Thursday, October 30

 

Ordinary Time: The Wittenberg Door

   The igniting moment of the Protestant Reformation probably was on October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to the church door - conversation starters if you will, pointed ideas about what the church could be, and should be, but isn't.

   Many of his theses are barbed criticisms of the avarice of the church, the hollowness of practice, the manipulation of unsuspecting believers who trust the church - and many are simply about getting theology right, saying true things about God, and the life of faith, not settling for what we'd prefer the life of faith to be, or a God who's nothing more than a mirror image of our own small selves.

   If Luther could walk up to my church, your church, any church today, what would he nail to the door? Would we read? Would we run the rascal out of town (which was what happened to Luther!)? Would we humbly and prayerfully, no matter how great the sacrifice, re-form the church into something genuinely pleasing to the Lord, something that clearly and humbly manifests God's love in this world?

   Trashing the church is a huge industry these days. Reformation isn't about taking pot shots at the church - which is too easy. Reformation is about finding what God has to say, and pursuing a constructive course of action to help God's church more clearly resemble the Body of Christ.

   Think about your church. Ponder what about it pleases God, and what must make God shudder, or chuckle. What can you do? And what can we do together, to make the church vibrant and holy?

James

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Sunday's sermon, which explored Luther and the Reformation, is on YouTube - and also can be read, heard or downloaded here.