Tomorrow marks one of the grand turning-points in the history of Christianity: Reformation Day.
Though it was somehow overlooked in Tim Challies' roundup, we did a post last year on much Luthery goodness.
This year I ask: how will you mark the day?
As long as we've been a family, we've sought to show October 31 as special for ourselves and our children. Our conviction is that "Halloween" is another religion's holiday, and we don't observe it. But the Reformation — ah, that's worth celebration.
(In passing, it's funny to me that so many churches in non-agricultural settings have a "Harvest Festival." That's certainly better than the world's dark party, but... don't they know about the Reformation? Aren't they glad it happened? Don't they want their folks to know about it?)
So Dr. Martin Luther has "visited" our children pretty much from the start. The lights are dimmed, there's a fire in the fireplace, a thunderstorm is playing on the stereo...and in comes Dr. Luther, humming Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott. The good doctor then explains to the little kinder the story of his life, and particularly how he came to discover the great and free grace of God in Christ.
He also tells the story of the big debate he started, when he wrote out his one... no, fourteen... no thirty-seven... no, ninety-three... ninety-four... ninety-five things-to-argue-about.
And then, to show how sweet the Gospel is, he gives them candy.
[Update: being in Glory seemed to do something to Dr. Luther's German accent. In early years, it had a definite Oriental cast to it. He sounded less like Martin the Monk, and more like Ming the Merciless. But he evidently worked on it ("for the children"), and now is much more authentic.]
The kids feel so sorry for me, though. They know how much I admire Martin Luther, but I'm never there to meet him.
So we've always done that as a family. Then three years ago, we opened our house to our church, and everyone came over to share the Phillips family's celebration. It was a hit, praise God. We did it again last year.
Then this year, since the church has a "permanent" building, the Phillips family's celebration is being held at church. Lots of people have signed up to come. We roast the papal bull, we have a diet of Worms, we sing the Reformation Polka, and just generally have a wonderful time.
How do you mark October 31?
161 comments:
"How do you mark October 31?"
Door to door asking, "Grace or Indulgences? Smell my feet. Give me something good to eat."
I think I'll break out my copy of the movie "Luther" and then wonder about whether or not we need a new reformation after 490 years or an old reformation that's only 490 years old?
Ah, yes. We watched that last night. Good movie!
Grace or indulgences... that's a good one.
Dan, thanks so much for this! It's such a great idea staring us all in the face. I don't have a family yet, but you may have just influenced a Riccardi-family tradition!
Thanks brother.
I thought before I answered this, I'd better read Luther's 95 theses, and I came upon this gem, the 62nd thesis:
"The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God."
Amen and amen!
My celebration of it was going to be incidental—going to our weekly prayer breakfast to pray for the church, its members, and others in need, because we're in a priesthood of all believers; then continue working on our new conference blog, so that we can encourage pastors to preach and teach "the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God"—and know nothing "except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
I write this not to boast, but out of amazement of what the Holy Spirit is doing in this sinner, by the grace of God alone. And at this point in my journey, any testimonial is an indirect thanks to TP for helping to keep me on the narrow path.
In the end, I think I like Johnny Dialectic's answer better, though.
Sewing (cuz you'll always be Sewing, by the way),
You should really work on those proofreading skills, brother! Hit that preview button!
Halloween has become the second most expensive holiday of the year next to Ramadamakwanzamus. More and more houses are decorating in ghoulishness, starting in late September!
ghoul:1. somebody morbidly interested in repulsive things: somebody who is morbidly fascinated with death, disaster, or repulsive things
2. paranormal evil spirit: a supposed evil and terrifying spirit
3. Islam body-snatching demon: in Islamic folklore, an evil demon that eats freshly buried bodies, and often abducts children or attacks unwary travelers
This could be a discription of the popular media.
If that graphic of the pope bursts into flames, I'm outta here.
Several years ago I began buying humongamous candeho bars. I wrap them with tracts. Yeah, it is just another wrapper but what a rap. Who knows? Someone might read something good about the day. I would like to find some Reformation Day tracts, got any suggestions? You think maybe Hallmark?
If the pope was green, would he be doing an old Jedi mind trick, or force choke? Or speak to the hand?
Unfortunately, as a Single Adult Bible study leader, I've been conscripted into running a booth at our church's non-agrarian harvest festival. (It's almost as if the universal feeling is, "Singles? Pheh! It's not like they have anything BETTER to do!") I keep telling myself, "Serve the Body by loving the kids. Serve the Body by loving the kids..."
I was wondering if it is a sin to prank the Catholic church by posting the 95 Theses on their door and ringing the doorbell while hiding in the bushes?
I handed out Reformation Day Cards at Church on Sunday, and will also do so at our Mens Bible Study tomorow morning
Needless to say, most people think I am strange.
Mike: I actually ended up posting the same comment three times—I wanted to edit it, but in the end decided to let it stand. There is still one error, though: one "of" should be an "at."
In twenty years of attending a SBC church I never heard of Reformation day. It was only having become a pariah, being infected by a DoG bite, that I started to understand the significance of this day, and understand why the Roman church, and question why the bulk of protestantism obscures it.
A question my daughter asked. Is there any significance to the date in reference to indulgences, and that is why this day was picked to post on the Whittenberg door?
Spurgeonwannabe: Choose a church named after Augustine. I'm sure they won't get the irony, though.
"I was wondering if it is a sin to prank the Catholic church by posting the 95 Theses on their door and ringing the doorbell while hiding in the bushes?"
How about a mailer to every Catholic priest and bishop?
Dan:
It seems even God's people don't realize this is a holy day of man's religion; we are to have no fellowship with the works of darkness but rather reprove them.
LoM: I was wondering the same thing. A couple of the theses seem to suggest that the Pope had temporarily suspended the sale of indulgences. Help, anyone?
EVERY time I see a comment deleted by the author, I know the next comment will be by S. Ewing.
(c;
Tomorrow night, as I do every year on this date, I will turn off all lights, lock the patio gate, and enjoy a leisurely dinner at a local restaurant.
However, the "Reformation Day" celebration sounds like a wonderful idea. With some advanced notice for next year, perhaps I could start a tradition!
A Musician by Grace
A good way to celebrate, and a good conviction as well.
Thanks for Sharing.
Have you ever heard the song by Wes King, "Martin Luther"?
It's a good one to listen to on this day i would think, as well as "A Mighty Fortress is Our God", which is a marvelous hymn of course.
Careful, Dan..
You risk being accused of necromancy.
Hey..hey..I'm kidding. Okay? Yeesh.
I'd say about, oh, 40% of the evangelical church now considers Reformation Day to have been either a mistake, or something that was justified in the 16th century, that served its purpose and now needs to be set aside, as Rome and Protestantism come together.
I don't believe any of that, but of course that's the big idea these days from self-styled "serious christian thinkers" such as at www.ekklesiaproject.org and lots of other ivory-tower societies.
I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. Thank God for Luther (even though I'm not sure he'd be totally pleased with where Lutheranism has gone since his time).
On another related note - I once encouraged a youth pastor to play post the 95 Theses like pin the tail on the donkey. Viva la Reformation!
spurgeonwannabe:
Go ahead do the posting thing. Just get Mrs. Spurgeonwannabe to film it for you, and you can show it to us the next time you're in town.
We celebrate "Kid's Day" at the Batty household. Usually chicken nuggets and some Barbie movie. The boys are old enough this year, though, to put an ax (so to speak) through the Barbie movie. Reformation Day, though, sounds nice. I could get into that. I didn't know it was the 31st, though I keep them 95 Thesis in my Palm Pilot for reading and reflection.
I was planning on eating wings. But, in honour of Reformation Day, I will eat 95 of them, and then promptly throw up on the door to the local Catholic diocese.
In honor of Reformation Day, I am going to go with a 100% Diet of Worms.
I'm sure glad it's only a day, and not an entire week.
I've only done preliminary fact-checking, but as far as I can tell, the RCC still practices indulgences, although to a much lesser degree than in Luther's day.
Our daughter was born on Oct. 31 of last year, so this date has simply become Olivia's birthday.
For Reformation Day, Ligonier is offering the Reformation Study Bible for $15.00 (Wednesday only).
Chris,
If you're going to eat wings, make sure they come from a friar, and not from a lay chicken.
Stratagem
ba dum bum
My best friend from high school, who recently entered Catholic Seminary, has October 31st for a birthday.
I pray that God uses that this year or down the road to awaken him.
As far as Reformation Day goes, we are doing the tried-and-true tracts with candy routine!
Given the Emergent Church's disdain for the Reformation, and love for the medieval and syncretistic, me wonders if any of them will hold a Wicker Man ritual on October 31, followed by some form of communion afterward?
See what happens when my mind begins wandering? I'm just a poor wayfaring stranger.
djp: If you thought those reformation jokes were corny, then I probably shouldn't tell you that I've christened my car Junker Jorg for the day.
Oops, I let it slip...
Getting back to Lordodamanor's question, is there any significance to Luther's posting (in the old-fashioned sense of the word) the 95 theses on October 31st? Did it have something to do with All Saints' Day? If indulgences were sold on the basis that saints had built up a collective reservoir of superfluous merit that could be transferred to others, would All Saints' Day have been considered to be a day overflowing with superabundant saintly merit???
(Maybe this is too much of a stretch....)
Dan:
This is wonderful and something, I'm ashamed to admit, I've never thought of doing. Especially alarming as I was raised Lutheran. BAH!
Here's my question, which I pray you can answer quickly...
Any tips on how to introduce Reformation Day to a five year-old? We are home schoolers so I can incorporate it. I'm just not sure how to tell the story on a five year-old level.
Any tips?
jules
Everyday Mommy
The Cartoonist's Wife
Until this post, I was thinking of being an Emergent for Halloween.
I'd get a tight striped shirt from Aeropostale, some brown corduroys, and a latte cup from Starbucks. Probably a piercing or two, as well. And when people asked me Trick or Treat, I'd tell them that I can't really be certain.
I was raised Indy-Fundy Baptist, and have been in many other churches and I had not heard of Reformation Day until this year. Last year I came across the date for the 95 Theses and then my wife had a friend who taught her kids about the Reformation for Halloween.
So this year we are watching the 2003 version of "Luther" and we will be discussing it with our 3 kids. Then tomorrow night we will go out to dinner and have a family night as we have over the years when we haven't been in a church with a Harvest Festival.
If you all want to have some fun, you should go to the Facebook Group, "Calvinism, the group that chooses you" and join in the discussions on Halloween and whether or not we as Christians should participate. It, of course, has gotten very heated, because well, some just really want that candy
Spurgeonwannabe:
Every year, a few sneaky sophomores from my Baptist alma mater run down the road to the Catholic university we play in basketball and affix a copy of the 95 Theses to the abbey door. It's tradition now.
Luckily, the Catholics know it's all in good fun. :-)
Grace,
I am surprised they didn't send a papal bull to the students in response.
Papal bull. Hmmmm. There's something ironic in that term, isn't there?
"And when people asked me Trick or Treat, I'd tell them that I can't really be certain."
Now, that is funny!
Lay chicken. Lay egg. Comes first, which one did? mergent, mergent, mergent, emergency.
A papal bull. Well, it wouldn't matter. We're the Bison, so I think the papal bull would lose in a fair fight. ;-) Teehee!
They also have a Reformation Day celebration and sing a bunch of Luther's hymns every year. I never got to go, but I heard they've even gone "Reformation caroling" in the neighborhood where most of the professor's live.
And the best part of the prank is that the copy of the 95 Theses they use comes from the class notebook for our Western Civilization course. I keep waiting for a monk to catch one of them. They know it's us!
Don't forget the 1953 Martin Luther movie... sure, it's wordy and all old-fashioned-like, but I think it does a better job by far of representing Luther's passion for saving faith and taking a stand on theological issues than the recent movie does. It also can be seen by kids with no regrets (though they'll probably doze off or run off, pretty heady stuff).
The only thing that sticks in my memory from learning about the Reformation in our grade 9 Humanities (yup...) class many aeons ago was "Diet of Worms."
He also tells the story of the big debate he started, when he wrote out his one... no, fourteen... no thirty-seven... no, ninety-three... ninety-four... ninety-five things-to-argue-about.
Nobody expects the Protestant Reformation!!
Our two chief arguments are non-sacramental repentance, death to self, and forgiveness from God alone... our three chief arguments...
Was Luther considered unkind?
Did he start by writing some positive thesis?
Great post. You had me cracking up. I can just imagine Luther showing up in our house. I think my husband will really enjoy it too. His favorite hymn, being raised Missouri-Synod Lutheran is "A Mighty Fortress." I can hardly wait to hear his German accent.
I haven't introduced the Reformation to our children yet, but like the idea, Dan. Thanks! So far, our family has just gone down the big candy bar/tract route to evangelize our neighborhood.
everyday mommy,
You might like this book of ideas to celebrate Reformation night, check it out on
http://www.doorposts.net/
everyday mommy,
Just start doing it. What-a-kids know anyway. There's lots of good fodder here in this thread for ideas.
I was looking up holocaust cloaks. You know, it is a reflection of the final conflagration with the scythe and all. But, I am not so sure you would want to dress up that way. You could explain the significance of the harvest idea and weave back into the Feast of Tabernacles after a jaunt through Revelation and all for background. Then bring out the Franken-stein filled with bubbly, your choice for conscience sake, and tell Reformation jokes in a reenactment of a White Horse Inn scene. Eat some brauts with kraut, sing some Luther, pass out Providence cookies filled with theses quotes, play a polka on the glauk. Laugh a lot in joy of the grace of the Lord of the Harvest. You know, the everyday things that we take for granted. I do like the movie idea, but top it all off with Charlie Brown and the Great Pumkin so your kids don't think you lost all the sense they thought you had left.
"How do you mark October 31?"
The young couples in our church have started a new tradition affectionately know as "Luther-ween". We will gather to praise God for what He has done for His glory throught the Reformation, eat some good food, and watch the movie "Luther". As the pastor I always encourage our people to avoid the devil's day by boycotting Halloween, and honor God by celebrating the Reformation Day instead.
P.S. This year may really be interesting. Someone has invited a young catholic man to come. May He see God's grace in the Gospel and in us!
Soli Deo Gloria
Papal bull. Hmmmm. There's something ironic in that term, isn't there?
I think it was the Medievel equivalent of the modern "poop from the pope" phrase.
and (sniff) no one got my Junker Jorg joke. I'm really insecure and was looking for affirmation of my personal worth as a human being, here!
Stratagem:
Clearly you have a subtler and more sophisticated sense of humour than the rest of us.
How's that for affirmation? ;)
Regarding the timing of Luther's nailing his theses on the door:
Not 100% sure, but it being the day before "All Saints' Day" sounds kind of familiar - it seems to me that there is some sort of connection there.
Was going to make a crack about a diet of gummy worms, but right now I'm leaning more towards Swedish fish - saw a huge bag of them at Wal-Mart the other day.
Given that there's All Saints and All Souls day right on top of each other, with the accompanying teachings about those in purgatory, I am quietly confident that Luther was rather deliberate about his timing.
I've caused unintentional argument before now for wishing other Christians 'Happy Reformation Day!' because it is a cause of division etc. Ho hum.
Now, Dan, about this man that comes visiting once a year with goodies for your children...
"How do you mark October 31?"
Probably watch der Lutherflik (again), and score a(nother) copy of the Reformation Study Bible for cheap, for when mine wears out.
Alas, I suspect not too many in my generic evangelical congregation know or care about Reformation Day.
Stefan, thanks, Bro. Now I can go home with my humanity affirmed!
I still can't believe that no one remembers Junker Jorg, especially on reformation day.
Spurgeonwannabe said...
I was wondering if it is a sin to prank the Catholic church by posting the 95 Theses on their door and ringing the doorbell while hiding in the bushes?
Mike Riccardi said...
Until this post, I was thinking of being an Emergent for Halloween....And when people asked me Trick or Treat, I'd tell them that I can't really be certain.
You two are KILLING ME!! Thanks for making me smile.
Awesome way you celebrate Reformation day!
This year a friend is celebrating his birthday (on the 31st) with a "Refoween" party. The best costume for the event is a burnt reformer. I apologise if you find that in bad taste.
Mike Riccardi,
I work at a Christian College, and thanks to your inspiration, will in fact be going as an "emergent" tomorrow. I'm going to tape the Po-Motivators to my shirt, carry the "bible" (McLaren, et al), and an empty beer bottle. I'll respond without using anything remotely declarative.
The sad thing is that I'm fairly sure only the professors will get the joke. It'll still be worth it.
Wow, the rotating masthead graphic just featured a whole mariachi band. How do you guys come up with this stuff!?
Dan: liked your update on the vagaries of Lutherman's accent....
My SBC congregation learned of Reformation Day for the first time last Sunday, and got an earful about Imputation from Romans 4.
At home, we watch the 1950's Luther movie, and the tradition is that as Luther approaches the climatic end of his "Here I stand" speech, we all get up off the couch and stand with him. I'm normally crying by this time, which should not be considered mandatory.
One thing that I didn't ask before, Dan, is what you do when the doorbell rings 184 times.
This thread is hilarious!
Love the idea of putting the 95 theses on the RCC door. Well, I'm doing the next best thing. I am wearing my gray "Luther is my Homeboy" T-shirt (worth the $22 it cost me from oldlutheran.com - no; I'm not a Lutheran) while passing out candy and Gospel tracts to the predominantly Roman Catholic neighborhood children. Since we live in New England, where nobody talks to their neighbors anyway, it shouldn't pose too much of a problem.
Two points I want to make just for trivia's sake:
1) Yes, the RCC still "does" indulgences, they're just more under the radar. While sitting in chapel in my Catholic elementary school, circa 1984, I was incredibly relieved by the indulgence promised to me on the back of my St. Joseph "holy picture" - I would never burn to death or be burned by flames if I said the prayer on the back, followed by a certain number of Our Fathers. They were much more prolific in my mother's generation, though, pre-Vatican II. But they're still around.
2) My 4-year-old son goes to Christian preschool in a Lutheran church. I've read their monthly church newsletter, and have seen a great deal about environmentalism and interfaith hospitality, but thus far, nothing approaching the Gospel of salvation. I read some of the pastor's sermon transcripts online, and he once got an entire message on recycling our trash out of the theme "freedom in Christ".
This, however, tops them all: on their "Church Happenings" bulletin board, they are plugging contemplative spiritual practices at a local Catholic "holistic spiritual center", where you can learn to meditate, walk a labyrinth, and make "prayer beads". It caught my eye only because the promotional poster showed a photo of a woman sitting in a yoga position and a graphic of a labyrinth juxtaposed with a Bible. I was texting a fellow fundie friend of mine at the time, and commented that Luther would be spinning in his grave. All the more reason to know about the Reformation, celebrate it, and stand for Biblical convictions.
[Doing my best Homer Simpson impression] "Mmmmmmmm. Papal buuuuull."
I, too, wonder why more churches don't make big deal out of Reformation Day.
trinian:
"Nobody expects the Protestant Reformation...."
aaaaahh,yes, an old Python fan, to be sure.
a great thread, this.....
My church has an extra special Reformation celebration every year.
Maybe, instead of posting the 95 theses on the Catholic churches, someone ought to write a new 95 theses and start posting them on the doors of these emergent churches popping up on every street corner.
Maybe, instead of posting the 95 theses on the Catholic churches, someone ought to write a new 95 theses and start posting them on the doors of these emergent churches popping up on every street corner.
This actually happened. I remember seeing it on Slice but the archives are gone now and I can't find it in Google. I don't think the nailed them, just sent them via mail (or maybe used some enviromentally safe tape or something :) )
For the record. Harvest party this year, and probably something to do with the reformation next year.
My pastor is giving a lecture on William Tyndale in celebration of Reformation Day.
Andrew Jones, the tall, skinny Kiwi, has done his own post for Reformation Day. Needless to say, I don't agree with all of his conclusions, especially the one where he says the Reformation was largely over financial issues.
Everyone has such different spins on things....
A) "In passing, it's funny to me that so many churches in non-agricultural settings have a "Harvest Festival." That's certainly better than the world's dark party, but... don't they know about the Reformation? Aren't they glad it happened? Don't they want their folks to know about it?"
I'm the youth minister at a nice country/agricultural church. The more I promoted a Reformation Party the more confused looks I got. I probably told half the church about what Luther did. I told another quarter why Dr. King had nothing to do with it.
So, I can scientifically say, without a shadow of a doubt, that 50% of Christians don't know about the reformation at all. That's science. Someone else will have to research the ML versus MLK corollary.
B) So many puns in here. Puns are the Devil's humor. Certainly not Punny.
I've also spoken of Oct 31st as "Reformation Day," and I used to think I really liked Luther. But recently I was shocked to learn he had said so many horrific things about the Jews. I had no idea there was potentially such a strong connection between his later years teachings and the attitude of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. Your idea about a "Reformation Day" type party sounds fun, but I just don't know how to approach anything Luther did or said without a lingering feeling of disgust. Anyone who wants to share how they are resolving this conflict in their own minds can feel free to jot me a note... I'd be very interested to know. (anna.banana@evangelismstuff.com) Thanks, and God bless.
Yes, we jot notes right here in the comment thread, and here's mine:
When "Dr. Luther" appears every year, after setting some historical context, he stresses his own bondage to sin, and how he found freedom through the free grace of God in Christ. He glorifies the gospel of grace alone by faith alone in Christ alone, and sola Scriptura.
Then he says that he went on to do and say other things that he now regrets, in Heaven, but he still glorifies God's grace in forgiving him, a sinner.
It's amazing that nobody knows what the reformation was? Mention Martin Luther and it's just crickets and blank stares!
We celebrate by putting kiddie tracts in bags with candy and letting the world come to us for a change!
It helps that we staple good chocolate candy bars to large tracts for the parents! Nobody can pass up chocolate!
Hey, Anna
I did a 6 week study on the reformers and the solas. For teens I dealt with it like I would anything else, at face value. We marked him off as another sinner who didn't have it all together, in spite of the good he did.
I'm going to church now to spray paint the Wittenberg Door on blue Styrofoam so we can throw darts at balloons we attach to them. I still feel pretty good about that idea.
It cannot be doubted that the Reformation is still needed.
And Rome still hasn't gotten the picture and still offers indulgences.
Anna Banana,
See here under the "Luther and the Jews" section for a good rundown of that question.
This sounded like a wonderful idea :) Thanks for helping to get the wheels turning in my own mind as to how my husband and I can use this time of year to teach our own of the many lives sacrificed and intense persecution of those days; as God was moving in the hearts of men and women to preserve His gospel and His Bride.
In addition to a Diet of Worms, has anyone considered...
A Tetzel Pretzel?
:-)
As for me, the reformed churches in our area have a reformation day service this evening. I expect that afterward I'll get a chance to re-tell my Uncle Remus pastiche, "The Tale of Brer Martin and Brer Pope".
As opposed to everyone here that's gonna hide in their holier than thou houses I'm actually gonna do something creative.......Go trick or treating with my kids and meet the neighbors! Wow, that's inventive. This is the only night neighborhoods across the country don't pull into the garage, roll up the driveway and hide in their caves for the night. Why would anyone pass up an opportunity to be out in the community like this? Everyone of you pulling farther away from your neighbors are knocking Martin Luthers work back a few steps everytime you turn out the lights and lock the doors. I think he'd be ashamed of all of you.
Thanks for the BIBLICAL guilt trip DC
Jesus is ashamed that you only witness once a year.
"Holier than thou," DrummerChris?
Chalk one up for yet another who completely misses the point. For starters, read Deuteronomy 18 and you just might get a glimpse of why Christians have a problem with occult holidays. If you're looking for an excellent witnessing opportunity, try handing out an evangelistic tract along with the candy you hand out.
Drummer Chris,
As someone who choses to take out kids trick-or-treating, I can't recall that anyone here ever said the doing that is bad. Only that they've chosen not to.
Is it wrong to celebrate the Reformation rather than Halloween, as you've insinuated? Hardly. In fact I think forgetting the Reformation in favour of a pagan/Catholic holiday (which is like saying pagan/pagan) would be a mistake.
For my part, since we have recently move into the country, Halloween is not community event and so I see my family potentially, gradually replacing it with only a Reformation celebration, but that'll be our choice, not a mandate.
Incidentally, do you really think that Luther would be ashamed of Christians dumping a pagan/Catholic holiday in favour of remembering the day the gospel began to be reclaimed and the "church" being called to account for hiding it for so long?
Get a grip, please. Legalism in either direction is still legalism methinks.
It is kind of funny. Trying to shame Christians for not participating in an unambiguously pagan holiday.
Novel!
"How do you mark October 31?"
I don't mark it for anything, even for "Reformation day." It's certainly not when the Reformation started. Quite frankly, the whole "Reformatation Day" thing seems like yet another cheesy practice of the Christian subculture that we hear about year after year. It also seems like a propaganda campaign among those who always speak well of the Reformers and almost never criticize them for their serious faults (Sproul strikes me that way). Isn't it the case that many of us on this blog would have been put to death back then as "anabaptists"?
Don't get me wrong. I am Calvinistic (but also baptistic) and adhere to the 5 solas and all that. My blog is also loaded with quotes by Reformational theologians. It's just that "Reformation Day" seems just as cheesy to me as wearing a "Christian" T-Shirt, like one that says such an such theologian is my "home boy."
npdwgydTony,
I've also often considered that what I (and most believers that I know) would have been, at minimum, thrown out of the church by Luther. Witness his reaction to Zwingli regarding the nature of Lord's Supper. I don't think he saw eye to eye with Calvin on various things as well.
And yet, their reaction to him is instructive to us I think. For all his (and other's) faults and theological inconsistencies, Zwingli still held him in high regard. Calvin said "Though he call me a dog, I will still call him Father" (or something very close to that).
So my take on Reformation Day would be to celebrate and remember the good that was at least begun in earnest (although it began earlier than that day, it really took off then) and recall that, for all their faults, the willingness to toss dissenters out of the church came out of a love for the gospel and a recognition of it's supreme importance, not a desire to maintain power over people.
They had faults, (wanting me dead, were I around then among them) but they were used of God to do a mighty thing.
That's why I think the day should be remembered, in whatever fashion we chose.
"npdwgydTony" ????
Who is that???
I meant Tony, of course.
(Preview Daryl, preview, you CAN do it...)
Hi Daryl,
I believe we can all acknowledge and appreciate the fact that God used the Reformers to bring vital biblical truths back into focus. But why have a Reformation "Day"? It's mostly just an alternative to Halloween events. To me, it just seems as cheesy as wearing a "Luther is my homeboy" T-Shirt as an alternative to wearing a Nike shirt. To borrow an expression of Doug Wilson, it's like "Christian nerds" trying to do something different on Halloween in the Christian ghetto.
Typos...grrr
But why have a Reformation "Day"?
Golly, if only someone would write a post on that.
"npdwgydTony"
I just figured out what that was, Daryl. "npdwgyd" was your word verification that was accidentally typed into your comment area lol
I do find it rather, uhm, odd that so much energy is put into celebrating the largest church split in history.
Between that and Luther's anti-Semitism, I'm not sure which is scarier - the Martin costume or the Freddy Krueger costume - at least Freddy is fictitious...
wait wait wait - you dress up like Luther, Santa Claus style?
Tony,
You said "It's mostly just an alternative to Halloween events."
So what?
Was not Christmas at one time just that, an alternative to Saturnalia?
The difference, of course, is that, regarding the Reformation, October 31 actually means something and isn't an arbitrary date like, say, Decemeber 25.
Just because the two dates coincide, and we might risk looking silly to our culture, is that a reason not to celebrate it? Find someone in the culture that wouldn't find a Reformation Day to be a silly thing on ANY day at all.
I think Doug Wilson's expression betrays a little bit of judging things by the worlds standards, rather than the gospel's.
Just some thoughts...
DJP,
Do you also practice Nicea Day? Chalcedon Day? If not, why not? :-) Is it partly because they wouldn't involve dates that fall on Halloween, and thus would not serve to function as an alternative to something else going on in our culture?
Chris L,
The reformation was no church split, it was a calling out of the church from a pagan institution that happened to be using Christian terminologies.
Daryl,
Just to put things in context, Doug Wilson originally used that "Christian nerds" expression for some who wish to join the cultural postmodern party just to seem "cool." I used the expression for those who seem like oddballs in a ghetto on October 31. They strike me as the cheesy Christian T-Shirt wearers.
Daryl said:
"The reformation was no church split, it was a calling out of the church from a pagan institution that happened to be using Christian terminologies."
But is that what Luther himself thought, even on Oct. 31st???
Incidentally, I agree that the Reformation wasn't a "church split." It involved some genuine believers coming out of an ungodly and idolatrous institution (a non-church) that had forsaken the gospel and the ultimate authority of God's word. Such a "split" or separation is necessary for any faithful disciple of Christ.
Chris L, I imagine that must be how it looks to anyone who doesn't care about the Gospel.
Tony, perhaps you could write about the creative means you undertake to celebrate the great truths marked on those days, as I've done regarding this day?
"But is that what Luther himself thought, even on Oct. 31st???"
Tony,
I suspect not, although I don't doubt that when it became clear that Rome would reject all of his reforms, he did believe that. How could he not?
DJP,
What about Dort Day? Do you practice that as well? :-) I propose that we creatively plant TULIPs in our neighbors gardens when they're not looking (we should be sure to wear 'Calvin is my homeboy' T-Shirts as we do it), particularly if they are known to be free-willers lol jk
Dan,
You wrote:
I imagine that must be how it looks to anyone who doesn't care about the Gospel.
Please.
Just because someone doesn't share your perspective doesn't mean they don't "care about the Gospel".
I care deeply about the Gospel and its being lived out, and I agree that the RCC had become quite corrupt, though I would not refer to it as 'pagan' - it's up to God to determine if they are so far off the rails that it's a damnable offense.
Still, the Reformation is nothing to "celebrate", per se. Sackcloth and ashes over its necessity would be more appropriate... And the fact that many have just replaced one systematic theology with one of another flavor, makes it all the more sad...
To be accurate, if you're going to dress up as Luther - after you hand out your candy, shouldn't you go down the street and run your Jewish neighbors out of the subdivision?
Burn down their synagogues, forbid all that I enumerated earlier, force them to work, and deal harshly with them, as Moses did…
If this does not help we must drive them out like mad dogs.
-Martin Luther
On Nicea Day:
We could plant three leaf clovers wherever possible, while wearing "Athanasius is my Homeboy" T-shirts. We could do this on March 17th.
Is the Catholic Church pagan? Isn't that like the old phrase Is the pope polish? (though I suppose today it's german)
Unless I have missed something the RCC is the Spirit of Antichrist and Pagan to the core and a damnable heresy which will send millions of people to hell assuring them of their salvation by works - but I am being too subtle here
Careful Chris, you're coming about as close to saying "I've never understood what the reformation was about" as one can get without actually saying it...
What do you imagine it to have been about?
Further to that, if sack-cloth and ashes over the necessity of the reformation is appropriate, does that mean you mourn and wear sack-cloth for Christmas and Easter? After all, were it not for our deadness in sin those would not have been necessary either.
PS we are not Lutherites but someone who is pro-catholic church can't understand this because they are papists
Spurgeonwannabe,
Therein lies the beauty of the reformation (in part) for which Catholic willingly say of the Pope "He's made some grevious errors, nonetheless he is used by God"?
I think none.
Further to that, if sack-cloth and ashes over the necessity of the reformation is appropriate, does that mean you mourn and wear sack-cloth for Christmas and Easter?
Let's see:
Christmas (the meaning, not Dec. 25th) - the coming of Christ to earth. Celebrate or mourn? Celebrate.
Easter - Jesus' resurrection and victory over sin. Celebrate or mourn? Celebrate.
Reformation Day - The day on which the Catholic (Universal, not Roman) church was split out of necessity to move directionally toward proper orthodoxy and orthopraxy.
As far as the RCC as the "Spirit of Antichrist" goes, I think I'll leave that one up to God...
Careful Chris, you're coming about as close to saying "I've never understood what the reformation was about" as one can get without actually saying it...
It's a good paraphrase...
I just get so depressed when I think about how I could be paying the church to save me from the punishment due my sins, instead of resting in the finished work of Christ.
Oh, and Chris, I sure hope you keep a careful note of your sins so that people can wheel them out to show what a fallible human you were in a few hundred years time.
" Spurgeonwannabe said...
On another related note - I once encouraged a youth pastor to play post the 95 Theses like pin the tail on the donkey. Viva la Reformation!"
Hey, I've gotta remember that one!
Chris said:
--
Let's see:
Christmas (the meaning, not Dec. 25th) - the coming of Christ to earth. Celebrate or mourn? Celebrate.
Easter - Jesus' resurrection and victory over sin. Celebrate or mourn? Celebrate.
Reformation Day - The day on which the Catholic (Universal, not Roman) church was split out of necessity to move directionally toward proper orthodoxy and orthopraxy.
--
Try this:
Reformation Day:
The day the rediscovery of the gospel which saves began in earnest, after being hidden for so many years by a hopeless pagan religion which required the people work their way to heaven.
The day the grace of God was championed over against the controlling power of imperialist Rome over the populace.
The day the church began to separate herself from the doctrines of devils which had obscured here and mislead her for so many years.
Celebrate or mourn? Celebrate.
Daryl — that (Christmas as a pagan holiday) is actually a popular misconception.
djp,
Thanks man, today I have learned something.
I'll be sure and not roll that one out again...
ynottony-
ynot,
What is wrong with celebrating history? We are not celebrating the persons, though we remember them. We certainly do not need, another liturgical calendar day either. If there is a day or days we should celebrate it would be the incarnation and the atonement. On the other hand, Reformation Day is a curiously deficiently recognized historic event and the question that should be asked is: why?
Look, you like to pick at the negative as if it brings balance. So pick this: Why isn't the Reformation a central consideration of the Protestant movement today? Could it be that the central truths of Luther and Calvin are in the mainstream rejected, like maybe the bondage of the will and human depravity, as well as limited atonement? I think that you stumble here not recognizing either Luther's or Calvin's view of the immutability of God and conflate their understanding of universal aspects of the atonement with the necessity of God's foreknowledge limiting it, mixing apples and oranges. But, I digress... This is perhaps the bitter point of your disgust?
And, by the way, it is not that we magnifiy one aspect of certain teachers over the other in deference to the individual, but in deference to truth. Why confuse the issues as you are wont to do, and as you are doing here? There is a time and a place for that conversation. That is why we recognize the truth of history and do not take lightly the errors of the Reformers. That is why we are Reformed and ever reforming, as the saying goes.
Yeah, it might be another cheesy holiday and does not correctly reflect when the reformation started. So what? Should be divided over the difference between the definitions of Protestation and Reformation, or can we unify over the generic sense in which this word is used to express the rejection of Catholic apostasy? This day is historically recognizable as a watershed event which changed the complex of all of European history and determined the pathway of the establishment of the United States. So, though it may be technically inaccurate, so is Christmas. How would you have us celebrate it? Or not at all? I favor the Spring with the advent so that we would celebrate birth, life, death and resurrection as a complete package instead of it being disjointed. Spring because he is the Firstfruits of all creation, Spring because it was then that the Lord visited Israel with bread in the city of Bread, Bethlehem, in the book of Ruth, Spring because he was dedicated during the Passover month sometime, after the days of purification, according to the Law, among a host of other reasons. The point being, we have a historical controversy over the timing, but is that reason not to celebrate the Incarnation? And wouldn't it be best to place it in the same season as the offering of the Firstfruit so that we might see how it is connected to the Anastasis?
The Reformation Day can be like this, reclaimed for truth, in that it fits at least in the idea of the narative history of Christianity. If not in the warp and woof of Scripture, it certainly belongs in the tapestry of Providence, no?
So lighten up. Go have a big stein of German beer, and ruminate the day, in the least.
And, I would agree with you. I think Sproul tendsto gloss over things and even to pull at Scripture to make a point rather than letting Scripture speak for itself. But, who is he?
Yes we are Ghetto scum of the earth. And what a play on the holocaust! Man.... You're not getting this ynottony. I do not think of you just as Nitpickedywiggedy, if that is what that means. Just bitter. And you need to find error to justify your position. But heh, it has driven you by the grace of God to become a scholar, at least from my appraisal of your studies you tower above me.
You see, Chris made this point clear. The negative is capitalized by the Catholic and the naysayer. This was not a church split as Luther said, he did not leave the church the church left Christ and he followed Christ. Like Peter, but none the less, it was Christ.
And heh, don't make fun of centuriOn, because he sells cheesy T-shirts. The boy has got to make a living and if he makes it while defending the Gospel, let him have his corn.
I asked the question, not as an alternative, to Halloween, but as to what motivated Luther to pick this day? Was it because this day was the Saints and the souls rememberance day? Did it harken back to the indulgences jubilee just a decade or so before? If so, then the historical reason for celebrating this day is significant beyond just being an alternative, but is instead a puctuation in the protest. Not simply the posting of protests, but a spitting in a dead pigs eye.
Lordamour,
"Not simply the posting of protests, but a spitting in a dead pigs eye."
Love that line.
Thanks.
Chris L — ...it's up to God to determine if they are so far off the rails that it's a damnable offense
Agreed.
We could ask God to do something to give that indication. I don't know... like, if He said something? In so many words? Like if He said that anyone who perverts the Gospel deserves damnation?
Something like -- oh, I don't know. SOmething like Galatians 1:6-9?
That would settle it. Wouldn't it?
And I supposed we could mourn everything, if you like. Mourn that God had to give us a Bible, because sin had broken our fellowship. Mourn that Jesus had to come. Mourn that He had to be resurrected. Mourn the symbols of His body and blood.
Or not.
Chris-
What's that universal church thingy? Da bigess? Yuz forgots sum da hisorry hea ma'am....
Augustine, oh yeah, banana split there, East vs West, yah, San Andreas, there? Sum thun jes not rite thar Chris?
The Reformation was definitely a leak in the dike that eventually tore a rift in the dam and let salvation behind the walls of a paganistic romance religion flow free to the man in the street, but hardly the biggest. Most freeing yes, next to the church split when the temple curtain rent. And none of the splits compared to that one. Guess it has alway been this way, eh? Or, maybe on just what side of divide you're on.
As far as the RCC as the "Spirit of Antichrist" goes, I think I'll leave that one up to God...
Right... cuz we can't really know anything, right Chris? Hey... trick, or treat? Should keep you out for a while.
And btw, just because one clearly applies Scripture to a specific situation and is convicted by it, it most certainly does not mean that he is robbing God of His judgment. If I say, "Wow, look at those clouds! It's going to rain!" I'm not 'not leaving it up to God' to water the earth. I'm simply declaring what God is about to do.
Anna Banana:
I hope I'm not too late in replying, but I was saved by God's amazing, glorious promise through Paul in Romans 11:23. In the sermon that I heard that promise, our pastor also cited Luther's writing on this matter as a shameful violation of Paul's admonition a few verses back, in Romans 11:17-18.
It is a regrettable legacy from a great teacher of the church such as Luther, but to hear such open honesty and contriteness from our gentile Christian pastor was instrumental to my salvation and reconciliation to God in Christ. It was also a lesson on how we are all sinners still, saved solely by the mercy of God, in spite of our natural desire to rebel against Him.
We are called out of the world, out of every nation, spiritual heirs of Abraham, to celebrate together the unmerited gift of the Lamb of God for taking away our sins. All praise be to the Lord our God forever and ever.
Hey,
Still speaking of Luther and stuff... can anyone tell me what he meant by thesis 93:
92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Peace, peace," and there is no peace! (Jer. 6:14)
93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Cross, cross," and there is no cross!
I'm just not following the hypothetical idea that there is no cross...
Mike,
Perhaps he was responding to the lack of an effective cross in the Roman theology.
So maybe he meant -
Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Cross, cross," and there is no cross being taught them by the Romans.
"How do you mark October 31?"
By making caramel apples and setting up my miniature Christmas village. The residents of said village, are all reformers, of course. Village ordinance.
:-)
Maybe we should all go back and read Colossians 2 and Romans 14.
Scripture. Yeah. That old book. Jus' mout larn sumpin.
That's be great, meanie.
And when we do that, we can thank God that a man like Martin Luther put God's Word into the language of God's people. We can thank God that we own a copy of it today, instead of only having a copy chained to a pulpit at church, in a language we can't read. We can thank God that we don't basically have a church choice consisting of a Roman Catholic church, a Roman Catholic church, or a Roman Catholic church.
In other words, we can thank God for the Reformation and its fruits.
Can I just say, that picture is the scariest thing I've seen this Halloween. Seriously.
We're doing a hayride & cookout with out homegroup at a farm of one of our church members.
I'll be at church, as it is our usual Wednesday night time...umm, don't mean to sound all legalistic, but has ANYONE mentioned that yet?
This year, since we are studying through Galatians currently, and specifically we have stopped for a few weeks for a long look at chapter 1:6-9 and false gospels, I thought it Providential and most appropriate to read the 95 theses, and detail the life and work of Luther and its ramifications, such as the fact that we are all meeting in this church house that isn't owned by Rome...
Okay, I see some prayer meetings and stuff with home groups and such listed, whew...sorry if I sounded overly pious, but in scanning the comments, it seemed a little odd...do we have no Wednesday night services at the church house anymore...?
What is your church doing? Isn't that what you should be doing? Especially with this "holiday" being a Wednesday?
But Dan, don't you know that today's siren song is "Come Home to Rome?" How dare you be an iconoclast and stand in the way of a bonifide lemming rush?
I shall ask Phil to concoct a new picture of Father McLaren in a tiara to replace an earlier one of the Alice-in-Wonderland toadstool and hookah. In fact, that would make a cool CD cover of 60s songs with reworked lyrics. Instead of "Are you Experienced," we could have "Are You Labyrinthed?"
There may be no place like Rome, but Rome ain't my home.
even so,
Church is right where I'll be, "holier than thou" pietist that I am. And I'll be in my pastor's weekly "Overview of Modern Cults" class, where tonight he will set aside the curriculum to discuss and (dare I say it?) celebrate the Reformation. Imagine that...
Post Tenebras Lux
My classmates and I wear our finest clothes for lunch, and say "congratulations" to our fellow students..
.. also, there was an introduction about "what is Lutheranism" at the meeting at the Seminary this evening. And afterwards (at the meeting) the glorious gospel of God was preached. :)
God is good!
even so...
Our church prayer meeting is on a Thursday.
I'm not going though, and now I feel even worse about that, thanks.
*melodramatic sobbing*
All it takes is one fundy legalist to throw cold water on the party. :=) :=) :=)
Just to make sure the embers stay warm - The Catholic Church NEVER persecuted the Jews - Luther invented the idea himself
But since we who hold to the reformed view are all Lutherites we don't eat anything kosher
Chris, I sure hope you keep a careful note of your sins so that people can wheel them out to show what a fallible human you were in a few hundred years time.
Libby,
If folks a few hundred years from now decide to dress up like me and treat the movement of Christianity I belong to as more sacred than the entire body of Christ, I hope someone will have the good sense to roll out my fallibilities, as well...
Dan,
Christ's birth is not a pagan celebration, but December 25th was chosen to mask pagan solstice celebrations (no matter how much we'd like to rewrite history to fit the way we wish it had been).
We could ask God to do something to give that indication. I don't know... like, if He said something? In so many words? Like if He said that anyone who perverts the Gospel deserves damnation?
Something like -- oh, I don't know. SOmething like Galatians 1:6-9?
That would settle it. Wouldn't it?
Depending on how narrowly you wish to define "the Gospel" beyond what Paul taught in I Cor 15:1-7, I suppose you could make the same claim of individuals preaching "another gospel" when they make silly statements like "Calvinism is the gospel", but somehow I suspect you'd keep it wide enough to include such things but narrow enough to keep all others out.
In reality, Reformation Day is the day on which we Protestants get to stand up and paraphrase Luke 18:11-12 and say "God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this Roman Catholic."
Were the church today as it was in Luther's day, I would have stood with him on the doorstep (and I probably would have added to his list, as well), but years later, I would hope that I would have had the sense not to celebrate that day as something to take pride in...
Pastor Steve, if you're reading this meta, Chris L's comment just above is a perfect example of someone not here to learn.
Every single statement has already been responded to. He's just repeating refuted gripes.
Leaving us with a glorious movement of God to celebrate, as He raised up brave men and women to liberate His gospel of free and sovereign grace from a corrupt and apostate cemetery.
Dan,
I am appalled by your lack of holiness because of the devil tempting you. In fact, the doorbell is ringing as I type this with him at the door. Don't you know Satan is a 7 year old holding out a bag of candy?
Sigh. If only it were THAT easy.
When I drove home and into my subdivision tonight, THE VERY FIRST costume I saw was Satan, happily walking around with a equally happy mom leading the way.
In one hour, I'll be at my Reformed Lutheran church Bible study. I don't know if they planned anything special for tonight. I'm guessing they will.
I never knew this day of celebration actually existed. I'll be sure to thank God for Mr. Luther for obeying God in doing this!
...and then I'll "ding dong ditch" our local Catholic apostasy with the 95 Theses taped to the door. ;-)
OK, on a serious note again, where do I get a copy of the 1953 version of Luther? Don't have cable/satellite, just an over-the-air digital (not analog...eww) TV tuner.
Ooh...future Pyro post suggestion: Is it bad to subscribe to a pay TV service?
I'd love to read that one.
Happy Happy Happy Happy
Happy Reformation Day
Nail the theses to the door....
And then we run away.
Knock the miter off the Pope
Give the protestants some hope
Happy Happy Happy Refor
may....
shun....
Day.
dumdumdumdumdumdum dum!
I hate when some spells my name wrong when they're accusing me of idolatry.
I already got to celebrate Reformation Day by telling my fourth and fifth graders about Luther nailing the theses, and how the word spread throughout Europe, thanks to the printing press that had been invented by the grace of God, in his sovereign will and timing. My kids were really into the discussion.
On the other hand, their parents were concerned that I not give their kids much homework tonight cuz it is Halloween after all.
"But since we who hold to the reformed view are all Lutherites we don't eat anything kosher."
Are Claussen pickles kosher? I'm out if I can't have Claussen's crisp delicious pickles.
Just got back from my "Dia de la Reforma" and it was a good time. My Wittenberg Door dart game was a hit. Also, as far as the feel and focus, we did stay away from the reformers and most of the history. The focus was more on partying with a light drizzle of how we are constantly reforming and all that razzmatazz.
I didn't expect razzmatazz to be in spell check. It's a Reformation Day miracle!
Finally, there are like 4 Chris' commenting. It's shaking up my joojoo.
My apologies, Libbie, for misspelling your name. I hate it when that happens, as well.
Dan - who is Pastor Steve?
Sorry, Libbie dear, didn't mean to be mean, I was just getting into character, seeing how at church I was to play the part of a flamethrower and all...
Did someone mention a fundy legalist?
;-)
Pastor Steve is a commenter in the meta to the article that followed this one, by Phil.
Libbie,
Don't feel too badly. In fact, if you'd like to have a bit of fun with a bit of "tweakage," have someone take a picture of you at Stonehenge, preferably at sunrise. Then you could post it here as confirmation of your pagan, idolatrous leanings. You could have a wicker chair burning in the background for dramatic effect.
Then again, someone might actually think you were being serious instead of tongue-in-cheek. Better not.
We met early at our church building, and had pizza with all our families, then we had prayer meeting just like normal.
It was awesome.
The prayer meeting I mean. The pizza was passable.
Last night I did a slideshow of "On This Day in History" in which I started of by identifying the pagan celebration of Halloween and a couple of other notable events (MT Rushmore completed, Indira Ghandi assasinated). My church is not a "Reformed Church" but they called a reformed pastor (suckers).
Then I gave them the reason to celebrate - It was really fun as they got excited and passionate about the great day that it was.
Then we continued with our regular expository Bible study (Which is what I think all of the great reformers would have liked in honour of them).
Sharing the Bible in the language of the people discussing our direct access as priests to God through the atoning work of Christ, and exhorting each other to share the good news of the Gospel - my kind of day!
:-D Sadly my idolatry is a tad more subtle, solameanie, and quite definitely rooted in my flesh rather than my dependence upon Grace alone.
Stonehenge at sunrise is very pretty, though. Apart from the enormously unmystical dual carriageway road 300 yards away from it...
Chris L apparently missed the link of Luther and the Jews. I'd encourage him to take a look before throwing those quotes around.
Yes, perhaps. That and the substance of every single response to him.
And those to Anna Banana, who seemed to be genuinely interested in working the issue out.
I (re)read Luther's 95 Theses. I run a food drive.
Libbie,
Well, if the carriageway provides enough in the way of exhaust fumes, perhaps the modern-day Druids gathering there will have an additional substance with which to hallucinate. I think I'll take Addison's Walk any day. ;)
What a world we live in.
And since Martinus Luther is one of the individuals we are celebrating this week, let me contribute this gem written by Luther after he received the papal bull, "Exsurge Domine." Luther's reply was called "Against the Execrable Bull of Antichrist."
I have heard that a bull against me has gone through the whole earth before it came to me, because being a daughter of darkness it feared the light of my face. If not spurious, then it must have been written by that man of lies, dissimulation, errors, and heresy, that monster Johann Eck . . . whoever writes this bull, he is Antichrist. . . I protest before God that with my whole heart I dissent from the damnation of this bull, that I curse and execrate it as sacrilege and blasphemy of Christ. This be my recantation, O bull, thou ??? of bulls.
There is some dispute on the word used where the ??? are, but I think we get the general idea.
By the way, someone needs to tell brother Martin that he wasn't being "nice" to the pope.
whoever writes this bull, he is Antichrist. . . I protest before God that with my whole heart I dissent from the damnation of this bull...
This may be irreverent, but I find it hysterical to read "Papal bull" as we might commonly read it today, especially in the above sentences.
:o)
Rhology,
Chris L apparently missed the link of Luther and the Jews. I'd encourage him to take a look before throwing those quotes around.
I did not miss this (and actually read it before writing my article the day before via Google. I suppose if it helps you sleep better at night to rationalize it away, then sweet dreams...
Dan,
Yes, perhaps. That and the substance of every single response to him.
Understanding the substance of the responses and agreeing with them need not be in correlation. I understand your need to tell stories to yourself of the Reformation parallelling the Exodus of Israel from Egypt, but that doesn't mean I should join them myself, or lead others into self-delusiong either.
A church split is a church split and should serve to be mourned, no matter how "right" one side may be. Celebrating such a thing is little more than saying "God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this Roman Catholic."
A question, complain, challenge, lament stops being a good and wise question, complain, challenge, or lament after it's been answered. Which yours were, fairly and fully, more than once.
And so again I say thank God for raising up brave and passionately Word-driven men such as Luther and Calvin. It is a shame Rome did not repent and reform. It is a shame it has not repented and reformed.
But thank God its stranglehold was broken, and the Gospel shined forth, and still does.
That's worth a party.
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