First Lutheran Church
October 25, 2020 + Reformation Sunday
John 8:31-36 31Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?” 34Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. 36So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
“Reformation: Past, Present, Future”
Pastor Greg Ronning
Rooted in the past, living out our mission in the present, and growing into the future, the church must always be re-formed. In order to live out the love of Christ in an ever-changing world, the spirit and the work of “reformation” must be ongoing. Today we celebrate the reformation, “past, present, and future,” the Good News of God’s grace, the Spirit that is at work in us making all things new, and the Kingdom of God that is coming even now.
“Reformation Past – Luther’s Seal”
Most historians agree that one of the most important events of the millennium was Luther's nailing his 95 theses to the door of The Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, On October 31st in 1517. This simple invitation to engage in a theological debate, set in motion a series of events that would dramatically change Christianity, Europe, and the entire world. The ensuing Reformation was not just a religious event. It was a social, political, and economic revolution. It laid the intellectual framework that gave birth to the Enlightenment. The Reformation opened the door and gave birth to religious freedom, the scientific method, modern democracy, public education, the rise of individual consciousness, and an age of discovery. In many ways, the Reformation literally turned the world upside down!
I’d like to begin today by first remembering the theology of Marin Luther, the ideas that gave birth to the Reformation.
While a professor at Wittenberg University, Martin Luther designed a seal known as “Luther’s Rose,” which he declared was meant to be “expressing of his theology.” Luther wanted his seal to be a witness to God’s love for all of creation! In a letter to the man who painted the seal for Luther, Luther explains the meaning behind the design.
Luther writes, “Grace and peace from the Lord. As you desire to know whether my painted seal, which you sent to me, has hit the mark, I shall answer most amiably and tell you my original thoughts and reason about why my seal is a symbol of my theology.”
Luther explains, “The first thing expressed in my seal is a black cross within the heart, to put me in mind that faith in Christ crucified saves us.”
The cross is placed in a red heart. Luther points out, “Now, although the cross mortified, and intended to cause pain, it does not change the color of the heart; it does not destroy nature, it does not kill, but keeps alive. Faith causes love, joy, and peace to grow in the human heart.”
Luther introduces his rose, “Such a heart should stand in the middle of a white rose, to show that faith gives joy, comfort, and peace. In other words, it places the believer into a white, joyous rose, for this faith does not give peace and joy like the world gives. That is why the rose should be white and not red, for white is the color of the spirits and the angels.”
Luther points out the blue sky, “Such a rose should stand in a sky-blue field, symbolizing that such joy in spirit and faith is a beginning of the heavenly future joy, which begins already, but is grasped in hope, not yet revealed.”
Luther describes the last element in his seal, “And around this field is a golden ring, symbolizing that such blessedness in Heaven lasts forever and has no end. Such blessedness is exquisite, beyond all joy and goods, just as gold is the most valuable, most precious and best metal.”
Luther concludes the letter describing his seal, “This is the summary of my theology. I have wanted to show it to you in good friendship, hoping for your appreciation. May Christ, our beloved Lord, be with your spirit until the life hereafter. Amen.”
The theology of Luther, the theology behind the Reformation is grounded in the cross, “For God so loved the world.” A new covenant written not in stone, but forever on the heart, a covenant that cannot be broken. Expressed and experienced in a joy that brings about peace. Filled with hope that begins now and will last forever. A theology grounded in the grace, mercy, and unconditional love of God, - the gifts from God that are more precious than gold.
“Reformation Present – Truth”
So, what does Reformation 2020 look like? Is it just like the rest of 2020? Something we’d just as soon not look at, something we can’t wait to forget, something we just want to be over and done! For many of us 2020 feels like a year wasted, a year interrupted, a year on pause, a year to be forgotten. We just want 2020 to end, hoping that somehow 2021 will bring everything back to normal.
That’s what we all want, we just want it to end. Yet if we don’t take the time to look at 2020, to reflect on what 2020 taught us about life, to reflect on what 2020 taught us about faith and the church, it would be a really big mistake.
In many ways 2020 helped us see the truth; the truth about what is really important to us, the truth about what makes society work, the truth about our relationships with others, and the truth about church. This past year, in church circles, there has been a lot of discussion asking the question, “What about church is essential? “What are the essential activities of church?” And many of us are beginning to realize, that as much as we love gathering together in our sanctuary, as important as it is to gather together on Sunday mornings, Church is not just about Sunday morning, it’s not just about putting on a Sunday morning show! We’ve made a big deal about declaring that our church has never closed, that even though we have not gathered together in our sanctuary for over seven months, we are still open, we are still very much open, that we are still at work proclaiming and living out the gospel.
One thing that I learned in 2020 is how important it is to have a mission statement, a living mission statement that everyone believes, mission statement that sustains us and moves us forward even in difficult times. In 2017 we created a new mission statement for First Lutheran Church, “Called to be the Heart of Christ feeding our neighbors with Grace, Mercy, Love and Justice.” The abridged version, “The Church that feeds people.” And I believe that one of the reasons we are still going strong in the midst of this pandemic is because of our sense of mission. Deep down we know that church is not just about “us,” it’s not about keeping us entertained, it’s not about preserving our traditions and practices. Ultimately church is about loving and serving each other, and more importantly loving and serving our neighbors.
So, we continue to feed our neighbors, we provide meals and bags of groceries, but more importantly we serve, “grace, mercy, love, and justice.” We provide “Caring Hands” and caring hearts in a world that doesn’t always care, we live out the gospel for our neighbors who are really suffering during this pandemic. And we have found a way to continue to feed each other. We’ve been able to reach out to each other with phone calls, emails, and a few safe visits. We’ve been able to figure out the technology that allows us to “Zoom” into each other’s homes and hearts. We have been able to share the good news of the gospel with each other, and in doing so empowered each of us in our life together to live out our mission in downtown Fullerton.
In the Reformation Gospel Jesus proclaims, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 2020 has been an absolutely horrible year, and don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait till it ends. Yet I do believe 2020 has revealed some great truths for us to hold, truths about what is essential, truths about our mission, truths regarding our unique calling in this place; truths that we will want to hold onto as we make plans for the future. May these truths set us free to meet the challenges before us at the end of this pandemic, set us free to embraces the changes demanded by what will be a new normal, set us free to continue our work re-forming the church anew in every age, in every time, and in every place.
“Reformation Future – The Times They are a Changin’”
So, what does the Reformation hold for us in the future? To answer that question, I want to look back. I thought it would be fun to see what I had to say to you on the first Reformation Day I celebrated with you back in 2017! And on the day, I began with a song by Bob Dylan! Perhaps you remember …
Come gather ‘round people wherever you roam
And admit that the waters around you have grown
And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you; Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin’ or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a changin'.
It’s was true then, and whether we like it or not - now it’s especially true, “the times they are changing.” The Coronavirus Pandemic has in many ways accelerated the changes. We will never be returning to the old normal, on the other side of this pandemic will lie a new age, a new landscape, and perhaps new opportunities.
What will people be looking for on the other side? I have a feeling many people will be looking for community, a place to once again interact with people, share life with people, share meaning and purpose with people.
It is my hope and prayer that we might be ready for such an opportunity. It is my hope and prayer that we might be willing to make whatever changes might be deemed necessary to put ourselves in a position to share the gospel with our neighbors. In the past twenty-five years mainline churches have been in decline for a variety of reasons, perhaps when this current pandemic ends, there might be an a chance for us to re-form ourselves in ways that might be more engaging to the world around us while still holding firm to the truth of the Gospel.
St. Paul warned us about the necessity and inevitability of change, he writes in 2 Corinthians, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) If you follow Jesus, things are going to change! That’s the way it works, that’s how it works. And perhaps that’s a promise too, a promise that after this pandemic finally passes, though everything might change, though life may look different, God in Christ Jesus will still be present with us. Present in a new way, to meet the demands of a new day. May God grant each of us the faith and courage to also be present, to be open to the movement of the Spirit, the ongoing work the church, the body of Christ, the holy work of re-formation. “For the times they are a changing!’” Amen.