Is Reformation Relevant?
While Reformation Day is October 31st , because of the calendar, Lutheran churches will observe it on October 25th . In 1517, Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. Luther was a pastor and professor, and he was concerned with the pastoral implications of indulgences. These indulgences were being sold to finance the rebuilding of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. People who bought indulgences were promised remission of sins and a decrease of the time spent in purgatory. Luther was concerned that his congregants would put their trust in these indulgences, rather than Christ and his sacrificial death.
The question we need to ask is whether the Reformation is still relevant today. The church has changed a great deal since 1517. Many Protestant churches, Lutherans included, have strayed a great deal from the teachings of the Reformation. There is the desire on the part of many Protestants to be “relevant” to today’s world. They have a desire to “fit in” and to avoid offending the world.
It is precisely for this reason that the Reformation is still relevant. The Reformation stressed fidelity and faithfulness to the Word of God. One of the slogans of the Lutheran Reformation was “sola Scriptura”- Scripture alone. Our doctrine is drawn from Scripture and Scripture alone. The fact that large parts of the Christian church have departed from the Word of God shows that there is still a need to stress “sola Scriptura.”
Furthermore, the church is always in need for “reformation” because the church is made up of sinful people. We need to constantly focus on the teachings of the Bible, which are summarized in the Small Catechism. The devil seeks to tear Christians away from God’s Word, and so we need to cling all the more fiercely to Scripture. The church needs to constantly evaluate whether its teaching, preaching and worship are in agreement with Scripture. This is what the Reformation is about.
In Christ,
Rev. David L. Putz, Pastor
Holy Cross Lutheran Church (LCMS)
Crawfordsville, Indiana
Good things are happening at Holy Cross! Praise God for that. When we keep Word and Sacrament ministry at the heart of what we do, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is sown. As we share the Word, God gives the growth and we rejoice as humble stewards of the God who changes lives and hearts. Help us always, Lord, to keep Your Word at the center of our life together under your Holy Cross!
Please continue to pray for our congregation and each other. Don’t forget to visit our church website www.holycross-crawfordsville.org to find links for all our services on YouTube.