slave to sin. We have the teachings and actions of God’s only Son, Jesus, to go into our part of the world to love our
neighbor, to feed our neighbor, to give one another a helping hand, to pray and
live in community with one another and through our words and our actions, share
God’s message that, although we might be slaves to sin, Jesus Christ went to
the cross and died and was raised so that we are not captive to sin or death.
That is where our responsibility
comes in. We are responsible for our words and our actions. It is not easy to
live out who Jesus calls us to be. Sometimes it seems better to do what is easy
and not worry about consequences. Living the life of a disciple of Christ is
hard. It is difficult, especially at this time. We have talked about the fact
that numbers in all denominations of church attendance is declining. While that
may be true in numbers, what is also true is that we celebrate who is here. We
celebrate that the body of Christ is gathered to worship God and celebrate this
day that changed the world as they knew it and created the Lutheran church.
Through this reformation many things
changed. It was not just the church that changed. Cities began developing
schools, the Community started storing up funds to help people in need and so
many other changes came out of this monk nailing the 95 theses to the door of
the church.
(Chapel)
So what does that mean for us today? Today, our world is changing again. In a
few short moments we will be receiving two new disciples of Christ. Today, the
body of Christ will grow by two young disciples. Their parents will make
promises to God to bring them to the Lord’s table and to place scripture in
their hands. We will all make promises to help this family in their journey of
faith. It is truly a day of celebration in that this church will be “re-formed”
into the new body of Christ. We will also be changed in that one of God’s
disciples has decided to become a member through a re-affirmation of baptism.
God will remind him of the precious blessings and gift that he is and is called
to be doing God’s work here on earth.
So today, let us celebrate the monk
whom God used to show us God’s word and God’s truth that we are loved and cared
for; let us celebrate that God has given us the ability to do God’s work here
on earth…thanks be to God.
(Woodsboro)
So
what does that mean for us today? Today our world is changing again. It is
changing so rapidly that things that took months to make, now take minutes.
There is so much information available that we often get inundated with having
to make choices. But the one thing that does not change is God’s constant love.
God’s love is forgiving, filled with grace, and is available to all. It is
God’s truth of love, forgiveness, mercy, and abundant grace that is the truth
that we need to hear, know, and celebrate.
So let’s celebrate that monk whom
God used to show us God’s word and love
are never failing; and let us celebrate who God calls us to be and what God
calls us to do in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our words and in our
actions, this day and forevermore. AMEN
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