The New Life in Christ
Romans 12:1-2 (NRSVUE)
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
The date was October 31st, 1517, the place Wittenberg, Germany. In one hand, Martin Luther grasped a hammer, in the other, a long piece of paper covered with his writing. Luther walked out into the street and straight over to the Castle Church. There, he nailed the paper to the door. Was there an uprising at that moment? Did people run with pitchforks and torches in revolt? No! Community messages were often posted on the doors of the church, just like they used to be here in Oldtown. So Luther’s actions would not have seemed strange to anyone watching. The message on that paper, however, would change the world.
Friends, today I want us to understand that, though Martin Luther started the Reformation that day in Wittenberg, there have been hundreds, even thousands, of other reformers over the years that have continued that work. You see, though we say that the Reformation is five hundred and five years old, it is not something that was ever completed, but a process that has continued. For five hundred and five years, we have been working to reform the church, to make it better and stronger and more welcoming, and accessible to all, and we will continue to work to reform it until that day when Jesus’ prayer is answered and “All are One.”
Martin Luther’s initial protest was against something called “indulgences,” which were payments made to the church to secure divine mercy for the donor and/or the donor’s loved ones. So, in order to get your loved one into heaven, you had to pay money to the church, and it was often a hefty sum of money. Luther found this very upsetting because he knew that, as human beings, we are not saved by financial transactions. Actually, we aren’t saved by any of our efforts whatsoever. We are saved by the grace of God alone. Throughout Europe, in the 16th century, there were lots of other reforms or changes being made in the church, not just in doctrine or policy, but also in access and understanding. There were widespread translations of the bible into languages other than Latin so more people could read and interpret scripture, not just the trained priests. Congregational singing began–previously singing was only done by specialized choirs. And congregations began actually receiving Communion, both bread and wine, on a regular basis, when previously the sacrament was only shared with the congregation once a year, and only bread was received. You see, it was only the clergy that received the Eucharist on a regular basis.
For many of us, Reformation Sunday makes it easy to point fingers at the Roman Catholic Church and all of its flaws. But don’t forget that “when you point one finger at someone or something, there are three fingers pointing back at you.” Or, as Jesus said, “Don’t focus on the speck in your brother’s eye while ignoring the log in your own eye.” Friends, it is important for us to remember that as Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant Christians, none of us are perfect, and all of our churches have reforming work to do. Five hundred and five years ago, Martin Luther nailed his complaints to the church door because he felt as though the church had lost sight of the gospel and they were more focused on themselves and their rites, their rituals, their hierarchy, and their money. Luther was calling them to change and to return to simplicity while also swinging open the door and lengthening the table, allowing the common people to get involved in their own faith.
Friends, the truth is, we, like the church, are always reforming and changing and being made new. That is why our denomination, the United Church of Christ, encourages us to constantly listen for the voice of our Still Speaking God. Does that mean we always get it right? No. But it encourages us to be humble and to listen to God, making the best choices that we can, not for our own benefit, but for the justice and mercy of our neighbors and the world around us.
On Wednesday, I had lunch with my clergy colleagues from the Attleboro area. There were about twelve of us. I met the new priest at Grace Episcopal and the new rabbi at Agudas Achim. Besides that, the interfaith chaplain from Sturdy hospital was there, along with the regulars from the Covenant Church, the AME Church, the Baptist churches in the area, and several UCC pastors. We talked about frustrations that we had and the changes that we thought our denominations and our local churches needed. We even tried to brainstorm ways that we could better work together for the good of the overall faith of our Attleboro Area. The problem is, working together for the good of the overall faith in our community brings change and reform, not only to us as religious leaders but to our worshiping communities as well. And change and reform always sound exciting until it changes the way that we are used to doing things. Though we didn’t come to real decisions or even discuss plans for taking baby steps forward, it was encouraging to start the conversation and to hear that other churches were looking for new ideas too.
I have to tell you that I had originally put a picture of Martin Luther on the cover of today’s bulletin because when I thought about the Table of Reformation, I looked back to the old changes that were made. I thought about his 95 Theses and the Bible being translated into many more languages besides Latin, people being given hymnals and the permission to sing, and faith becoming more accessible for regular people. But after looking at pictures of my friend’s son’s wedding from last weekend and seeing this long farm table with lots and lots of chairs at it, I decided to make a change. Because if we are going to change and reform our churches and faith communities, it’s not going to come by looking back at old reformers and rehashing history. It’s going to come from lengthening our tables, pulling up more chairs, having more conversations, and inviting others to the party.
So, brothers and sisters in Christ, as you go out into your busy week ahead, I would encourage you to listen for the voice of our still-speaking God and imagine what it would be like if Jesus’ prayer that we all be one did come true. And then, if you feel called to make a change here at church or out in our community, remember to lengthen the table, pull up a few more chairs, have more conversations, and invite others to the party, assuring them that they belong for the same reason that you and I belong: because Jesus invited us, all of us!
My friends, may it be so. Thanks be to God, Amen!
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