Wednesday Words
Reformation Sunday
October 25, 2023
Pastor Josh Ebener, Assistant to the Bishop

In her article reflecting on the 500th anniversary of the Reformation 6 years ago, Presiding Bishop of the ELCA Elizabeth Eaton wrote: “Bring in the extra brass. Fire up the choir. Sing the fight song (“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”). Dress in red. True believers will dress their kids up as Martin and Katie Luther for Halloween.  Binge-watch every Luther film and documentary. (I particularly liked Joseph (Fines) Fiennes as the young, hot Luther.) This is our year! (but then comes) Oct. 32nd.  …Now what?”

What do we do on October 32nd?  Where do we go from here? One temptation for Lutherans is to look back at the Reformation and say: Luther had it right, he fixed the problems.  “Lutherans are the best, all the other churches got it wrong.”

As we look at the Church, there are a lot of things we do well. What if instead we took Reformation Sunday as an opportunity to look at the Church through the eyes of a Reformer.

At the heart of the Protestant Reformation was the affirmation "ecclesia semper reformands, semper reformanda": "the church is always reformed, always reforming."  So the Reformation was not just something that happened, but it’s an ongoing thing.  Or in the words of Rick Steves: “The Reformation was more than a religious event.  It is part of the societal weave we call progress.  And progress comes out of struggle.  It’s all hard earned.  It isn’t always pretty.  But it is worth the trouble.”

Martin Luther said: "This life, therefore, is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness; not health, but healing; not being, but becoming; not rest, but exercise.  We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it.  The process is not yet finished, but it is going on; this is not the end, but it is the road.  All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified."

In the spirit of the Reformation, we recognize our need for change, and we pray that God would help us.

Gracious Father, we pray for your holy catholic church. Fill it with all truth and peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it; where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in need, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.