The Ongoing Reformation
Earlier this year my wife and I had the privilege of travelling with friends through parts of Germany that were significant to the life of Martin Luther and the Reformation. In particular, we visited Luther’s house in Wittenberg, which is now a museum. One of our learnings was the role of Luther’s wife, Katharina von Bora, in the management of the monastery. She is often referred to as the first Lutheran business manager.
The main learning in visiting Luther’s house though, was regarding the Reformation, which began with Luther nailing his ninety-five theses (points of theology) to the door of the Wittenberg church on 31 October 1517. He invited public discussion over matters of faith and teaching which he believed did not truly reflect the Word of God. This was no smooth journey. There were robust discussions over many years and divisions within the church. Throughout the reformation journey though, Luther and his followers held tightly to the belief that nothing should hinder the clear proclamation of the Gospel,
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
Over 500 years later, we now talk about the ongoing Reformation. This is about asking ourselves, ‘What is it today that hinders the clear proclamation of the Gospel?’ For many people, that question has revolved around a second question which is, ‘Who is allowed to publicly proclaim the Word of God? Just men, or both men and women?’
At its recent General Convention, the Lutheran Church of Australia reformed its theology and practice to allow both men and women to publicly teach and proclaim the Word of God. This has been a rather long and highly emotive journey. There will be some who rejoice over the decision, and some who will lament it. Sadly, it will almost likely result in divisions within the Lutheran church. No matter which way you lean on the issue though, we all still agree and hold fast to the clear Gospel truth:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
We thank God that people will now be able to hear that Gospel truth publicly taught and proclaimed by both men and women. For many, this is significant in hearing the clear proclamation of the Gospel.
So, what’s next in the ongoing Reformation? What else is hindering the proclamation of the Gospel within your life and your community? Is it time? Is it the busyness of the day? Is it our lack of courage or willingness to take risks? Let’s be adventurous in exploring new ways of proclaiming the Gospel. Let’s be compassionate in opening our hearts and minds to the diversity of human perspectives and experiences to hear how God might be speaking to us through them. Let’s be relational as we discern our deep connections to God and all creation. And let’s be purposeful in endeavouring to understanding and living out the gifts that God has blessed us with.
